industrial gas regulations, CGA regulations, beer over foaming, large cryogenic tank, industrial gas deliveries, bad cryogenic hose, how to fix a dewar

The evolution of the cryogenic and industrial gas industries over the last few years has led to better safety and greatly improved transportation and storage of larger amounts of liquefied gases for longer periods of time. That said, cryogenic storage tanks will eventually experience temperature fluctuations due to their surroundings, resulting in occasional temperature increases inside the tank, which causes liquid gas to evaporate back into a gas state known as “boil-off gas.” Safety relief valves handle and mitigate that pressure rise.

Empty cylinders are often stowed away outdoors, where a variety of factors like temperature and humidity fluctuations can cause oxidation and eventual corrosion of the cylinder body. Any corrosion can decrease cylinder durability by risking contamination from external particles, which create further damage. (See our quick refresher on cylinder storage best practices here.)

Hydrogen, specifically green hydrogen, is growing in popularity as countries and industries look for climate-friendly energy solutions that reduce reliance on fossil fuels. As demand grows, so does the need for developing a safe, reliable infrastructure that makes that transition more feasible.

When it comes to hydrogen systems, high-quality stainless steel is the rule, not the exception. Resistant to rust, discoloration and warping, stainless steel performs exceptionally well under harsh conditions. Not only relied upon for hydrogen systems, stainless steel components are also critically important in high-purity applications like cannabis extraction and oxygen service, where high quality is a necessity, not an option.

Valves can make or break industrial gas systems, which makes choosing a quality valve crucial for long-term success and performance. Sacrificing quality for cost will only end up costing you more in the end, when an inferior valve fails and creates potentially catastrophic system failure.

As hydrogen continues to increase in popularity, a particular focus is finding valves and components that are tough enough to stand up to hydrogen. By affecting the electrochemical kinetics of certain metals, hydrogen can cause pitting and acceleration of the rate of inter-granular corrosion of high-strength steels, titanium alloys and aluminum alloys, which are the most vulnerable metals. Additionally, the interaction of hydrogen and stress can result in escalated stress-corrosion cracking susceptibility of steel, particularly in welded joints.