Erbe ERBECRYO 2 - Safe Handling of Carbon Dioxide and Gas Bottles; Properties of Carbon Dioxide; Gas Bottle Operation and Storage

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3 • Safe handling of carbon dioxide and the gas bottle
80113-401_V24023  2023-05
Chapter 3
Safe handling of carbon dioxide and the
gas bottle
Safety instructions provided by the gas supplier, training
Due to its specific properties, handling CO
2
requires particular caution and knowledge.
Particular knowledge is also required when handling the gas bottle and accessories,
such as the gas bottle adapter, gas tube, etc. The gas bottle must only be operated by
trained personnel.
You gas supplier provides safety data sheets and safety instructions for handling CO
2
and the gas bottle. Read the nationally-applicable safety data sheets. The information
varies from country to country. The ERBECRYO 2 User Manual can therefore only pro
-
vide some basic information on the safe handling of carbon dioxide and the gas bottle.
Properties of carbon dioxide
Knowledge of the properties of CO
2
will help you to better understand and apply the
dos and don'ts in this User Manual.
Chemical
CO
2
is non-combustible. Combustion reactions are inhibited or completely suppressed
by CO
2
.
Physical
CO
2
is heavier than air and primarily flows downwards when flowing out of gas bottles.
If ventilation is poor, CO
2
accumulations can remain close to the ground for several
hours.
Correlation between the bottle pressure and room temperature
In the gas bottle, CO
2
is liquid under pressure. The pressure of the liquid depends on
the temperature and is approx. 57 bar at 20 °C. At higher room temperatures, the
pressure in the gas bottle rises.
As the unit can only be operated with gas bottles with a pressure level that does not
exceed particular limits, the room temperature should be between 15 °C and 25 °C. It
is possible that these values may not be reached or may be exceeded for a short pe
-
riod, as the gas bottle only heats up or cools down slowly.
Fill level of the gas bottle
Even a gas bottle that is almost empty has approx. 57 bar at 20 °C. The fill level can
therefore only be determined by weighing and not by measuring the pressure.
Only operate and store gas bottles upright
If you draw CO
2
from the upright gas bottle, you will receive CO
2
gas. When the bottle
valve is opened, the pressure in the gas bottle falls. CO
2
vaporizes from the liquid and
flows out as gas. Liquid CO
2
escapes from a horizontal gas bottle. Liquid CO
2
can dam-
age the unit. You may therefore only operate the gas bottle upright.