Carbon Dioxide

Applications

Welding

Carbon Dioxide is used in various types of arc welding such as gas metal arc welding and gas tungsten arc welding, as well as in the processing of titanium and other reactive elements.

Research

Argon is used as the carrier gas in gas chromatography and it is the gas of choice for the plasma used in ICP spectroscopy. It is commonly used for the sputter coating of specimens for scanning electron microscopy. Argon gas is also commonly used for sputter deposition of thin films as in microelectronics and for wafer cleaning in micro-fabrication.

Lighting

Incandescent lights are filled with argon, to preserve the filaments at high temperature from oxidation. Bulbs filled with pure argon provide a violet light, but when they are filled with argon and some mercury a blue light is produced. Argon is also used for the creation of blue and green laser light.

Description

This is a flammable, colorless gas with an odor that is very similar to garlic. It is stored in dissolved acetone and can decompose spontaneously if pressure exceeds 15 PSIG. Acetylene is a compressed gas and is stored in a liquid state. When the valve is opened and pressure is released a portion of the liquid turns to gas. Because acetylene is stored as a liquid, the cylinder will only work properly if the tank is used in the upright position. Using, or storing, the tank in any other position can be extremely dangerous, according to the U.S. Department of Labor General Industry Digest, 1994. The gas is made by the process of mixing Calcium Carbide and water which produces Calcium Hydroxide, also known as Slaked Lime, and Acetylene. One of the most common uses of Acetylene is as the fuel component in oxy-acetylene metal cutting.