SkullV

iTrader: (11)

So I'm supposed to be picking up a used half full 10lb NOS brand bottle tomorrow for $50. The seller has painted the bottle with High Temp Black paint somewhat recently he says. I am concerned that this is covering up some sort of structural damage to the bottle. Is there anything I can look out for to be sure?

SkullV

iTrader: (11)

anyone?

jmill96Z

iTrader: (3)

If you're worried about it, then don't get it. I wouldn't trust an aluminum bottle with suspected damage even if it was free.

Look for the date stamped into the bottle. If it's more than 5 years old, some tracks will make you get a re-cert.

SkullV

iTrader: (11)

That's what I'm thinking...$50 just seems VERY low for a half full bottle that doesnt have a problem, and the fresh paint job is very suspect...I have another guy selling me a full bottle for $150 and I know for a fact that it's good, I'll just stick with the full used bottle that I know is good for the same price as an empty new one!

moehorsepower

iTrader: (3)

All I can say is read this:They say it was due to an old bottle, and it was only half full..

Quote:
POLICE NEWS: Man's leg partially severed when nitrous oxide tank explodes

Saturday, July 25, 2009

A Waco man lost a portion of his leg Friday when a nitrous oxide tank exploded while he was working on his car in a shed off Old Marlin Road.

Blake Robinson, 39, and Chris Ragsdale were installing the gas in his Chevrolet Camaro to increase its speed when it exploded, severing Robinson’s left leg at about six inches above his ankle, Fire Marshal Jerry Hawk said. Ragsdale was unharmed and called 9-1-1.

Robinson was in stable condition Friday night at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center.

Christina Jergones, 27, was also in the shed at the time of the accident and received burns on her left arm and cuts from shrapnel.

A small child was also in the vicinity and complained of having problems hearing, but her condition was unknown as of Friday evening.

The explosion also caused a small fire.

Investigators believe oil or grease from Robinson’s hand could have ignited the gas in the low-pressured bottle when he opened it, Hawk said.

“It’s an unfortunate accident,” Hawk said. “Any time you work with nitrous oxide it can be catastrophic. It could’ve been much worse.”

jeepers_88

iTrader: (13)

What kind of bullshit is your media feeding you!?!?!?! Oil or grease from his hand ignited the gas when he opened it?? Please

TARZAN

iTrader: (12)

Do you know if the owner ever heated it with a torch?....if so, let them keep it.

-Will

moehorsepower

iTrader: (3)

Look, everyone agreed about the grease thing, I am just trying to point out a fact about a bottle explosion to help prevent something like this from happening to someone else. The rest of the story is that the bottle was only half full, he pulled it out from the car, set it on the cement floor and when he went to pick it up it exploded. It doesn't matter if he pissed on it, the bottle exploded for whatever reason....Trying to point out BEWARE of used bottles, you dont know how many times they have been torched.....

Black FormulaLs1

iTrader: (10)

i call BS on the greasey hands thing...maby he had greasy hands and was torching his bottle and it wasnt sealed? or seomting else..but greasy hands... total BS IMO

ADM

For those of you who do not know this, compressed oxygen will not ignite when it comes into contact with petroleum products. It will EXPLODE!

When handling compressed oxygen, always ensure your hands are clean, oil and grease free.

Many lives have been lost because of people not believing this information, or neglecting to make sure their hands are clean. A little leak is all it takes to kill you, and innocent others.

And to the OP, pass up on it bro, its not worth risking your life for whatever amount you are about to save.

Black FormulaLs1, its not BS bro. Its a fact. If you know anyone who works in aviation maintenance, ask them and they will tell you how true this is.

Nick@HSW

iTrader: (4)

ADM is correct. HSW puts this information on each bottle label to ensure that nitrous is not mis-handled. Certain petroleum products can cause chemical breakdown resulting in explosive materials. While it is rare, the information is posted to help prevent this from happening. I'm not sure if other vendors post this information or not, but never the less, always make sure your hands are clean when handling the bottle. Certainly not worth the risk. Along the same lines I generally run in the opposite direction when an idiot is either a) producing an open flame around a nitrous bottle or b) smoking while working on a car. Probably two of the dumbest things I see routinely done. I can only imagine how scary that situation was for the people involved in the story above.


