Carbonmonoxide

Carbon monoxide

Product information

General information

Filling pressure at 15 C, bar: 100 or 150

Material recommendations: Low pressure: No restrictions.

High pressure: Aluminum. Can give rise to stress corrosion on certain types of steel

Characteristics

Highly flammable. Odourless and colourless gas.

Health risks

Toxic Binds itself to the haemoglobin in the blood. A headache is usually the first shown symptom.

Transport

ADR Class 2, 1(bt)

Physical data

• Molecular weight: 28.01
• Boiling point at 1.013 bar, C: -191.4
• Density (1.013 bar, 15 C) kg/m3: 1.18
• Vapour pressure at 0 C, bar:
• 20 C, bar:
• Flammability range in air, % (volume): 12.5-74.0
• Specific volume (1.013 bar, 15 C), m³/kg: 0.844

Source

The most common carbon monoxide production plants are reformers in which natural gas and steam reacts together to produce CO together with hydrogen. However, there are also many other production techniques such as incomplete combustion of natural gas and, for smaller quantities, the dehydration of formic acid using either sulphuric or phosphoric acids.

Applications

The largest use of carbon monoxide is in the chemical industry where it is used in the synthesis of a wide variety of chemicals such as esters, ketones, aldehydes and glycols as well as for the production of phosgene, a common chemical intermediate. Normally the demand for carbon monoxide at chemical production sites-is so great that it is produced on-site, though occasionally supplies in tube trailers may be viable.

Some types of electronic components, such as reed relay switches, are encapsulated in a glass enclosure which is sealed by direct heating with a flame. In these cases it is important that no water is produced in the flame as this would be sealed in the enclosure and lead to failure of the component. Hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels are therefore not suitable and carbon monoxide is used.

Atmospheres containing carbon monoxide are used to preserve fruit and vegetables during storage and shipment. The carbon monoxide provides .a reducing atmosphere which inhibits the growth of organisms and the action of enzymes.

Carbon monoxide is used in relatively large quantities and in a variety of ways in the primary metals industry: as a chemical reducing agent for the recovery of metals from ores; in the purification of aluminum waste; and in the manufacture of metal carbonyls for conversion by thermal decomposition into high purity powdered metals.

Carbon monoxide also serves for the production and regeneration of catalysts such as nickel carbonyl.

Carbon monoxide is also used in both organic and chemical synthesis.

Carbon monoxide is a component in several gas mixtures, for lung diffusion, laser mixture and different calibration mixtures.