Equipment Under Pressure of Vacuum

TM 5-6640-213-14

Handle gas cylinders under high pressure cautiously;

do not drop them on the ground or floor. Store gas

cylinders away from sources of heat. Support or

check gas cylinders to keep them from falling or

rolling. Assure that protective caps are kept in

place when cylinders are not in use. Never use

grease or oil !on gas cylinder valves or on pressure

regulators. Gas cylinders must be chained to prevent

them from falling.

(i) Equipment Under Pressure of Vacuum.

Do not exceed the pressure or temperature designated

as the safe upper limits for equipment used in a

test or other operation. Periodically check all

metal, rubber, or plastic tubing used in operations

involving pressure or vacuum to be sure that the

tubing has not become faulty. Replace defective

tubing.

Release pressure cautiously when venting vessels

under pressure.

Wear goggles when opening air valves.

Make sure that proper shielding is provided when

using vacuum apparatus made of glass.

(6) Handling and Using Equipment.

(a) Glassware.

1. Keep glassware used in testing clean. Wash

the apparatus with solvent, soapy water, cleaning solution if neces-

sary, tap water and distilled water, and then allow to drain dry.

Rinse with acetone to fasten drying.

2. Make sure that the stopcock of glassware pre-

pared for storage is free of grease. Store Teflon stopcocks, or

their equivalent, loosely in the barrel and also keep free of grease.

Glass. stopcocks and stoppers should be wrapped with a strip of paper

prior to inserting into the barrel to prevent the surfaces from

fusing together.

(b) Crucibles. Mark crucibles permanently with ink

manufactured for this prupose. India ink or pencil markings cannot

be used because they cannot withstand the high temperature that

crucibles may be exposed to.

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