Archive for the ‘gas’ Category

In Gas Storage, Argon Presents Safety Challenges

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

When it comes to using gas, argon is naturally ideal as an inert gas because it’s cheap for manufactures as well as flame retardant. However, processing the gas can be deadly if faulty or aging gas handling equipment is used. Undetected leaks can result in asphyxiation and death, as proven in a 1995 incident in Alaska that resulted in the death of a worker.

That is why adhering to the strictest safety and purity requirements is so important. On top of being cost inefficient, aging equipment can be deadly as the result of leaked gas. Argon may be flame resistant, but deadly if inhaled.

There are many inherent dangers in working with gas which is why it is always important to adhere to all safety regulations in the workplace and to always follow safe gas handling instructions. Even gases such as oxygen can impose safety concerns on those working with or near the gas.

Components of gas cabinets must be put through an in-depth inspection to make sure all parts are in working order. Particularly if the equipment is retooled, all components and parts must be thoroughly tested and cleaned and replaced if necessary to insure a safe working environment.

All components must be tested and recalibrated, created as good as new to meet the demands of the manufacturing process. This can be done on standing equipment through an on site visit as an inspector goes through a rigorous checklist to make sure the equipment is in working order. Site evaluations and design review meetings not only ensure the safety of the equipment, but increase efficiency and ensure that the costs are minimized at the bottom line.

It’s important that a gas manufacturing system be kept primed and running for safety reasons, but this should be done as cost effectively as possible. By using surplus new or retooled parts, industry specialists can keep their equipment smoothly up to date for much less. In fact, using better equipment not only improves safety but also efficiency, further getting the most out of the bottom line.

The gas distribution naturally presents its dangers, the most deadly of which can be leaking gas. Argon may be ideal because it is cheap, cost effective and a good flame retardant, but it can be deadly if old and aging equipment results in leaks. Well working and sealed equipment is paramount when it comes to safety on the manufacturing line.

Cabinets for Gas: Argon Storage

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

In our industry, one of our major safety concerns is having proper storage for various types of gases and other materials. The most common way in which we store various gases that we are not currently using or shipping out is in a temperature controlled warehouse. One gas, argon, was used on a regular basis by our company and we constantly had to reorder more liquid sources and pulled the gas from there. We found we needed less physical space, but more efficient lead time in reordering in order to minimize storage. Despite the fact that we relied on other types of gas, argon was the one that we used on a regular basis and needed to keep in stock.

I was put in charge of finding a more cost effective way to store and order our gases. If we did not find new storage method soon, we might have to slow down production while incurring costs. The business relied on proper storage because if we used incorrect gases or there was a leak, then it would be an extreme risk for the company. One of the purposes of our company was to obtain argon through a process called cryogenic distillation.

Cryogenic distillation requires cooling air from the atmosphere down to a liquid. Then we slowly let it evaporate at different temperatures. This process can isolate the different gases in the air by the variations in temperature. There are different gases at different temperatures because each gas in the air evaporates at different temperatures. During this process, we can also gather oxygen and nitrogen.

As you can see this is a complicated process, so once we secure the gases we need, we have to have a suitable storage environment. If we do not have a suitable gas cabinet to store our gases, then we could lose it back into the air. This makes the expensive cryogenic distillation process almost worthless. In order to reduce our losses, we need proper storage for our gases. I went online to find a company that could offer the proper cabinets for our business.

I found a great website for a company that had access to thousands of cabinets that we could use. I was able to find the type of cabinet that was specific for my gas. Argon is a relatively safe substance, but the gas cabinet was necessary for us to save on our expenses and to give us the additional storage that we needed. We ended up purchasing other gas cabinets because they were newer than some of our currently installed storage cabinets.