Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Alternative uses for an illegally owned Oxygen tank?

who keeps ownership documents for 10 years?

Gas bottle manufacturers/ suppliers.

j_sum1 - 3-1-2022 at 05:17

I would not try to fill it with hydrogen. Embrittlement is the last thing you need, especially if its history is unknown.

Ubya - 3-1-2022 at 06:38

Quote: Originally posted by unionised

who keeps ownership documents for 10 years?

Gas bottle manufacturers/ suppliers.

there's also the serial number and the company name engraved on the cylinder, it's not something i can hide

5) I doubt that you would have any problem having the cylinder certified, who keeps ownership documents for 10 years?
Especially if 'inherited from a relative'

the thing is that the last "owner/s" wasn't really the owner, the tank was leased to them and instead of sending it back after the 10 years period for servicing/re-certification, they threw it next to the bins.

if i found an abandoned car with the keys inside, and i'm 100% sure it is abandoned, i still couldn't drive it since there are documents somewhere that tie that car to someone else, and in no way i can get ownership of it without having a contract or a document from the last owner, same story here.
it was already thrown out, and you can be sure the garbage disposal company of my city would just throw it in the garbage compactor while looking the other side, so in a way i "saved" it, i just want to use it without really breaking the law (i mean i am already, but at least i'm not going to a welding shop with something that isn't legally mine)

7.1) boiler for a low pressure steam engine
7.2) retort for pyrolytic reactions
7.3) reservoir for an air compressor
7.4) reservoir for a vacuum pump
7.5) fill with molten lead and use as a pendulum bob for a big clock
7.6) doorstop
7.7) large coke/mentos fountain
7.8) solvent storage

7.1, 7.3, 7.4 are pretty good ideas, 7.2 too, i might try some plastic pyrolysis, but probably i'm not going to start with 8Kg of plastic as my first experiments xD

7.5, it would weight more than me, and i don't have all that lead (sad sad me i need lead)
7.6 lol it is its job at the moment, the picture i took were in front of the door it holds (i should call my cylinder "Hodor" for the time being lol)
7.7 naaahhhh
7.8 being an oil-less cylinder it should be pretty clean already, tipping it to get some solvent would be a great workout hahahah

unionised - 3-1-2022 at 09:17

7.3- an air reservoir for a compressor- might not be as good an idea as it seems.
Such reservoirs often end up with water in them.
An oxygen cylinder will not have been designed with water resistance in mind.

Re "
1) the bottle looks to be in good condition"
Add that to the list of "famous last words".

violet sin - 3-1-2022 at 09:27

Could you check with the local gas suppliers, see if they could do a swap out if you pay the fill gas rate? Say you picked it up at a yard sale for brazing torch use not medical use, and wouldn't you know it, just ran out. They may swap you over into an in season usable tank for a modest fee. Could be worth a phone call.

crow6283 - 3-1-2022 at 09:43

I’ve dealt with welding/gas supply places pretty extensively for some years now. The two places I’ve had accounts with the guys that work there are really into what they do and encouraging of people experimenting as long as they’re safe. One even upgraded my tank size for free! But in MY experience (one of these was at a large chain, AWG) they are very helpful. If you go in there and just say “hey I got this tank can I get it swapped” the dude will probably talk to you. There’s no such thing as an illegal oxygen tank it’s just a fucking tank.

I think a GREAT reason to have oxygen as a home chemist is for use with a propane/oxygen burner for glassblowing/lampworking.

Only issue with your tank is that it’s got what I’m guessing is a medical regulator on top. For anything else you’re going to need a new top with fitting for a standard two stage oxygen regulator. A welding shop may still be able to help with this.

-edit- my comments regarding the legality of possessing one of these are from the USA, so this may not apply to you.

[Edited on 3-1-2022 by crow6283]

Morgan - 3-1-2022 at 10:34

Here's a funny design for gas cylinder bell.
https://youtu.be/RqLXcB2C9mw
Stone age bells
https://youtu.be/zEP9r4QqUWM

MidLifeChemist - 3-1-2022 at 17:12

I've had oxygen tanks inspected many times. There is no such thing as an "illegal tank", it's just a tank. Anyone can get a tank inspected, it doesn't matter what is engraved on there. Just bring it in, get it inspected, and you are good to go.

