European tank markings.

divepig2

Hello everyone,
If this is not the right forum, please redirect me (this one seemed as good as any after viewing Gerstl's great work). What do the white and black markings I see on the top of European cylinders mean? Maybe your answers will explain why it's done. Just curious.

Thanks,
Harrison

eni

Hi, Harrison!

The markings tell what is inside the cylinger. White = oxygen and black = nitrogen.

Here is quote from wikipedia:

"Gas cylinder colour coding

In the European Union gas cylinders are beginning to be colour coded according to EN 1098-3. The "shoulder" is the top of the cylinder close to the pillar valve. For mixed gases, the colours can be either bands or "quarters".

• Air has either a white (RAL 9010) top and black (RAL 9005) band on the shoulder, or white (RAL 9010) and black (RAL 9005) "quartered" shoulders.
• Heliox has either a white (RAL 9010) top and brown (RAL 8008) band on the shoulder, or white (RAL 9010) and brown (RAL 8008) "quartered" shoulders.
• Nitrox, like Air, has either a white (RAL 9010) top and black (RAL 9005) band on the shoulder, or white (RAL 9010) and black (RAL 9005) "quartered" shoulders.
• Pure oxygen has a white shoulder (RAL 9010).
• Pure helium has a brown shoulder (RAL 9008).
• Trimix has a white, black and brown segmented shoulder."

I hope this will clear things out :-)

-eni-

Christoph

It´s a bit confusing, themore if you combine that with the infamous M26x2 valves and try to observe all regulations together .
Actually, every dive tank manufactured to contain gas with an fO2 >21% should have a white only shoulder and be handled like if it contained pure O2, no matter what´s momentarily in it. Such a tank should also have a M26x2 valve, which looks like a normal DIN, but is a bit wider.
And the colours changed recently... Medical (diving) O2 was blue, thats now white, blue means "technical" (welding) O2. I believe air was grey once. Thats why you can find tanks with a big black N painted on the shoulder, meaning NEW colour scheme.
I´m not sure if this regulation will prevail

__________________
Cheers, Chris

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