Medical grade nitrous oxide
11-27-2002, 07:07 AM
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Medical grade nitrous oxide
I am sorry if it is a stupid question. My friend asked to be bring him a nitrous kit overseas. But automotive nitrous oxide is not readily available there. Is it okay to use medical nitrous oxide?
11-27-2002, 08:04 AM
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It really depends. If what he is buying is 100% nitrous Oxide, then yes, it should be okay. However, I think medical grade...as used by dentists has oxygen and other gases mixed in.
If the Nitrous has the other gases mixed in...including oxygen, that would be a fairly explosive combination if added to an engine.
If the Nitrous has the other gases mixed in...including oxygen, that would be a fairly explosive combination if added to an engine.
11-27-2002, 08:30 AM
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Wait a minute, Random. You say
It seems to me like medical grade should work. But at the same time, if I tell him and something goes bad, it is not going to be nice.
QUOTE
...including oxygen, that would be a fairly explosive combination if added to an engine.
My knowledge of nitrous oxide systems is very limited. But nitrous oxide consists of 2 atoms of nitrogen and 1 atom of oxygen. So oxygen is supposed to be there. Right?It seems to me like medical grade should work. But at the same time, if I tell him and something goes bad, it is not going to be nice.
11-27-2002, 12:00 PM
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QUOTE
My knowledge of nitrous oxide systems is very limited. But nitrous oxide consists of 2 atoms of nitrogen and 1 atom of oxygen. So oxygen is supposed to be there. Right?
It seems to me like medical grade should work. But at the same time, if I tell him and something goes bad, it is not going to be nice.
Our atmosphere is 70% nitrogen, from what I know, so I assume medical grade N20 will have lots of JUST nitrogen in it, as well as JUST oxygen along with N20 molecules, and probably CO2 as well. Industrial nitrous oxide should be just N20. So medical grade is a no go. Tell your friend to move out of Somalia. J/K!
It seems to me like medical grade should work. But at the same time, if I tell him and something goes bad, it is not going to be nice.
11-27-2002, 01:28 PM
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They are both the same thing, Just automotive grade nitrous oxide has 100 parts per million sulfur dioxide mixed into it so that people cannot inhale it and abuse it as a drug. Most pro racers that that run n2o use medical grade cause it is 100% pure and they can tune their cars better to it cause there are no variations in the purity And they have the proper permit's to buy it.
11-27-2002, 04:59 PM
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MAXXTIB:
medical grade cause it is 100% pure
There must be variations in "medical grade" nitrous then. Because what my DDS uses, is a mix of Nitrous, Oxygen and other gases. It comes out of one tank and right into my lungs. You couldn't do that with 100% Nitrous.medical grade cause it is 100% pure
My guess would then be you need the "permit" to buy/use 100% nitrous (medical grade), but possibly NOT the "dentist" grade(?) nitrous.
Just to clear things up...
Our "air" is 78% nitrogen, 20% oxygen and 2% "Other" by VOLUME. Nitrous Oxide(n2o) is 30% Oxygen, 70% Nitrogen by VOLUME. N20 has a Molecular weight: 44.013. Oxygen has a Molecular weight: 15.999. Nitrogen has a Molecular weight: 14.007....so it is 36% Oxygen by weight. Both Volume and mass, much higher than in normal air.
For those of you more interested in chemistry...
http://www.webelements.com/
[ November 28, 2002, 12:00 AM: Message edited by: Random ]
11-28-2002, 12:32 AM
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automotive nitrous also has sulphur in it, i forget why thouugh
medical grade nitrous has nitrous oxide and oxygen and nitrogen in it... other wise u would die on just breathing nitrous oxide (no oxygen)
medical grade nitrous has nitrous oxide and oxygen and nitrogen in it... other wise u would die on just breathing nitrous oxide (no oxygen)
11-29-2002, 03:03 PM
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There are differant grades nitrousoxide used in the medicl feild, some are premixed with oxygen as not to overdose a person others are straight 100% pure nitrousoxide that is used with a specail regulator that mixes oxygen into it this way a doctor can regulate the the dosage. The stuff the dentist uses is premixed cause he is not a licensed anysteologist. The pure nitrousoxide will ony be found in hospitals, the automotive grade is class c nitrous oxide wich means it will have some impurities plus the added 100 parts per million sulfur dioxide to prevent abuse as a drug. The reason I know this is because a freind of mine works for a gas supply company that supplies hospitals and dentist along with many non-medical users such as the company I work for that uses nitrogen, helium, carbondioxed, argon and nitrousoxide for our laser cutting machines.
[ November 29, 2002, 11:44 PM: Message edited by: MAXXTIB ]
[ November 29, 2002, 11:44 PM: Message edited by: MAXXTIB ]
