# Sulphur dioxide



## golddie (Nov 21, 2010)

Sulphur dioxide
I know that most of the experts prefer this over the other things for dropping gold so thats why I am buying this stuff
Here in Canada it is considered a specialty gas 
the price is expensive about 400 dollars for a 3 feet tank and also 60 a year to rent the tank
is this normal

Also the guy selling this gas said it is a terrible gas does anyone have
MSDS Sheets on Chemicals
on this gas
Thanks


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## qst42know (Nov 21, 2010)

Print them from here.

http://www.chemtradelogistics.com/MSDS/Sulfur_Dioxide-English.pdf


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## golddie (Nov 21, 2010)

Hi qst42know
Thanks for that link.
I dont know which chemical is worse than the other but the only thing I know is we better have a good fume hood.
I bought a carbon mask in case I might need to use it but grainger said the only protection from nitric fumes is to breath from an oxygen tank and wear a special suit.
I know that Gsp and Harold and 4 metals had been doing this for a while and nothing happened to them
So maybe sometimes people exaggerate the dangers.
but still you need a good fume hood
and also be educated of the dangers 
the brown fumes from a nitric reaction with inquarted gold is definitely going to kill a person

In the safety sheet information pdf I noticed this 



> Maintain temperature such that the resultant vapor pressure is lower than the relief setting


can someone explain this 
Thanks


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## Barren Realms 007 (Nov 21, 2010)

golddie said:


> > Maintain temperature such that the resultant vapor pressure is lower than the relief setting
> 
> 
> can someone explain this
> Thanks



It means for you not to build the pressure in your vessel up to the point that the relief valve goes off releasing pressure and fumes.


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## lazersteve (Nov 21, 2010)

There is a document on my website, 'Guide to Sulfurous Acid', showing how to set up a SO2 gas generator apparatus.

Steve


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## skippy (Nov 21, 2010)

I know the rental cost is pretty good - you'd pay that to rent any other tank. The fill cost isn't too bad when you consider the tank will be substantially full of liquid SO2 - SO2 liquifies like propane under pressure. That tank might have forty pounds of so2 in it.


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## golddie (Nov 21, 2010)

Hi Skippy
I dont know how to reply to those messages 
the company is air liquid


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## Lou (Nov 21, 2010)

Liquid sulfur dioxide is a terrible substance if mishandled. In fact, I'm far more afraid of LSO2 than I am nitrogen oxides from aqua regia!

The regulator will be your biggest expense because most of them are made of monel metal.
Sounds reasonable to me.

Lou


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## golddie (Nov 22, 2010)

Thanks for all your help
Harold and 4 metals have talked about using this gas maybe they can tell us about the regulator and in what amounts the gas was released and other important info


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## Oz (Nov 22, 2010)

If I remember right, Harold had no regulator but just cracked the valve on the tank.


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## golddie (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi Oz
In Hoke book the picture is also like that
but how do you attach the hose to the tank


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## 4metals (Nov 22, 2010)

SO2 tanks have a male thread so you thread in a coupling and a short pipe and attach a hose. Use stainless steel fittings. The bottle gets cold and can freeze up if the flow rate is too high. Many guys put the cylinder in a tank and add hot water to prevent freez-ups

The regulators are expensive and not necessary, just use the shut off on the bottle. 

I shouldn't have to say this but I will, do it under a hood with good exhaust. You will never forget your first breath of SO2.


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## Harold_V (Nov 23, 2010)

4metals said:


> SO2 tanks have a male thread so you thread in a coupling and a short pipe and attach a hose. Use stainless steel fittings. The bottle gets cold and can freeze up if the flow rate is too high. Many guys put the cylinder in a tank and add hot water to prevent freez-ups
> 
> The regulators are expensive and not necessary, just use the shut off on the bottle.
> 
> I shouldn't have to say this but I will, do it under a hood with good exhaust. You will never forget your first breath of SO2.