AvBaeyer - 3-1-2022 at 20:53

I think that it is important to note that Ubya lives in Italy. I spend a fair amount of time there and I can confirm that the country runs on paperwork and rubber stamps. No papers, no progress. Since the tank in question is a medical oxygen tank, it is probably covered by all sorts of regulations requiring "papers." My suggestion to Ubya is to do a "good citizen" deed and return it to the owning company with a good story about how/where he found it. The next best thing is to just pass it on to some other dumpster bin along the way. If Ubya really wants to keep it, take the suggestion to make a bell from the cylinder. Otherwise, I think the tank is relatively useless.

AvB

CouchHatter - 4-1-2022 at 09:39

I second AvBayer's suggestions - if you filled them in on how you obtained it, I imagine that the company would be grateful to receive it back. Then again, they probably budget for lost tanks, if your garden happens to be missing an enormous wind chime. A fire extinguisher makes a more manageably-sized crucible.

Tsjerk - 4-1-2022 at 10:34

Still, couldn't you fill it with argon yourself? Then it is very useful, even with the medical regulator on top, to keep reactions under an inert atmosphere.

Fulmen - 4-1-2022 at 11:55

In the end there is only one way to find out. Call a shop and ask them if they are willing to fill it for you.

Ubya - 4-1-2022 at 12:05

Still, couldn't you fill it with argon yourself? Then it is very useful, even with the medical regulator on top, to keep reactions under an inert atmosphere.

that would be my main focus.
tomorrow i'll go to a welding gas supplier in my city to talk a bit, hopefully i don't get treated like an ass

yobbo II - 4-1-2022 at 17:10

You could partaily fill it for welding or glass work.
Simply connect it to a fully filled bottle, let some gas flow (perhaps to 1/3 working pressure). Then stop. That should be safe enough.

Yob

crow6283 - 4-1-2022 at 21:08

Still, couldn't you fill it with argon yourself? Then it is very useful, even with the medical regulator on top, to keep reactions under an inert atmosphere.

that would be my main focus.
tomorrow i'll go to a welding gas supplier in my city to talk a bit, hopefully i don't get treated like an ass

Well this is a bit more complicated. To do this you would have to get an argon tank to begin with, at that point why half fill a tank with argon when you’ve already got a full tank? It would take some work. You’re still going to want a two stage regulator. One so you can see the pressure remaining in the tank and then one to control the flow of gas into your system. I just don’t know about using an oxygen regulator (especially a medical one) for Argon. I use gasses a lot but I have to admit I’m not really familiar to what the hazards might be of doing this. Being that Argon is inert so I don’t think it would be a problem but it’s worth looking into.

Ubya - 5-1-2022 at 06:26

Still, couldn't you fill it with argon yourself? Then it is very useful, even with the medical regulator on top, to keep reactions under an inert atmosphere.

that would be my main focus.
tomorrow i'll go to a welding gas supplier in my city to talk a bit, hopefully i don't get treated like an ass

if it is doable i'll just swap regulators, this medical regulator doesn't have a connector for a regulator (or maybe i can use the charging port?) so i wouldn't be able to check the pressure/flowrate

crow6283 - 5-1-2022 at 06:55

Still, couldn't you fill it with argon yourself? Then it is very useful, even with the medical regulator on top, to keep reactions under an inert atmosphere.

that would be my main focus.
tomorrow i'll go to a welding gas supplier in my city to talk a bit, hopefully i don't get treated like an ass

if it is doable i'll just swap regulators, this medical regulator doesn't have a connector for a regulator (or maybe i can use the charging port?) so i wouldn't be able to check the pressure/flowrate

This is where I’m a little unsure about your cylinder! To use a standard oxygen regulator you would also need to have a whole new valve and maybe a different collar on that cylinder. The threadings in the fittings for various gases tend to be different. I think I mentioned in another thread recently.. nitrogen and co2 fittings are the same but oxygen has its own thing.

The whole idea of renting an argon tank, filling your tank halfway up, and returning the tank… well HERE it just doesn’t work like that. Places that have gas cylinders refer to it as “rental”, but you don’t pay a monthly fee or anything. You just pay for the tank, then when it’s empty you swap it out for a full one. At this point if you did this, you would already be the owner of an Argon tank - so what would be the point of filling up your oxygen tank halfway and returning the Argon tank - when you already have an argon tank?

Ubya - 5-1-2022 at 13:02