While chlorine is one of the most commonly manufactured and used chemicals in the United States, it can also be a dangerous gas to work with. Chlorine gas has a variety of uses, including bleaching paper and cloth, treating waste, and as an ingredient in solvents, rubber, and pesticides.
This gas is stored in pressurized cylinders and has to be monitored to prevent accidents and health and safety hazards. Since the weight of chlorine gas is 2.5 times heavier than air, it stays low on the ground, and spreads rapidly, which poses a risk to people who breathe it in.
Furthermore, it can have uncontrolled reactions with other chemicals, such as ammonia or turpentine, easily igniting combustibles like paper, oil, or wood. Preventing leaks is key to chlorine gas safety, and knowing how much gas is left in a cylinder is an essential first step toward detecting a leak.
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How Do Cylinder Scales Work?
Cylinder scales provide a platform where a cylinder is placed for weighing. The weight of the empty cylinder must be known. If the weight of the empty cylinder is not known, it should be weighed first.
Once the empty weight has been determined, the full cylinder can be weighed. The weight of the empty cylinder is subtracted from the weight of the full cylinder to give the weight of the substance inside the cylinder.
This provides a reliable method of measuring substances that cannot be placed on a scale any other way. Liquid substances can be contained within a cylinder with a known weight to get an accurate measurement.
Why are Cylinder Scales Used to Measure Chlorine?
Since chlorine is a gas, it can be hard to store in its natural form. Instead, chlorine is manipulated into a liquid form so that it can be placed inside pressurized cylinders.
Regardless of which form it is in, chlorine can still be hard to measure. Chlorine may need to be measured to determine amounts and pricing for sale, to monitor usage, or for safety reasons with the pressurized cylinders.
The best way to measure chlorine is to use a chlorine cylinder scale to measure the cylinders while empty and full.
Advantages to Chlorine Cylinder Scales from Arlyn Scales
Most cylinder capacity is checked by monitoring the pressure in the cylinder. However, this is not an effective way to determine the remaining contents of liquified gas cylinders because the pressure remains fairly constant until just before the gas runs out.
This is why monitoring the weight is the most effective method for monitoring how much chemical gas remains in a tank. In manufacturing, you are using extremely pure chemicals. Because each chemical has a unique specific gravity, the exact weight of the remaining gas is very easy to compute.
A chlorine scale can subtract the standard weight of a cylinder and precisely calculate how much gas it contains. You can know exactly how much gas is left and control how much is used in the process. This also lets you detect a potential leak if you are losing gas unexpectedly.
Arlyn Chlorine Cylinder Scales Provide High Accuracy In Results
With some industries, accuracy of measurement might not be extremely important. In other industries, a scale might need to be accurate to minute levels. We distribute high quality scales that are designed to produce accurate results.
The special design of Arlyn Scales creates a product that has fewer parts that can wear out, making a scale less accurate. Our scales can be trusted to provide accurate results when using cylinder scales to determine the weight of a substance not easily weighed by conventional methods.
Single Load Cell Systems are less consistent.
Many cylinder scale manufacturers use just a single load cell to determine the weight of substances with a cylinder scale. These load cells may be made from aluminum or some other inexpensive substance.
The single load cell design relies on a mechanical pivot or hinge to determine the weight of the substance on the scale. When these mechanical parts or hinges wear out, the accuracy of results can be greatly reduced.
While the single load cell system may be less expensive, over time they may begin to produce results with much lower accuracy. For some businesses, the loss of accuracy may be a small problem. For other industries, their livelihood may revolve around the accuracy of their measurements.
4 Load Cell Systems are more consistent and easier to use.
4 load cell scales do not use mechanical parts or hinges to produce results. Therefore, the danger of mechanical parts wearing out can be avoided altogether.
As their name suggests, there is a stainless steel load cell at each corner of the scale. They are much more robust, and are therefore easier to load and unload. Eliminating the pivot system also allows for a lower profile unit.
Arlyn Chlorine Cylinder Scales Maintain a Low Profile
With our scales, businesses do not need to make a decision between the accuracy of results and the ease which materials are loaded onto the platform. We use a large load cell made from stainless steel.
This stainless steel load cell is designed to be very wide instead of tall. This helps to create a low profile for the scale and the platform.