Yep----I have nothing to add. The only exception to 4metals comments is the tank freezing. Certainly possible, but on the level of the hobbyist, it's not likely. I used to precipitate up to 80 ounces in succession and never had a moment's trouble---but I also had a much larger bottle. Think of the large oxygen bottles used by welders. Same size. 

Do not breath SO2. As has been stated, it's something you will never forget. 

I grew up in a smelter town (Midvale, Utah) where SO2 was a daily and constant occurrence. You never get used to it. 

The smelter was closed sometime in the late 50's.

Harold


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## 4metals (Nov 23, 2010)

> The only exception to 4metals comments is the tank freezing. Certainly possible, but on the level of the hobbyist, it's not likely.



Absolutely correct, when I dropped 2500 ounce lots of fine gold out of 200 gallons of acid with 6 hundred pound cylinders open full blast it was a factor. For the hobbiest it isn't, but there are more than a few incognito commercial refiners on the forum who may be interested.


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## dtectr (Nov 23, 2010)

4metals said:


> I shouldn't have to say this but I will, do it under a hood with good exhaust. You will never forget your first breath of SO2.



I remember my first breath of resultant gas from SMB drop - in fact it seems I can still taste it. For hours it seemed like everything I ate or drank was sulfurous. 
I'm not reccomending this as a treatment, but cold beer was the only thing that covered the flavor. I'm SURE it didn't do me any good.

Listen to words from the wise.


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## rusty (Dec 24, 2010)

lazersteve said:


> There is a document on my website, 'Guide to Sulfurous Acid', showing how to set up a SO2 gas generator apparatus.
> 
> Steve



Found this information on SO2, Aluminum reacts with hot, concentrated H2SO4 with the evolution of toxic SO2 gas (Mellor, J.W. 1967. Mellor’s Modern Inorganic Chemistry, 6th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. pp. 745.).


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## Refiner232121 (Feb 1, 2011)

When the tank is used it will obviously be in the room where all the reaction takes place
How about when it is not used should it be taken to another room because all the acid can damage the tank parts
Thanks


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## Barren Realms 007 (Feb 1, 2011)

Refiner232121 said:


> When the tank is used it will obviously be in the room where all the reaction takes place
> How about when it is not used should it be taken to another room because all the acid can damage the tank parts
> Thanks



Set your tank up in another room if you want to and run piping into where you are going to be using it with a vlave on it at your point of use.


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## golddie (Feb 4, 2011)

How do you know the amount of this gas to use for cementing is it by experience or there some kind of a trick


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## Barren Realms 007 (Feb 4, 2011)

Yea the trick is to learn to test your solutions with stannous and learn the reactions and what you are looking at in the test.


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## golddie (Feb 6, 2011)

I will be going to grainger soon and I would like to buy a coupling for my Sulphur dioxide gas tank.
I tried to find this on their site but I couldn't I am sure that if I go there they will be able to help me however I would prefer to go there with the item number so that I will be better informed about this product.
So I will need a coupling with a valve and a clasp to attach a hose to it and this should be stainless steel and as for the tube any tube for gas will probably work.
I typed in word like valves and other similar things in the search feature but no help
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/start.shtml
Thanks


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## qst42know (Feb 6, 2011)

I searched CGA fittings. (Compressed Gas Association)

http://www.sisweb.com/referenc/tools/cgafitt.htm

From the chart you need CGA 660. However where you buy your SO2 may be a better place to look for the fitting, Granger's stock regulators with CGA 660 connections but online no individual fitting.


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## golddie (Feb 6, 2011)

qst42know 
Thanks for that link 
I guess when I go there and tell the Sulfur dioxide and mention 660 they will understand


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## Frankk12 (Feb 6, 2011)

you also need a stainless steel tube to attach to the hose.


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## Harold_V (Feb 6, 2011)

Frankk12 said:


> you also need a stainless steel tube to attach to the hose.


I'm not sure why. You certainly don't want to use stainless when precipitating gold. Glass tubing is a requirement. 

Harold


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