These days, industrial activities make use of certain specialized gases which do not naturally occur in the concentrations or states required by industry. One of these is carbon dioxide, or CO2, to use the scientific abbreviation. CO2 is present in the atmosphere but only constitutes about 0.03% of the air. Even though this sounds like an unimportant proportion, it is anything but that - CO2 is one of the integral gases in the environment and the air. Anyone who operates a high pressure CO2 pump should educate themselves on this gas.
As a gas, CO2 has no smell or color. It is therefore impossible to detect by human senses. In its frozen form, it is known as dry ice, and it is used in cooling applications. However, it soon evaporates once exposed to the ordinary atmosphere. It is therefore difficult to store or trap CO2 in this 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.
The process of photosynthesis might be familiar to people. Plants and trees exhibit this process during the day, when the sun is shining on them. Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide as an input material and produces oxygen as a by-product. The CO2 is taken up directly from the air. But at night, the opposite happens and plants produce carbon dioxide gas. This is why people sometimes raise opposition to deforestation. The main forests of the world are important sources of atmospheric oxygen and they also eliminate massive amounts of CO2.
0.03% might sound like a very small fraction, but CO2 is nonetheless an important gas. It is not used by the body, and is exhaled with water vapor during respiration. In an environment containing only CO2, respiration is impossible and suffocation will ensue in a short space of time.
This property of CO2 is the basis of its use in CA storage (controlled atmosphere storage). In this process, the atmosphere in the storage area is almost totally composed of CO2. This prevents fresh produce from decomposing. The pathogens which cause decomposition require oxygen and cannot function in CA storage. It has been alleged, however, that the nutritional properties of the stored products are not maintained.
Another obvious use of CO2 is in soft drinks, or carbonated beverages. This is known to the public. But what is not so popularly known or advertised is that the carbonation of the drinks gives them an acidic aspect. CO2 dissolves in water to produce carbonous acid (H2CO3). This happens as the bubbles of CO2 dissolve into the drink. Even though this is a weak acid, it is still acidic. As an experiment, leave a tooth in a glass of a soft drink over night. The tooth might dissolve and disappear during that time.
Carbon dioxide is not a gas that should be handled lightly by people. In high concentrations it can cause death through suffocation. Those who make use of high pressure pump equipment should therefore be aware of its nature and how to observe the proper precautions.
As a gas, CO2 has no smell or color. It is therefore impossible to detect by human senses. In its frozen form, it is known as dry ice, and it is used in cooling applications. However, it soon evaporates once exposed to the ordinary atmosphere. It is therefore difficult to store or trap CO2 in this 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.
The process of photosynthesis might be familiar to people. Plants and trees exhibit this process during the day, when the sun is shining on them. Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide as an input material and produces oxygen as a by-product. The CO2 is taken up directly from the air. But at night, the opposite happens and plants produce carbon dioxide gas. This is why people sometimes raise opposition to deforestation. The main forests of the world are important sources of atmospheric oxygen and they also eliminate massive amounts of CO2.
0.03% might sound like a very small fraction, but CO2 is nonetheless an important gas. It is not used by the body, and is exhaled with water vapor during respiration. In an environment containing only CO2, respiration is impossible and suffocation will ensue in a short space of time.
This property of CO2 is the basis of its use in CA storage (controlled atmosphere storage). In this process, the atmosphere in the storage area is almost totally composed of CO2. This prevents fresh produce from decomposing. The pathogens which cause decomposition require oxygen and cannot function in CA storage. It has been alleged, however, that the nutritional properties of the stored products are not maintained.
Another obvious use of CO2 is in soft drinks, or carbonated beverages. This is known to the public. But what is not so popularly known or advertised is that the carbonation of the drinks gives them an acidic aspect. CO2 dissolves in water to produce carbonous acid (H2CO3). This happens as the bubbles of CO2 dissolve into the drink. Even though this is a weak acid, it is still acidic. As an experiment, leave a tooth in a glass of a soft drink over night. The tooth might dissolve and disappear during that time.
Carbon dioxide is not a gas that should be handled lightly by people. In high concentrations it can cause death through suffocation. Those who make use of high pressure pump equipment should therefore be aware of its nature and how to observe the proper precautions.
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