Dry Ice Makes Tanks Safer For Repair or Removal
Tanks that have contained flammable liquids are hazardous to workers repairing or removing them. Flammable solvents, like gasoline, can creep into seams and crannies in the tank. Cutting with a saw or welding torch to repair or disassemble the tank can cause the release of flammable vapors, which can be explosive.
Dry ice can be used to remove oxygen from the tank and make it safe for such work. Put dry ice pellets or blocks into the filler opening of the tank, close it with a stuffed rag, and wait several minutes. The dry ice will sublimate and fill the tank with carbon dioxide gas, which is heavier than oxygen, and will displace the oxygen gas. The rag wad will let the oxygen and CO2 gases escape from the tank, avoiding pressure buildup inside the tank from the sublimating CO2. The amount of dry ice and wait time will vary with the size of the tank. After the flow of CO2 gas from the tank opening has continued for several minutes, the repair or removal can begin.
Where water has contaminated petroleum products in the tank, the product can be recovered using dry ice to freeze the water so the petroleum, which floats on the water, can be pumped out while the frozen water remains in the bottom of the tank.
The following tanks are a few that can be made safe for repair or removal by using dry ice:
- motorcycle gas tank repairs
- gasoline
- fuel oil
- lube oil
- diesel fuel solvents
- oil tanks
- leaky fuel tank
- fuel storage tank
- rusty gas tank
- fuel tank pinhole
Be sure to observe dry ice safety precautions. Locations where dry ice can be purchased, and information about small quantity dry ice purchases are provided. Continental Carbonic Products can provide information about dry ice and its uses.
Call Continental Carbonic toll-free at 800-DRY-ICE2. Visit our News Archive to find out about more ways to use dry ice. Use your ZIP code to find your closest Continental Carbonic location.
