argonsheild light bottle has frost on the outside

[jonnyBMX]

okay people,

just a quick one, a friend of mine has a boc argonsheild light bottle and has just phoned up asking if i knew why it could have gone frosty on the outside of the cylinder ( a white film)

i said maybe it had a leak or something as none of my bottles have ever done this.

any ideas???

thanks

 

[rikrobson]

This is more common on propane bottles where the liquid touches the sides.

the gas will cool as the pressure drops. therefore there would be gas getting out so he was either using it or there is a leek. if the ambient temp is cols and the air damp there will be condensate on the bottle and a slight drop in temp with the gas dropping in temp will explain it.

 

[backpurge]

Either above or excessive draw off rate

 

[jonnyBMX]

well i do know that pressurized gas is a liquid and when liquid turns onto a gas as it de pressurizes it will cool rapidly which is why i suggested a leak, i told him to use soapy water and check for leaks, he has now found a leak on the bottle where he didn't attach the regulator properly

 

[pedrobedro]

Argoshield is not stored as a liquid but as a gas under pressure. It may be because his cylinder is nearly empty.

 

[jonnyBMX]

oh really ahha learn something everyday i thought once a gas is under pressure it would become a liquid :s this would deffinitely explain why it doesnt sound like liquid in the bottles and doesnt say " liquid" on them... it was because he had a small leak it was allmost full now its allmost empty after an hours welding

 

[Welderpaul]

Our regs and bottles get a bit frosty if the draw-off rates are high.
A leak also makes them a bit frosty

 

[Robotstar5]

I'm surprised you don't use the bulk manifold pallets with the amount of welding you do Paul.

 

[Welderpaul]

I'm surprised you don't use the bulk manifold pallets with the amount of welding you do Paul.

I've looked at using MCP's but they would have to go outside and be piped to the sets. I can see that the hoses would get constantly damaged as the sets are pulled round wherever they need to be in the shop rather than in a fixed point.

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

The one on the laser cutter gets icicles on it when cutting thick stainless on hi pressure nitrogen!

 

[jonnyBMX]

thanks for the picture welderpaul, his whole bottle looked light your regulator did!!

 

[dannyp]

when it's cold i get regs frost up like that on a fresh bottel quite often but never had the whole bottel frost up on argon or agosheild.

propand bottels often look like snowmen tho