Is it possible to screw off the cap of an Argon/Oxygen-bottle?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility and safety of using an Argon/Oxygen gas bottle to generate and store hydrogen for a fuel cell project. Participants explore various methods of hydrogen generation, potential risks, and safety considerations related to handling gases under pressure.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Safety-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses interest in using an Argon/Oxygen bottle to mix water, NaOH, and Al to produce hydrogen, questioning the feasibility of unscrewing the cap to load the materials.
  • Another participant raises concerns about the safety of the proposed method, questioning whether the fuel cell can handle hydrogen contaminated with caustic soda and aluminum salt.
  • There are suggestions that a metal tank with an inert inner coating is necessary to prevent NaOH from reacting with the vessel.
  • One participant mentions that generating hydrogen in an Argon tube may not be safe and suggests using a high-pressure compressor to pump hydrogen from atmospheric pressure into the bottle instead.
  • Concerns are raised about hydrogen's tendency to leak and the risks of explosion due to its wide range of flammable concentrations.
  • A participant suggests simply purchasing a hydrogen cylinder as an alternative to the proposed methods.
  • There is a mention of consulting with a chemistry department regarding safe hydrogen handling practices.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the safety and feasibility of the proposed hydrogen generation methods. There is no consensus on the best approach, and multiple competing views remain regarding the handling of gases and the risks involved.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations related to safety knowledge, material compatibility, and the potential for chemical reactions that could affect the integrity of the gas bottle. There are unresolved questions about the safety of the proposed methods and the handling of gases under pressure.

Prometium
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Maybe strange question, but I would like to use an Argon/Oxygen 20 L bottle to load with water, NaOH and Al to make hydrogen for a fuel cell project. So, to load this bottle I'm thinking of screwing off the cap, then put it back again. I can imagine this is very hard tighten. I would like to have around 150 bars of pressure.

Of course I put safety first, and before I try anything, I'll get to know all the knowledge about this.

Another option would be to generate hydrogen without pressure and then pump it in a bottle. I'm not sure what's safest yet.
 
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Hi Prometium. http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5725/red5e5etimes5e5e45e5e25.gif

Let me know when you're about to try this, so I can leave town beforehand.

Apart from the safety issues, will your fuel cell mind being fed hydrogen contaminated with caustic soda and aluminium salt?

In any case, you'd need a metal tank with an inert inner coating, else the NaOH will start to dissolve the vessel or the valve and fittings.
 
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NascentOxygen said:
Hi Prometium. http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/5725/red5e5etimes5e5e45e5e25.gif

Let me know when you're about to try this, so I can leave town beforehand.

Apart from the safety issues, will your fuel cell mind being fed hydrogen contaminated with caustic soda and aluminium salt?

In any case, you'd need a metal tank with an inert inner coating, else the NaOH will start to dissolve the vessel or the valve and fittings.

I have made some research and found that the type of generating in an Argon-tube isn't safe enough. According to what I know, Na is more reactive then Fe, so no reaction. This generating bottle was also supposed to only load pressure, then tanked over in another dry and clean bottle. If this generating bottle is below freezing point of water when it's about to load over to the next, I have problems believe that anything more than H2 comes over. But for safety, I quit this idea.

I'm more into pumping H2 from atm. pressure with a high pressure compressor in an Argon/Oxygen bottle. What might be the risk? The H2 is pretty (totally?) inert at room temperature, and the bottle is probably affected by this loading as it would be from Argon/Oxygen. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Prometium said:
I'm more into pumping H2 from atm. pressure with a high pressure compressor in an Argon/Oxygen bottle. What might be the risk? The H2 is pretty (totally?) inert at room temperature, and the bottle is probably affected by this loading as it would be from Argon/Oxygen. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Hydrogen is notorious for leaking through tiny gaps or even solid materials, causing material compatibility problems, and for violently exploding in a very wide range of concentrations. If you have to ask these questions, you probably shouldn't be messing with it.
 
Could you just buy a cylinder of hydrogen?
 
Prometium said:
I'm more into pumping H2 from atm. pressure with a high pressure compressor in an Argon/Oxygen bottle. What might be the risk? The H2 is pretty (totally?) inert at room temperature, and the bottle is probably affected by this loading as it would be from Argon/Oxygen. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
I can't comment on safe handling of gases, it's not my field. I did comment on what I saw as dangerous handling in case no one else did. Have you consulted with a nearby chem department to see how they buy hydrogen?
 

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