Take your kitchen to new heights of culinary expertise with 615g cylinders of specialized gases. Propane and carbon dioxide cylinders are reliable foundations while nitrous oxide unlocks an array of unimaginable culinary possibilities.
O’Neill’s cylinder design uses counter-rotating cylinders to provide artificial gravity. Pushing the cylinders apart causes them to gyroscopically precess and yaw in one direction, while pulling them towards each other causes the other yaw.
Nitrous Oxide & 615g cylinders
Nitrous oxide (N2O) & 615g cylinders, also known as laughing gas, is a colourless, sweet-tasting gas that when inhaled in large quantities causes insensibility to pain followed by mild hysteria and sometimes laughter. It has a number of medical, occupational and recreational uses. It is a volatile compound and is used as an anesthetic, in pressure packaging, and to manufacture other chemicals.
Its pharmacological effects include dizziness, light-headedness, disorientation, headache, and a generalised tingling sensation. Nitrous oxide can be a dangerous drug when misused as it can cause serious harms to the central nervous system, such as damage to nerve endings, which can lead to loss of movement and feeling in parts of the body. This can be life-threatening, if untreated. It can also cause severe frostbite and lung injuries when 615g cylinders are frozen or mishandled.
There is limited evidence that nitrous oxide use is linked to anti-social behaviour, crime or local community impacts. There continue to be anecdotal reports of theft of nitrous oxide from hospitals. Nitrous oxide is not a flammable substance but it will support combustion of other materials and can explode if disposed of in general waste. The incorrect disposal of nitrous oxide cartridges and 615g cylinders in mixed recycling bins can result in them exploding during processing at recycling facilities (EMCDDA, 2022; DrugWatch, 2022).
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide is used in many consumer products that require pressurized gas because it is inexpensive and nonflammable. It also undergoes a phase transition from a gas to a liquid at room temperature, which allows far more of it to fit into a container than would otherwise be possible. It is commonly found in canisters of pressured carbon dioxide, such as those used for life jackets, and in aluminum capsules sold as supplies of compressed gas for air guns and paintball markers/guns or for inflating bicycle tires. It is also used at high concentrations to kill pests in stored grain.
In food processing, liquid carbon dioxide is used to add carbonation to soft drinks and as an antiseptic for canning foods. It can also keep frozen foods cold during transportation and as a sterilization agent in combination with ethylene oxide. Liquid carbon dioxide is also a useful solvent for lipophilic organic compounds, such as the caffeine that is removed from coffee beans during decaffeination.
As a solid, CO2 appears as an odorless white solid that can cause damaging frostbite when in contact with skin. It is liquefied at –109 degF, which makes it a valuable refrigerant. It is also used as an inertizer to prevent reactions between materials in the chemical industry and in food production, as well as for keeping foods cold during storage and transport (in the form of dry ice). Its inert properties mean that it is also widely used in food engineering processes.
Propane
615g cylinders , often called bottles or bundles, function as robust containers under high pressure, storing gases ranging from flammable acetylene to inert helium. They are crucial in diverse industries, from driving manufacturing processes to safeguarding precision in medical procedures and extending shelf life in the food and beverage industry.
They are also essential tools for construction, delivering powerful and portable heat while powering equipment at job sites in challenging weather conditions. Propane-powered forklifts are popular in warehouses and distribution centers because of their fast refueling and long runtimes, as well as reduced emissions.
Propane has an equilibrium vapour pressure of 7150 mm Hg at ordinary temperatures, and this value varies with temperature (see the Excel plot below). This is why propane cylinders are fitted with fusible plugs that melt at a designated temp in case of fire.
Propane can be released into the environment from various sources, including its production and use in the petroleum industry(1-6), combustion of polyethylene and gasoline(7) and waste incinerators(8). In addition, the use of propane in homes and trailers carries some risks. For example, propane may be emitted from appliances during charbroiling, and it has been found in the breast milk of mothers at concentrations of up to 190,000 ug/kg(1). Fortunately, a number of precautions are available to minimize exposure to this chemical.
Butane
Butane is under the group of alkanes and it’s a highly flammable easy liquifying gas. It’s used as a fuel for cookers, heaters and in small-scale refrigerators like camping fridges. It’s also a propellant, but this is usually not recommended because it can cause harm to lungs and eyes. Its high vapor pressure can trigger the larynx to spasm and block off air to the lungs, resulting in suffocation. Its low melting point means it can freeze skin and eyes. It can also be absorbed through the skin and into the blood stream where it can lead to serious side effects including drowsiness, euphoria and fluctuations in blood pressure.
Butane can be found in the environment through oil and natural gas processing and refining. It is also released by the combustion of gasoline engines and from landfills, hazardous waste disposal sites and incinerators. It is also a common by-product of the production of petroleum.
It has a Henry’s law constant of 0.95 atm-cu m/mole and it is expected to volatilize from soil surfaces rapidly(SRC) and from water surfaces(SRC). It can be transported and shipped in any form. Unlike propane, butane is not an odorless gas so it has to be mixed with an odourant to make it odourless for safety reasons. The odourant is typically added to butane at the refinery
