I have been using a couple of solvent tanks with sight glasses for the past 2 months. Today I noticed that the sight glasses on one of the tanks were foggy/filmy on the inside of the tank. The other tanks sight glasses are clear as day. Both tanks have the same gas as I use one for filling and the other for recovery. Any idea what would cause the film?
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Solvent tank sight glasses
- Thread starter frazierk
- Start date
![image1[1].jpg](/data/attachments/324/324171-bf8ce088600b7e4b02a16560521dedcc.jpg)
![image2[1].jpg](/data/attachments/324/324186-66d5e2d6cf997b852d1725270443093a.jpg)
Which tank fogged?
The tank that fogged was last used for filling. I used it for recovery today and the fog went away during recovery.
Glass is a poor insulator, and I would guess that it is acting as a cold finger, condensing the vapors in the tank head space. Stainless isn't either for that matter, and if you could see the inside of the tank, you would likely find the walls coated as well.
Sooo the question is what are those vapors. It could just be LPG, and as Prune notes it could be volatile hydrocarbons that it picked up from the process.
It might also be water. Are you running a dryer?
Sooo the question is what are those vapors. It could just be LPG, and as Prune notes it could be volatile hydrocarbons that it picked up from the process.
It might also be water. Are you running a dryer?
Not currently using a drier. I'm waiting for some glass wool to come in the mail so I can get a molecular sieve set up.
I recently started recovering the solvent from the column by closing the dump valve, pouring hot water in the dry ice sleeve and connecting the top of the column to the top of the expansion filter. I think this process is carrying over water/terpenes which is causing the film.
I recently started recovering the solvent from the column by closing the dump valve, pouring hot water in the dry ice sleeve and connecting the top of the column to the top of the expansion filter. I think this process is carrying over water/terpenes which is causing the film.
Why do you think the glass wool would be dangerous? I got the idea from this post: https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=280859&highlight=glass+wool&page=41
My plan was to use the glass wool over a 1-3 micron filter paper. I thought using a micron filter paper by itself would get clogged so the glass wool is there to help catch a bunch of the dust before it gets to the filter paper.
I have yet to use a molecular sieve, only read about them. From what I've read it seems like they can get pretty dusty and there is no definite answer for how small the dust particles are.
My plan was to use the glass wool over a 1-3 micron filter paper. I thought using a micron filter paper by itself would get clogged so the glass wool is there to help catch a bunch of the dust before it gets to the filter paper.
I have yet to use a molecular sieve, only read about them. From what I've read it seems like they can get pretty dusty and there is no definite answer for how small the dust particles are.
The glass wool particles are smaller than the sieve particles, and might cause some health problems if inhaled in quantity..I've heard horror stories of the amount of airborne glass wool can end up in a lab....I've had good luck with stopping minimal sieve dust on a 2-3 micron filter, though I'd like to drop it to 0.5 micron. Some brands seem to leave no dust behind, like what I recently bought from Xtractor Depot. A plastic bag does the best at showing me dust residue.
Thanks for the heads up! Do you wash your sieve beads before use to help get rid of the dust?
I didn't but also don't have any apparent dust left on any filters or after dry distillations so. This used to not be the case, dust levels were frightening, I even used small Sprolan filters instead at one point.
I suppose rinsing in water and drying them out again wouldn't be a bad idea.
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