Alka-Seltzer

[ChicoRaton]

I must beg to differ, from personal experience. I'm not a welder so I don't know the specific use of co2, but my uncle sold me a co2 tank with a regulator that was perfect for my aquarium, and he said it was for welding. ...Unless he used it for, ahem, plants, too, and didn't want me to know... but that I doubt.

 

[Native American]

Only one problem - welding uses argon or helium, not CO2. You are correct though, the welding gas place is the same place to get CO2 and equipment, as well as virtually all other compressed gases too.

I'm pretty sure CO2 is used as a shielding gas as well for MIG / GMAW. The welds won't be as pretty, and you'll get a lot more spatter, but it is way cheaper than Ar. CO2 has much better heat conductivity than Ar, so you can get a deeper weld. 75% CO2/25% Ar is a good premix for MIG shielding gas.

That's why you can get CO2 at a welding shop. About $9 for 10# is a decent price.

v/r, N-A

 

[Shocker6966]

I did a little research as we don't deal a lot with MIG in my field as we do mainly pressure welds with secondary focus on structural welding. I'm tempted to turn this into a thread about welding processes but I'll refrain. So yes, CO2 is used in MIG, but at the cost of penetration and disassociation of alloy at the weld site resulting in lower tensile strength vs other gas processes.

Weld gas suppliers don't only supply CO2 to welders however. Most suppliers provide their wares to welders, medical professionals, laboratories, restaurants and anyone else who needs gas. As far as regulators go, I looked into this as well. CO2 has it's own regulator, style 320.

As for using helium as a shield gas. You won't find it in a normal shop - it's used in the welding of thicker exotic metals such as stainless, aluminum, copper, etc due to it's higher thermal conductivity.

 

[Native American]

I must beg to differ, from personal experience. I'm not a welder so I don't know the specific use of co2, but my uncle sold me a co2 tank with a regulator that was perfect for my aquarium, and he said it was for welding. ...Unless he used it for, ahem, plants, too, and didn't want me to know... but that I doubt.

That's funny...when I told the guys at the local welding supply shop it was for plants, they looked at me funny until I said aquarium plants. It was worth a laugh!

Yeah, you're uncle's right, and it's great for light stuff like fixing a wrought iron fence. The local supplier sell thousands of pounds of it each year for portable MIG setups; allows you to get away from flux core wire and keep more on the spool.

They were just wondering why I brought in two small bottles that day (only 10 lb. each) instead of taller cylinders for a shop.

v/r, N-A

P.S. On the subject of Alka Seltzer, it's about $3.00 for a box of tablets, right? For the amount of CO2 evolved, wouldn't it be loads cheaper and easier in the long run to get a bottle of CO2 and a kegerator regulator?

 

[nickmcmechan]

First off, I never intended to simply dump a couple tabs in the tank and see what happens, I meant to react it separately and collect the gaseous CO2, and leave the rest behind much like the yeast/sugar method. I just intend to do it much faster and in greater volume.

With large enough/strong enough a vessel to handle the volume of gas and/or the pressure produced and a flow control system you could generate and deliver the CO2. I've toyed with the idea of generating CO2 via baking soda and vinegar and quite frankly its something I may toy with again since I've decided to start planting my tanks.

I know for the most part you are all likely thinking that it's an entirely bad idea, but I'll toy with it nonetheless and post any progress I make. It won't be for a while seeing as how I expect a few messes before successes and will wait for the snow to leave so I can work outside.

Acetylene gas is produced in a similar fashion by evaporating the gas from acetone off of a porous media inside the cylinder itself.

Dont do this with the Alka Seltzer

I work in a Chemist!

All medicines contain carrier elements to sustain the medicine in its tablet form and to maintain the life of it before consumption.

These tend to be non-reactive in your gut, however I would be very worried about what they would to your fish!

Dont do it!