View Single Post
  #18   Report Post  
Posted to rec.crafts.metalworking
Mike Henry
 
Posts: n/a
Default Question on Carbon Monoxide gas


"Ecnerwal" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Roy) wrote:

There seems to be differences of opinions on the properties of carbon
monoxide gas. One source says its heavier than air another says its
lighter, so.......is it heavier or lighter than air?

To be honest I rather trust the info from this forum than various
websites and media types.


And you slept though Chemistry, saying "when will I ever use this boring
stuff..."

CO: 12+16=28, .vs. air, a mixture of 78% 14+14 (N2) and 21% 16+16 (O2),
plus 1% others. So, slightly lighter than air. But not much. And very,
very deadly in high concentrations - read a bit on the wood/biomass
gasification websites to be reminded - evidently the old "head in the
oven" method of suicide dated back to cooking gas that was mostly CO,
and 1 or two deep breaths would do the job...


There's also the matter of diffusion and convection - just because a gas is
heavier than air doesn't mean it will all sink to the floor.

Don't know what you are doing, but I suggest a CO meter/alarm with a
digital readout - $50 bucks or so, well spent.