With the low profile platform, cylinders can be loaded onto the platform much more easily, making the weighing process flow more smoothly. When the cylinders are easy to load, the task of weighing can be done with less effort and less time.
Arlyn Cylinder Scales Have No Moving Parts to Wear Out Quickly
We use load cells that contain no moving parts. This means that there are fewer parts of the scale that can wear out, reducing the accuracy of the scale.
The moving parts of many other manufacturers scales wear out quickly. Time is wasted waiting for someone to come repair the broken parts. Eventually the parts become worn out and beyond repair, requiring that the entire scale be replaced.
When scales are made of many moving parts this process of wearing away can happen much faster than it does with scales that have no moving parts. We provide the best possible products and ensures that they are made of materials that can withstand constant use and last longer than other products.
Arlyn Scales Chlorine Cylinder Scales are Corrosion Resistant
One of the ways in which chlorine cylinder scales wear out is that parts can become corroded. Natural corrosion can greatly reduce the accuracy of the parts or can even render them completely useless.
Again, with some businesses, this may not be of vital importance, but for businesses that require accuracy, corrosion can lead to unacceptable downtime. We offer corrosion resistant scales that can withstand the caustic properties of many chemicals and contain no moving parts that will wear out over time.
This ensures that accurate and reliable results are produced each time a cylinder is placed on the scales.
How a Set Point Controller Automates Manufacturing
Automation of your manufacturing processes can not only save you time by eliminating human intervention, but it can also prevent costly mistakes caused by human error. For the health and safety of employees, a setpoint controller reduces accidents.
Automating certain aspects of your processes is beneficial with chlorine cylinders, and the Arlyn setpoint controller can help. The setpoint output controller is one output option on our chlorine cylinder scales.
This output provides a simple batching and PLC type function that allows you to set up to 8 target weights at a time. These target weights will allow you to turn other equipment on or off, controlling them using solid state relays operated by the setpoint outputs.
Processes that can be automated through setpoints:
With the setpoint controller and relays, you can control mixers, valves, feeders, solenoids, motors, or other devices within your manufacturing process. The most common use for the setpoint controller is automating the filling and mixing operations in a manufacturing facility.
By using the setup menu, you can input formulas to control how the output lines behave based on the weight applied to the scale platform. You can even save different formulas in the scale memory and recall them as needed during the process.
Automating your waste treatment process based on the amount of gas in the cylinder is an easy way to prevent accidents and make manufacturing run smoothly.
Exceptional Customer Service When Choosing Chlorine Cylinder Scales
No matter what type of measuring equipment you are looking for, you want the kind of service that lets you know you are dealing with trustworthy professionals. Arlyn Scales has been a leading designer, developer and manufacturer of scale technologies for the weighing industry for over 30 years.
Over the past several decades, our team has learned quite a few things about this specialized equipment. We pride ourselves on the quality of our chlorine scales, and we have the expertises to find the right scale for your needs.
If you need scales for measuring your chlorine tanks, do yourself a favor and check with Arlyn Scales first. We ship directly from our manufacturing facility in New York, eliminating price markups from dealers and saving you money and time.
The Best Chlorine Cylinder Scales are at Arlyn Scales
Our cylinder scales are known for their high accuracy, low profile and corrosion resistance. With high quality materials and workmanship, our chlorine cylinder scales are the best choice for the job.
The team at Arlyn Scales has designed and manufactured scales specifically for the mentioned purpose while using industry-standard capacities of 60lbs to 300lbs. In order to provide a very thin platform, these scales use a special stainless steel load cell.
Furthermore, these chlorine cylinder scales can accommodate any combination of digital indicator or measurement output. They are also compatible with cylinders, pails, gas cabinets, and tanks within their rated capacity.
Series 620G Gas Cylinder Scale & Intrinsically Safe Scales
With a profile of only 1 3/8” in height, our Series 620G Gas Cylinder Scale is engineered to make loading and unloading easier. For environments that require an explosion-proof or intrinsically safe scale, Arlyn’s Intrinsically Safe Cylinder Scale is ideal.
