Nitrox tanks

What makes a tank a Nitrox tank?
I just bought an Luxfer 80 AL and on the warning sticker it says "Warning This cylinder was cleaned for oxygen and oxygen-enriched service at the Luxfer factory. If you intend to use this cylinder for oxygen or oxygen-enriched service(i.e., with any gas containing oxygen concentrations of 23.5%or more), all component used with the cylinder must be oxygen-compatible.
Reading that make me think I could have it filled with up to 40% EAN and use my Titan regulator.

Thanks in advance

JAMIE MCG:

What makes a tank a Nitrox tank?
I just bought an Luxfer 80 AL and on the warning sticker it says "Warning This cylinder was cleaned for oxygen and oxygen-enriched service at the Luxfer factory. If you intend to use this cylinder for oxygen or oxygen-enriched service(i.e., with any gas containing oxygen concentrations of 23.5%or more), all component used with the cylinder must be oxygen-compatible.
Reading that make me think I could have it filled with up to 40% EAN and use my Titan regulator.

Thanks in advance

Click to expand...

You could. If you however have it filled with air that is not hyperclean or oxygen clean air, you are then limited in the kinds of Nitrox fills you can get. Filling Nitrox using the partial pressure method requires an oxygen clean tank. Once you put non-oxygen clean air into the tank (i.e. standard Grade E air from a non-nitrox fill site), it is no longer oxygen clean. Filling with banked Nitrox or filling via the membrane method would still be fine with the tank.

That sticker means more to the blender then to you. Putting the gas in the tanks require that the tanks be O 2 clean. The reg or the tank once blended in the tank well never see 100% O 2. or even 50/50. If you contaminated the tank and it is not O 2 clean. The filler cant fell the tank with 100 o 2,

Reference your Regulator and Enriched Air, I believe nearly all new regulators are Enriched Air Compatible now and Im sure the Titan is but as a rule you should check the regulator manual

as everyone has said he tank means more to the filler then you be whatit means it that you dont have to change the orings and stuff to make it o2 clean they aready did it at the factory so dont let the lds sell you on an o2 clean if this tank is brand new if its used or been sitting for a while and on every sevice i would have it o2 clean every year its not a do it once and it last for ever you have to do it with every vip

For all the reply's, I always assumed that the difference was thickness of tank or something allong those line, now I know. Just to clarifie the tank is new, however the LDS filled with air, they don't have EAN, so when I use up the first tank I could still have EAN if it's Banked or Membrane filled? or do I need to have it cleaned again before puttin EAN in it?

JAMIE MCG:

For all the reply's, I always assumed that the difference was thickness of tank or something allong those line, now I know. Just to clarifie the tank is new, however the LDS filled with air, they don't have EAN, so when I use up the first tank I could still have EAN if it's Banked or Membrane filled? or do I need to have it cleaned again before puttin EAN in it?

Click to expand...

The problem is with how the tank is filled.

There are two common ways to fill a tank with EAN. One involves putting 100% oxygen in the tank first, then topping it off with hyperclean air until the correct percentage of mix is in the tank. This method is dangerous to the person filling the tank as any impurities can ignite in pure oxygen when filling the tank. Your tank will need to be recleaned if the shop uses this method-commonly called "partial pressure filling."

The second method is using a nitrox "stick" or membrane, where the already correct mix is added to the tank. No pure oxygen ever directly sees the tank or valve. It is, in effect, pre-mixed. For the sake of this discussion, "banked" nitrox fits in this category.

Since your tank has now had air, and I assume non hypercleaned, the safe thing to do is to tell the person filling the tank so that it and the valve can be recleaned for oxygen service.

Jamie, if oxygen were so dangerous it would be expected that there would be numerous reports of oxygen fires. Doesn't happen. In actual practice, there are any number of divers who PP fill their tanks with O2 and top off with air from compressors, portable and stationary, which are only equipped with filtration systems designated "grade E". Recognizing that the air is not perfect it is common knowledge that tanks which are filled this way should be oxygen cleaned more frequently, eg once/year. This is different from the statement that "one fill will contaminate a tank", and for good reason. After many years of do-it-yourself PP filling it has become apparent that a single fill from a "grade E" compressor is not likely to cause a hazard. It is also true that after many, many fills from a "grade E" compressor that it is entirely possible that hazardous levels of oil residue or particulates could be laid down inside the tank. Before this happens, the tank should be cleaned; eg, sudsed, rinsed and dried is what that means. Most dive shops use compressors with extensive, and expensive, filtration. The likelyhood of contaminating a cylinder to the extent that it would be dangerous to fill with O2 is very unlikely. So, even though a particular shop does not advertise "hyper air" it is probably pumping very clean air, cleaner than you are breathing at this moment, especially if you live in or near a city. The greatest influence on divers are the instructors and certifying agencies. In many cases, they get their information from NASA and the Navy. These entities have unlimited budgets (they will deny it, LOL) and a lot of research and development people whom they have to keep busy. Theorizing and writing reports and publishing requirements and restrictions is what they do. However, the results do not necessarily apply to the real world (that's us). I hope this short memo lends some perspective to the situation, how we got there and how to respond to it.

The real issue is not creating a fire, but in creating the subsequent CO (Carbon Monoxide) that the diver will eventually breathe. Having your tank filled after just ONE incident seems a real PITA, and it is. Remember that these rules are industry standards and you have not broken any "laws". That is little consolation when you notice that your lips and finger nail beds are cherry red or getting there.

Fortunately membrane systems are popping up everywhere and you don't have to worry about cleaning any vessel that will not be exposed to an Oxygen content greater than 40%, unless of course you are in the Armed Services, and then you clean if it is greater than 21%.

pescador775:

In actual practice, there are any number of divers who PP fill their tanks with O2 and top off with air from compressors, portable and stationary, which are only equipped with filtration systems designated "grade E".

Click to expand...

True.... in theory. In actual practice, only so far the compressor is working well. For O2 clean compressors are different filters and lubricants among other precautions to avoid hydrocarbon contamination. With a standard "grade E" compressor when (not if) a malfunction happens you have a "claymore" at the end of the whip...

Edit:http://www.oxycheq.com/Haskel_Photo_1.html