At present, industry makes use of carbon dioxide gas in a pressurized form. This is an example of a gas which is being utilized in a state or concentration in which it does not naturally occur. Carbon dioxide, or CO2, does in fact occur naturally in the atmosphere, but its concentration is so low that the layperson might see it as negligible: 0.04% of the atmosphere. Yet it is not. It is one of the most important gases in the air, and anyone who makes use of a high pressure CO2 pump in their industrial operations should inform themselves about it.
As a gas, CO2 has no smell or color. It is therefore impossible to detect by human senses. In its frozen form, it is known as dry ice, and it is used in cooling applications. However, it soon evaporates once exposed to the ordinary atmosphere. It is therefore difficult to store or trap CO2 in this form.
The CO2 molecule is formed when oxygen and carbon combine. Carbon does not sound like highly flammable material but when it burns it produces carbon dioxide. CO2 comprises two oxygen atoms and one carbon atom.
The process of photosynthesis might be familiar to people. Plants and trees exhibit this process during the day, when the sun is shining on them. Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide as an input material and produces oxygen as a by-product. The CO2 is taken up directly from the air. But at night, the opposite happens and plants produce carbon dioxide gas. This is why people sometimes raise opposition to deforestation. The main forests of the world are important sources of atmospheric oxygen and they also eliminate massive amounts of CO2.
This means that even though carbon dioxide is present in such a small concentration in the air, it is highly important. It is also potentially lethal because it cannot be used by the human body. It is exhaled together with water vapor when you breathe out. If the air is made up entirely of CO2, it will cause death through asphyxiation instantly.
This is linked to one of the main uses of CO2, which is known as controlled atmosphere storage, or CA storage. In such facilities, the air is almost entirely carbon dioxide, and fresh produce does not decompose, since aerobic bacteria cannot function. The nutritional value of the produce is not always stable over time, though.
People are probably more aware of the use of CO2 in carbonated drinks, such as fizzy soft drinks. They may not realize that CO2 also does something else in these drinks - it dissolves in water to produce a mild acid known as carbonous acid (H2CO3). The bubbles of gas in the drink dissolve into the liquid part to produce this acid. It is not powerful but it can cause damage. A tooth will dissolve in a soft drink if left in it over night.
Carbon dioxide is not a gas that should be handled lightly by people. In high concentrations it can cause death through suffocation. Those who make use of high pressure pump equipment should therefore be aware of its nature and how to observe the proper precautions.
As a gas, CO2 has no smell or color. It is therefore impossible to detect by human senses. In its frozen form, it is known as dry ice, and it is used in cooling applications. However, it soon evaporates once exposed to the ordinary atmosphere. It is therefore difficult to store or trap CO2 in this form.
The CO2 molecule is formed when oxygen and carbon combine. Carbon does not sound like highly flammable material but when it burns it produces carbon dioxide. CO2 comprises two oxygen atoms and one carbon atom.
The process of photosynthesis might be familiar to people. Plants and trees exhibit this process during the day, when the sun is shining on them. Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide as an input material and produces oxygen as a by-product. The CO2 is taken up directly from the air. But at night, the opposite happens and plants produce carbon dioxide gas. This is why people sometimes raise opposition to deforestation. The main forests of the world are important sources of atmospheric oxygen and they also eliminate massive amounts of CO2.
This means that even though carbon dioxide is present in such a small concentration in the air, it is highly important. It is also potentially lethal because it cannot be used by the human body. It is exhaled together with water vapor when you breathe out. If the air is made up entirely of CO2, it will cause death through asphyxiation instantly.
This is linked to one of the main uses of CO2, which is known as controlled atmosphere storage, or CA storage. In such facilities, the air is almost entirely carbon dioxide, and fresh produce does not decompose, since aerobic bacteria cannot function. The nutritional value of the produce is not always stable over time, though.
People are probably more aware of the use of CO2 in carbonated drinks, such as fizzy soft drinks. They may not realize that CO2 also does something else in these drinks - it dissolves in water to produce a mild acid known as carbonous acid (H2CO3). The bubbles of gas in the drink dissolve into the liquid part to produce this acid. It is not powerful but it can cause damage. A tooth will dissolve in a soft drink if left in it over night.
Carbon dioxide is not a gas that should be handled lightly by people. In high concentrations it can cause death through suffocation. Those who make use of high pressure pump equipment should therefore be aware of its nature and how to observe the proper precautions.
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