# SO2 Gas Tank Price



## Noxx (Dec 10, 2011)

Hey guys,


There's a Linde gas distributor very close to my lab and I asked them about SO2 gas.

It took the guy 30 minute to find the product then he said that it's not available for sale.

The next day he called me saying that it could be done with a special order.

They want $500 for a 150lbs tank and $100/yr for the rent. It's their only size.

Is this a normal price ? I have difficulty finding information on this on the web, but I know some of you are using or used it frequently.


Thank you


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## glondor (Dec 10, 2011)

I sent an inquiry to my chemical supplier to see what they have. Should know Monday.


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## Geo (Dec 10, 2011)

did you try LiquidAir Products or AirGas products?


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## qst42know (Dec 10, 2011)

Airgas products lists some options but you must call for pricing.

http://www.airgas.com/browse/product_list.aspx?catID=83&attribute=97:Sulfur Dioxide

Select the gas from the list there is a page full of sizes.


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## butcher (Dec 10, 2011)

Air Liquide company, or welding (gas and oxygen supply) suppliers in my area carry it SO2 gas for use in wine making, I cannot remember price it was a long time ago (I checked), but the bottle I would have to buy seemed the big expense.

An SO2 gas generator may also be another thing to think about,depending on volume needed, make one, or maybe find one already made; these were used to preserve food, and other uses.


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## Lou (Jan 20, 2012)

My last price on SO2 was $0.62 a pound and $400 on the tank. The cabinet to put the tank in....$3400.


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## Geo (Jan 20, 2012)

i have a friend that works at the local liquid air here and he said $400 and $100 for tank rental sounds about right.he is co-owner of the local facility here and i get all my gasses from him. he said he can get me a discount on one if i wanted it about half that price. plus no tank rental (i only pay for the gas) $15 oxygen and $25 acet.its good to know people. 8)


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## Noxx (Feb 8, 2012)

Just a quick update here, I contacted Air Liquide (Liquid Air) and got their prices for SO2.

18.1kg = $325
6.8kg = $241
2.3kg = $201

I went with 6.8kg for now, because I want to do some testing before SO2 gas precipitation becomes definitive.


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## rusty (Feb 8, 2012)

Noxx said:


> Just a quick update here, I contacted Air Liquide (Liquid Air) and got their prices for SO2.
> 
> 18.1kg = $325
> 6.8kg = $241
> ...



Do you have to rent the bottles.


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## Noxx (Feb 8, 2012)

Yes, I think it's $10/month


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## Harold_V (Feb 9, 2012)

Noxx said:


> Yes, I think it's $10/month


Explore the idea of buying a bottle outright---which you can then just exchange when it requires being filled. I did that with my stainless 55 gallon drum, used for nitric. At $10 month, they'll make you pay for the bottle over and over again, and you end up with nothing. 

Harold


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## freechemist (Feb 16, 2012)

Hi Noxx,

Here, just a few numbers to facilitate your decision for using SO2 or not in gold-reduction.

The monthly fee of 10$ for renting the steel-cylinder alone allows you to buy at least 1 kg of sodiumsulfite (Na2SO3) or 1 kg of SMB (Na2S2O5), wich in turn reduces roughly 1 kg of (Na2SO3) or 1.3 kg (Na2S2O5) dissolved gold.

1 kg of sulfurdioxide (SO2) reduces about 2 kg dissolved gold and will cost you between 18$ and 87$, depending on ordered quantity, according to the data given in your post. With one filling of 18.1 kg (the cheapest offer; 18$/kg) you can precipitate a maximum of about 36 kg gold. Thus it is up to you to base your decision on an average annual gold-production reasonable for you.

To make your decision, consider the handling, too. Solids usually are much easier to handle, than gases. Dosage, e.g., is much simpler for a solid, only a balance is needed. To bring the SO2 out of your gas tank into the reactor safely, additional infrastructure is required (tubing, flow-meter, vents etc.).

Regards, freechemist


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## Lou (Feb 16, 2012)

Quality always seems better when using SO2 gas rather than the sulfite. I do not know why.


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## Harold_V (Feb 17, 2012)

freechemist said:


> To make your decision, consider the handling, too. Solids usually are much easier to handle, than gases. Dosage, e.g., is much simpler for a solid, only a balance is needed. To bring the SO2 out of your gas tank into the reactor safely, additional infrastructure is required (tubing, flow-meter, vents etc.).


I dunno! 

While I never used SMB, I did use ferrous sulfate, and then changed to SO2 gas. I found that _a flow meter is not a requirement_, and I'm not convinced I'd have benefitted by having one. I used a simple stainless steel (surplus) valve, and piped the SO2 to my fume hood (the bottle was housed in the floor below, for easy access). I used a braided stainless steel hose to hook up the bottle, to ensure it was safely attached (no leakage). There is no weighing of anything required, for gas is introduced until the gold is down---and tested with stannous chloride, just as you'd have to do if you precipitated by other means. 

As far as ease of use, nothing could have been simpler. The valve was mounted directly to the right, and below, the deck of my fume hood. To it, I'd affix a 3/8" ID vinyl tubing (to a permanently installed hose barb), and hook the other end to the 3/8" glass tubing I used for precipitation. The hose/tube assembly was then held in place by a clamp that was installed in a couple seconds to the edge of the hood access doorway, and stored directly below the hood, in a drawer. I could be set up and running in less than 30 seconds, with no mess to deal with, and no weighing of reagents. 

For one involved in regular precipitation, I'm not convinced there's a better method for precipitating gold, even if it does cost a little bit more. The time and frustration experienced by the use of other methods, avoided by the use of SO2 gas, is more than enough return on the slightly higher expenditure, if there is one. In my case, there was not. 

I am open to alternate views, by the way.

Harold


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## lazersteve (Feb 17, 2012)

I have never used SO2 gas from a bottle, but I can speak on the subject of weighing the solid reagents (sodium sulfite and SMB).

The only time I have ever weighed out my SMB before using it was when I first started refining gold. I quickly realized that the weight of SMB used was irrelavent to the desired end result. Now days I simply add enough soild SMB (in small additions, stirring between adddtions) to get the gold all precipitated from the soluition. I use visual clues, the smell of SO2, and stannous chloride to determine when enough has been added.

Steve


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