Gas Cylinder products for sale online in Zambia

A gas cylinder is a pressure vessel for the storage and containment of gases at above atmospheric pressure. High-pressure gas cylinders are also called bottles. Cylinders containing compressed, liquefied or dissolved gases can create a dangerous situation in the event of a fire. This is because they may explode as a result of the heat generated. In principle, empty cylinders should be treated in the same way as full cylinders.

Type of cylinders

• Type 1 gas cylinders – These are all metal. They are usually manufactured from steel or aluminium. They are the lowest cost and heaviest cylinder type. This makes them most suitable for static applications and high-volume industrial use. Type 1 cylinders are less suitable for applications where low weights and portability is required. Suitable applications include laboratory, onsite industrial/manufacturing, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and scuba.
• Type 2 gas cylinders – Hoop-wrapped aluminium. These are made from aluminium, hoop-wrapped with carbon fibre. They are significantly lighter than Type 1 cylinders, but still significantly heavier than Type 3 carbon composite cylinders. Type 2 cylinders are suitable for a variety of applications where cost is more important than low weight and high pressure. Suitable applications include medical oxygen (in a healthcare setting), laboratory (high volume use) and onsite industrial/manufacturing.
• Type 3 gas cylinders – Fully-wrapped carbon composite. These cylinders feature a thin and lightweight aluminium liner, fully overwrapped with carbon composite. They offer significant weight savings over Type 2 cylinders (up to 30%). They can also be filled to higher pressures (up to 300 bar), so they can offer increased capacity for the same size cylinder. Type 3 lightweight gas cylinders are ideal for applications where portability and capacity are important such as for home oxygen therapy and for medical oxygen cylinders in ambulances. Suitable applications include ambulatory oxygen, portable field testing, drone/UAVs, fuel cell applications, aerospace and military and calibration.
• Type 4 gas cylinders – Full composite, these are made primarily from carbon composite, with a polymer liner. They are the lightest and most expensive cylinders available on the market today. The key benefit of Type 4 is the low weight, which makes them most suitable for infrequent use applications where maximum portability is required. Suitable applications include portable field testing, calibration, military etc.
• Type 5 gas cylinders – Liner less composite, these cylinders are not widely available yet. They are the next generation of gas cylinders, and currently, they are only used in the most advanced military and aerospace applications. They are unlikely to be widely available on the commercial market for a few years.

Type of gas

The three main types of compressed gases that are stored in gas cylinders which include:

• Liquefied gases – These are gases which can become liquids at normal temperature when they are inside cylinders under pressure. They exist inside the cylinder in a liquid-vapour balance or equilibrium. Common examples are anhydrous ammonia, chlorine, propane, and carbon dioxide.
• Non-liquefied gases - Also known as compressed, pressurised, or permanent gases, these gases do not become liquid when they are compressed at normal temperatures, even at high pressures. Common examples are oxygen, nitrogen, helium, and argon.
• Dissolved gases – These are very unstable. The most common example is acetylene, which can explode even at atmospheric pressure. Acetylene cylinders are fully packed with an inert, porous filler that is saturated with acetone to prevent explosions. As acetylene is added to the cylinder, the gas dissolves in the acetone making the acetylene solution stable.