Many industrial jobs use different types of gases, including calibration ones, to do various tasks around the plant. Depending on the kind you use at your company, you’ve likely wondered how to prevent calibration gas from degrading. While it’s impossible to stop degradation completely, there are steps you can take to slow down the process, which we will cover in detail here.
How Long They Last
Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer for how long calibration gases can last—it mostly depends on what gases they are made up of. Ones that contain NO2 have the shortest possible shelf-life at four months. While this is a low estimate, and it will likely last longer than that. However, its lifespan is practically nothing when compared to something like CO2, which can last for at least 28 months.
What Causes Them To Expire
Despite the difference in lengths, the reasons as to why a gas expires usually fall into one of two categories. The first is how it reacts to environmental factors. When in use, the calibration gas can come into contact with any other gases or other materials in the area. Over time, this will change the gas’s composition slightly, which can have drastic results on the process it’s used for.
The other primary reason is it will slowly disperse from the canister you store it in. This can occur from any damage the container might take, as well as from it not being correctly sealed after use. While the effect this has on the gas is less significant than that of the previous reason, it will cause the gas to last for not nearly as long as one would generally expect.
What You Can Do To Slow It
Fortunately, both of these problems are manageable since they usually stem from a lack of care from the employees. For example, if workers at your factory are constantly leaving gas canisters out in the open, there is a good chance they will get knocked over. This could either open up a tiny crack in it or even break off the nozzle, which would cause a much more significant leak.
In order to combat this issue, you can retrain your employees on how to store calibration gas containers properly after they finish using them. Whether this is the issue you’re dealing with or a similar one, proper training goes a long way in extending the shelf-life of your gas.
Obviously, people aren’t always to blame. Sometimes, it’s old equipment that’s the source of the issue. Simply keeping your factory’s machines updated and well-maintained will help fix this problem.
Why It’s Important
Now that you know how to prevent calibration gas from degrading, it’s crucial to understand why it’s important to do so. Depending on the gas you use, it might be toxic for your employees. A leaky canister can lead to all nearby employees getting sick or severely injured. In order to keep everyone safe, you must schedule regular maintenance checks and set up proper safety precautions. On top of that, the more gas you waste, the more it’s going to cost you, and no business owner wants to pay more for something than necessary.
image credit: Adobe Stock
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