Cylinder ID cleaning procedure

High-pressure cylinders in normal traffic can accumulate I.D. contamination which may detrimentally affect end use. The following procedures are recommended for I.D. cleaning of aluminum cylinders.

• Moisture and grime.
• Steam clean and blow dry.

Oil, grease, lubricants

Clean with a soapy solution – one tablespoon of liquid dish washing detergent to one gallon of tap water. Rinse several times with tap water, rinse twice with demineralized or soft water, steam clean and blow dry. Complete the process without a break. Never leave cylinder freestanding with water.

Odors

Rinse thoroughly with a solution of baking soda (one cup baking soda to one gallon of tap water). Rinse with clean tap water. Then, rinse with a solution of vinegar (one half cup of household vinegar to one gallon of clean tap water). Rinse several times with fresh tap water, rinse twice with soft water. Steam clean and blow dry. Complete the process without a break. Never leave cylinder freestanding with water.

Corrosion

Tumble the cylinder at 25 to 35 rpm for 10 minutes with a wet detergent aluminum oxide chip combination (two to three cups of aluminum oxide tumbling chips to two quarts of soft water and one teaspoon of liquid washing detergent). Rinse cylinder well with warm tap water (or soft water if the tap water is hard), steam clean and blow dry.

NOTE: Use demineralized water or make sure water is soft.

OBSERVE MANUFACTURERS’ CAUTIONS FOR ALL PRODUCTS USED.

NOTE: Tumbling Media is available from Galiso Nuvac, 22 Ponderosa Ct., Montrose, CO 81402-1468, (800) 854-3789. For more information, call Luxfer’s Customer Service department at (951) 684-5110 or, if a scuba cylinder owner, see Luxfer’s Guide to Scuba Cylinder Inspection.