Oxygen was discovered by a French
chemist, Antoine Lavoisier, who was born on 26th August 1743. He
gave the name to Oxygen in 1778 and to hydrogen in 1783. Two third weight of
the human body is oxygen and it is the third abundant element which forms about
21% of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Did you know?
·
Liquid oxygen is a beautiful pale blue at -183
degree C
·
At room temperature, oxygen is a colorless gas
·
The boiling point of oxygen is – 183 degree C
while the melting point is -218 degree C
·
The symbol of Oxygen is O and its atomic number
is 8
The Importance of oxygen cylinder regulator to prevent fire
There have been reports of oxygen
cylinder regulators exploding during medical service, during equipment check
and a few cases are reported by the fire department. The firefighter suffered
burn injuries with extensive damage to property as well.
Forensic analysis recognized that
the cause for the explosion was a leakage in the oxygen cylinder regulator. The
gas slowly weeps out of the damaged seal and ignites due to the friction caused
by the flow of the gas. Use of improper seals/gaskets/washers on the regulators
is the major cause of ignition and the damage causing fire.
There are two types of washers
that are used to enhance the seal at the valve/regulator interface in oxygen
cylinders. The two types are a metal bound sealing washer and the other common
type is the plastic crush gasket suitable for single use, unlike the sealing
washer that is designed for multiple uses. The crush gasket which is usually
made of nylon (CGA 870) requires higher torque to seal the interface as
compared to the elastomeric sealing washers. The cylinder regulator/valve
connection is designed to be tightened by hand. Any additional torque causes
the gasket to be deformed, which damages the cylinder valve and regulator.
A deformed cylinder valve seat
lets the oxygen leak out. Oxygen itself is not flammable, but when it flows
with a high velocity it produces enough friction to heat up the washer and
ignite the crushed nylon gasket. Metallic seal washers are less prone to leaks,
but are not leak proof.
Safety precautions when dealing with oxygen cylinders
It is always better to be safe
than sorry. Take these precautions to prevent explosions that cause damage to
life and property due to fires from oxygen cylinder regulators.
- Clear the outlet port of the valve by opening it a wee bit to let gas escape for a short time then attach the regulator to the cylinder
- It is mandatory to follow the instructions as given in the manufacturer’s manual when attaching the regulator to the oxygen cylinder
- Make sure you are using the sealing gasket as specified by the manufacturer
- Check the regulator for a clean sealing washer or new crush gasket which should be in good condition
- Inspect the regulator and CGA seal before you attach the regulator to the valve
- The gaskets, valves, regulator must be free from any contaminants like grease or oil, which literally add fuel to the fire
- Never use a wrench or any other hand tool to tighten the T-handle. It is designed to be tightened by hand only
- Verify that the regulator is attached properly and the gasket is in good condition. Open the valve slowly, if gas escapes shut it immediately
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Read more here Facts
You need To Know about oxygen tank/cylinder regulators
