gas quality

[krugtech]

High pressure gas bottles have to be tested every 10 or so years. The test date has to be stamped into the bottle. I'm getting bottles from some gas suppliers that have dates from the 1930's, some even older. My experience in general is when using bottles this old the laser does not seem to have good stability. Of course the gas suppliers say it doesn't matter. I'm seeing this mostly with the CO2 bottles.

Lasers that use higher currents seem most sensitive to this. I'm also noticing a milky buildup on the optics when using these old bottles.

Is anyone else noticing anything like this?

Chris Krug

http://krugtech.com/

 

[thepooh]

I have a look to bottles of premix and assist gas we have here
and the oldest is 1998 !!

I haven't notice this kind of problems maybe because our customers are not provided with old bottles by gas suppliers.

I hope you will understand what I say because I'm not really good in english LOL

 

[krugtech]

I saw a bottle of "laser grade" CO2 today from 1936...... The oldest I've ever seen was 1917 but I've heard of one from 1907

Chris Krug

http://krugtech.com/