Nick

jmill96Z

iTrader: (3)

Actually I do work in aviation maintenance, but I'm not whole heartedly buying into the greasy hands with N2O. Aviation grade LOX is around 92% pure IIRC ( maybe I have it mixed up with medical grade that is around 94) N2O is what, 33% oxygen content? By the time it hits the atmosphere it should be even more dilluted, right? So also by these standards, we should all have oxygen tools in their own sanitized box to work on our kits?

Oh, and we used to do some crazy **** with LOX that makes me look back and say WTF?? LOL

ADM

The grade and purity of the oxygen is not the subject here. Its the fact that compressed oxygen will ignite with petroleum products.

If you are working with oxygen, you need to use clean tools, and keep your hands clean. And remember that aviation oxygen is merely breathing oxygen (we get it supplied from a local vendor).

The only way it would come into contact with any grease, is if there was a leak. Am I correct?

Now, consider under what pressure the oxygen is stored in an N2O bottle? Is that not enough to ignite?

To me, compressed oxygen is compressed oxygen, and Nitrogen is inert so it will have no extinguishing effect either.

2 things happened in that accident. No safety precautions, and a leak somewhere in the N2O system being installed.

I am confident of my information, and will back it up 100%.

I even googled it and found this on the University of California Environmental, Health & Safety page...

Look at "Precautions for Specific Gases" http://www.ehs.uci.edu/programs/safe...ssgasprog.html

99zee

iTrader: (4)

I would pass on the bottle. Here is another story on the greasy hand story. I am not familiar with nitrous, but I am with oxygen. I work for the fire department and we had a guy grab an oxygen bottle with grease/oil on his hands and it expolded. They were in a small apartment and were using the oxygen. They removed the mask from the pt. and set it on the floor without turning it off. That "flooded" the room with oxygen. He reached down to move the bottle and BAM. He was burned over most of his body. Also injured a few others along with setting the apartment on fire. After the investigation it was found that he was working on something at the station before he made the call. I know guys mess with it with dirty hands all the time, but it can happen. Be careful.

jmill96Z

iTrader: (3)

So the oxygen content of the gas has noting to do with creation of the oxygen enriched environment? If that is true, why don't we combust every time we handle petroleum based products, just from the atmosphere itself? I do agree with the science. Pure oxygen and certain petroluem products = big boom. However, I would think that the 60% nitrogen content of N2O would render the substance inert until it hits 560* and the seperation occurs. Am I thinking about this in the wrong way?

I love good discussions about this type of stuff.

ADM

Bro, read my post again

Only COMPRESSED oxygen will ignite petroleum products when they come into contact. Its a scientific fact and its just a natural chemical reaction.

The nitrogen in N2O is an still inert, the oxygen is not because by nature it is an assister of combustion.

jmill96Z

iTrader: (3)

However, the oxygen is no longer compresses once it leaves the bottle and enters the atmosphere. LOL

ADM

Yes, I know that. But the cause of the combustion is the rapid expansion of oxygen as it loses its compression

jmill96Z

iTrader: (3)

Well, here's my take on this. We are not using GOX, the substance we are using is more similar to LOX. It is a liquid that is stored at/near it's boiling point. That is why we use the heat to manipulate pressure. You are talking about compressing dry gases, not the thermal expansion of a chemical in a liquid state.

LOX is just as dangerous when it is puddled up in it's overflow pan as it is when it is in it's storage tank. The LOX is boiling into the atmosphere and you have an oxygen enriched environment.

However, I will admit that the MSDS for N2O does list oils and lubricants as incompatible items. It also lists aluminum though

Hennytime

iTrader: (33)

I see a lot of good information here, but a lot of kids copy/pasting from wikipedia. Listen to the sponsor, and for the OP you can get a bottle new for 100 bucks so why risk it?