Heat is important when using CO2 gas at high flow rates. When CO2converts from a liquid to a gas, temperatures drop. While low flow rates do not pose a problem with a drop in temperature, high volumes of gas can cause the tank regulator and other downstream equipment to freeze.
By adding heat, the gas temperature does not hinder the operation of the regulator.
Tank regulators control output pressure from the gas cylinder (PSI, bar) to lab equipment. Some tank regulators, such as the EP-1305 Low Flow Regulator, incorporate a flow meter so the gas output is measured as a flow rate and not pressure.
The tank regulator connects directly to the CO2 cylinder.
The North American standard cylinder connection is CGA-320 for all CO2tanks except the small, 5 pound “E” tank. The “E” tank requires a CGA-940 yoke fitting.
Inline regulators control the gas pressure from the house CO2 source and are essential when a know PSI is required. The inline regulator fine tunes the house gas output pressure to provide consistent set pressure to CO2equipment.
*Inline regulators cannot be directly connected to CO2 cylinders.