Filling a sealed container with solvent (contain the solvent vapor)

Safety Regulation
1

Hello,

Long time reader and first time poster looking for help from experts. I’m in the process of helping assemble a closed chromatography system and need help with how to safely fill a sealed drum with solvent. (it has two threaded ports) Once you start to fill the drum the fluid will displace the air causing pressure to build, since this is solvent and it cannot expel into the room (c1d2 room) I need to be able to allow the vapors to escape but they must be safely contained and not allowed to enter the room.

What is everyone doing t solve this problem?

My ideas would be using some sort of carbon filter container? or some kind of expansion tank that would allow the vapors to expel and be captured.

Volume is roughly 15 gallons into a 16 gallon bucket.

Thanks in advanced.

2

one time problem?
or needs a permanent solution?

either way, appropriate ventilation seems key. you should have such ventilation in a C1D2 room, so plumbing to it seems like the no brainer.

an appropriately sized carbon filter on the drum vent would likely also be a compliant fix.

No, I can’t tell you what “appropriate” means :wink:

3

This would be a permanent solution. It is for when they are collecting fractions from chromatography. there is proper ventilation in the room but since it is a c1d2 there is no active ventilation besides the personal comfort which is not an option to vent solvent through. We have sniffers in each room that sense solvent and then sound alarms and the hvac then kicks on.

@cyclopath Do you know how to properly size a carbon filter or a good supplier that I can reach out to for proper sizing?

thanks

4

Lower Explosive Limit. Ventilate to outside.

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5

This may not count as compliant, but the most logical answer that occurs to me is simply to connect a hose to the second threaded hole that is piped out of the building to allow for ventilation. The immediate thing to be careful of would be dust or water finding its way into your tank via said hose when you’re drawing solvent from the tank.

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6

So we have found a solution that we are happy with.

We will be adding a vent to each room and will be using a retractable hose reel with a solvent safe hose with a quick coupler similar to what you would find on a hydraulic fitting where both ends seal when you disconnect them.

This way there is no chance of solvent leaking out when you switch from one tank to another.

Thank you everyone for the help and ideas.

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