I'll be bringing home my first drum of methanol (I've been buying it expensively in 5-gallon pails until now) in the next week or so. As I live where it gets--and stays--very hot (though the methanol will be stored in the shade, the temperature is well above 100F for most of the summer here), I was planning to vent the drum with a spring-assisted check valve.
Any thoughts about why that would or wouldn't work?
Thanks,
Sean
On 4/16/06, Mike McGinness <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Chris,
Good question and good thinking!
Make sure it is cool, and not standing out in the sun building up pressure. If
the drum is left outdoors in direct sunlight it can heat up and the internal
pressure can get dangerously high. If the top is bowed outwards it may be under
pressure, if the lid is concave or if you can flex the lid by putting your body
weight on it (try pushing down on it with your hands) then it is probably OK, or
at least not under a lot of pressure.
If it is under pressure (just be safe and assume it is!) you need to loosen the
bung (one of the threaded plugs on top) very slowly until you hear some gas
venting. While you are loosening it stay out of the way just in case the plug
blows out (usually straight up) from the internal pressure. The pressure will
relieve itself through the loose threads. It may take a while (several minutes)
to relieve all the pressure, just take it slow and easy.
Be safe,
Mike McGinness
Chris Tan wrote:
> Greetings Everyone,
>
> Do any of you know just how to safely open a sealed 55gal steel drum
> full of methanol? It's my first time.
>
> Thanks,
> Chris
>
> _______________________________________________
> Biofuel mailing list
> Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
> http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
>
> Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
> http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
>
> Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages):
> http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
_______________________________________________
Biofuel mailing list
Biofuel@sustainablelists.org
http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages):
http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
_______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org
Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
