Can a liquid oxygen tank store liquid ethylene?
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Our company already has liquid oxygen storage tanks – can they be used to store liquid ethylene, and what are the potential safety hazards?
It should be possible. However, the release must take place at a high altitude; it’s advisable to install emergency shut-off valves as well as adjust the setting for the safety valve’s activation pressure. In the end, it’s still the regulatory authorities who have the final say
Typical liquid oxygen vacuum tanks are equipped with valves and instruments as part of the manufacturing process. For safety reasons, the valves and instruments used in liquid oxygen systems may not be suitable for ethylene use; ethylene systems require explosion-proof components, full-function safety valves, and other such features, with different requirements in cases where quick-connect flanges are used
The low-temperature valves used in equipment such as low-temperature tanks are generally standardized, including low-temperature safety valves and rupture discs; rupture discs are not used for flammable and explosive substances...
I’ve seen that some units use micro-tilt safety valves for liquid oxygen; low-temperature valves used in equipment are generally interchangeable, but valves designed for flammable substances require some minor modifications
You need to calculate it based on the parameters; it can’t be stored casually.
Liquid oxygen is not an explosive substance, whereas liquid ethylene is. It cannot be used directly.