Measurement indicators include the 4-20mA, MKE5 indicator or the color touchscreen UPSCALE9 indicator. Scale capacities and resolution come in three different ranges: 60lbs x 0.02lb, 300lbs by 0.1lb and 400lbs by 0.1lb. The standard platform size is 9 ¼” by 9 ¼”; however, a larger platform size of 14” by 14” is also available.
Chlorine Ton Scales
Our Chlorine Ton Scales are a step above standard ton chlorine scales. Available in single and dual configurations, these scales offer better accuracy and corrosion resistance at an affordable price.
While most other scales are constructed from welded steel, our Chlorine Ton Scales are made with stainless steel, giving them a longer lifespan. They also feature four heat-treated, abuse-resistant stainless steel load cells and can give a reading that is up to five times more accurate than a standard scale.
For flexibility, Arlyn Chlorine Ton Scales have a variety of connectivity and output options, including a range of analog signals, Modbus RTU, and even cloud monitoring. Load capacity is 5,000 pounds and the scale dimensions are 37″ x 20″.
How to Handle Chlorine Gas Cylinders Safely
Chlorine gas appears as a greenish-yellow substance and smells like bleach. Exposure to chlorine is irritating at best, and lethal at worst, if it is breathed in or comes into contact with skin.
If you manufacture other gases, keep chlorine gas away, as it is highly corrosive and will react violently if it comes into accidental contact. Remember to keep a carbon monoxide detector nearby as well, as this common substance will also produce combustible results.
As mentioned, chlorine gas weighs more than air and will settle low to the ground, so ensure there is sufficient ventilation to disperse it. With proper training, workers can confidently and safely work around chlorine gas despite these hazards.
Chlorine Scales: Basic Safety Principles
The information provided here contains some basic tips and is not a suitable replacement for safety training. Please consult professionals for more in-depth information and proper training.
To start, it’s best to always have another person with you when handling chlorine cylinders and chlorine scales. If one person is suddenly incapacitated, the other can assist while calling for help as this can be a life or death situation.
Each operator should have rubber gloves, protective outerwear, and goggles. Similar to a laboratory, a shower and eye washing station that produces warm water should also be readily available.
Don’t overload small water systems.
In smaller water systems, chlorine gas is typically supplied in cylinders weighing 150 pounds. Often the chlorine gas is sold “by the pound,” while the cylinders are charged separately.
Larger systems will use cylinders capable of 2000 lbs, known as “ton containers.” Note that the weight refers to the chlorine being supplied, not the weight of the cylinder.
Remember not to overload your scales by keeping these chlorine weight adjustments in mind:
- A full, 150-pound cylinder weighs approximately 235-290 pounds.
- A full, 1-ton container weighs approximately 3,300-3,650 pounds.
Be mindful of residential water systems.
Although pure chlorine is used in manufacturing, it is seldom used for water treatment. The three most common chlorine-containing substances used in water treatment are chlorine gas, sodium hypochlorite, and calcium hypochlorite. When you chlorinate water, it affects the pH balance, which is a commonly overlooked fact for residential water treatment.
Safety Tips for Chlorine Cylinders and Scales
- Breathe shallow breaths around the containers until you can be sure a chlorine leak is not present.
- Do not lift a cylinder by its hood.
- Do not expose a cylinder to heat or direct sunlight.
- Do not drop a gas cylinder or knock it over.
- Remember to keep empty cylinders separate from full ones.
- Remember to secure empty and full chlorine cylinders with a cable or chain.
- Do not store chlorine with ammonia, diesel, gasoline, oil, or turpentine.
- Never move full ton containers onto scales designed to handle less than two tons.
- Do not store combustible or flammable materials near chlorine containers.
- Never spray water on a leaking container. It will make the leak worse.
Find Rugged and Reliable Chlorine Scales at Arlyn Scales
At Arlyn Scales, we provide a high-quality product at a competitive price. Businesses that require precision accuracy will be pleased with the high level of accuracy produced by these cylinder scales.
All customers will be grateful for the reduced need for maintenance and lower cost of repairs. Our high quality materials and innovative design work together to create a cylinder scale that can meet the needs of any business.
If one of our standard scales does not meet your needs, we will work with you to design and manufacture a customized scale suited to meet your unique needs. To find or build the perfect chlorine cylinder scale for your business, reach out to our team today.
