Industry involves the use of various gases which are not usually isolated in the atmosphere. CO2 is one such gas. It is present in the air, but at an extremely low concentration. It forms about 0.05% of the earth's atmosphere. This may seem insignificant, but it is not. CO2 is one of the most important gases in the atmosphere and so using a high pressure CO2 pump involves knowing more about it.
It is not possible to identify CO2 gas by eye or smell, since it has no color or odor. It is sometimes used in a solid state as "dry ice" to keep items cold. Dry ice is not, however, stable in that form and it immediately turns into gas when the container is opened. It is extremely hard to keep dry ice in a solid form.
CO2 is formed by the reaction of carbon with oxygen. This is simply ordinary combustion, or burning. One carbon atom combines with two oxygen atoms to form the CO2 molecule. Carbon might not be regarded as the most common fire hazard but it burns to produce carbon dioxide.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it in a process known as photosynthesis, through which oxygen is produced as a by-product. This is an extremely important process in the atmosphere, because the major forest areas of the earth produce a large proportion of the oxygen in the air. However, trees can only produce oxygen during the day time, when there is sunshine. At night, in the dark, they produce carbon dioxide instead, and use oxygen. Environmental activists sometimes raise this issue - namely that the elimination of forests is a source of concern.
This means that even though carbon dioxide is present in such a small concentration in the air, it is highly important. It is also potentially lethal because it cannot be used by the human body. It is exhaled together with water vapor when you breathe out. If the air is made up entirely of CO2, it will cause death through asphyxiation instantly.
This is linked to one of the main uses of CO2, which is known as controlled atmosphere storage, or CA storage. In such facilities, the air is almost entirely carbon dioxide, and fresh produce does not decompose, since aerobic bacteria cannot function. The nutritional value of the produce is not always stable over time, though.
People are probably more aware of the use of CO2 in carbonated drinks, such as fizzy soft drinks. They may not realize that CO2 also does something else in these drinks - it dissolves in water to produce a mild acid known as carbonous acid (H2CO3). The bubbles of gas in the drink dissolve into the liquid part to produce this acid. It is not powerful but it can cause damage. A tooth will dissolve in a soft drink if left in it over night.
Carbon dioxide can cause death by suffocation. Those who work with it should therefore be trained in the appropriate safety precautions and the nature of the gas. This is particularly important for those who make use of the high pressure pumps.
It is not possible to identify CO2 gas by eye or smell, since it has no color or odor. It is sometimes used in a solid state as "dry ice" to keep items cold. Dry ice is not, however, stable in that form and it immediately turns into gas when the container is opened. It is extremely hard to keep dry ice in a solid form.
CO2 is formed by the reaction of carbon with oxygen. This is simply ordinary combustion, or burning. One carbon atom combines with two oxygen atoms to form the CO2 molecule. Carbon might not be regarded as the most common fire hazard but it burns to produce carbon dioxide.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it in a process known as photosynthesis, through which oxygen is produced as a by-product. This is an extremely important process in the atmosphere, because the major forest areas of the earth produce a large proportion of the oxygen in the air. However, trees can only produce oxygen during the day time, when there is sunshine. At night, in the dark, they produce carbon dioxide instead, and use oxygen. Environmental activists sometimes raise this issue - namely that the elimination of forests is a source of concern.
This means that even though carbon dioxide is present in such a small concentration in the air, it is highly important. It is also potentially lethal because it cannot be used by the human body. It is exhaled together with water vapor when you breathe out. If the air is made up entirely of CO2, it will cause death through asphyxiation instantly.
This is linked to one of the main uses of CO2, which is known as controlled atmosphere storage, or CA storage. In such facilities, the air is almost entirely carbon dioxide, and fresh produce does not decompose, since aerobic bacteria cannot function. The nutritional value of the produce is not always stable over time, though.
People are probably more aware of the use of CO2 in carbonated drinks, such as fizzy soft drinks. They may not realize that CO2 also does something else in these drinks - it dissolves in water to produce a mild acid known as carbonous acid (H2CO3). The bubbles of gas in the drink dissolve into the liquid part to produce this acid. It is not powerful but it can cause damage. A tooth will dissolve in a soft drink if left in it over night.
Carbon dioxide can cause death by suffocation. Those who work with it should therefore be trained in the appropriate safety precautions and the nature of the gas. This is particularly important for those who make use of the high pressure pumps.
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