CO2 Gas Grades

Which grade gets used in fizzy drinks?

Don't know. Call these people:
Carbon Dioxide Supplier

Hi Nat:

I don't know exactly what grade they use, but I assume it is not too critical, since carbonated beverages have been around for a while, even before we started worrying about everything; check HOW they use it (and note the use of nitrogen):

If you want more info go to this site.

Yahlasit

Though vendors will call it different names (brand names) Food grade gases need to comply with your country's Food Additives Authority.

FDA approvals for the grade and the testing of the of the grade are needed for a gas to be used in or with food for human consumption.

Its the same stuff. I worked at Praxair for a while and liquid CO2 is the same regardless of what size or style of tank its in.

Some tanks are liquid feed some are vapor feed but thats about all there is for variations in a pure tank of CO2.

I understand that "food grade" is stored in glass lined tanks and industrial grade is not.

I have scrapped out a number of food service CO2 tanks and medical gas tanks over the years and used them to make other things and so far I have yet to ever find one that was glass lined.

Maybe some are but from what I have personally seen working in the supply side and from personal experience the vast majority of those tanks are generic use in design.

The only difference I have seen tanks is the paperwork supporting the source and inspection records. Medical grade and food grade gases come in the same tanks as regular welding gases. Its just the paperwork and price thats different.

Thanks for that. Paperwork! Certs.

Added cost!

also technical grade, research grade, and laboratory grade. i don't think these came from the same source as welding supply, or food grade, or fire extinguisher supply houses.

As others have stated, the food/beverage grade CO2 will come from the same source at the industrial gas supplier but the food grade CO2 will need to pass the additional analysis hurdles for supply. In my experience (CO2 pipeline in Mississippi) the food grade plants take CO2 from the industrial pipeline (used for EOR) and purify the CO2 by removing sulfur, hydrocarbons, moisture, etc. During this process, the CO2 eventually gets liquified and distilled to remove non-condensables and the column bottoms are sent to storage as a liquid for eventual shipping to cylinder fillers or local tank installations.

please ignore my previous post re grades. got mixed up with NACL grades.sorry

Hello Natfuelbill:

From people I know in the soft drink game, the only difference is the CO2 is purer for use in soft drinks. Sort of like the purity between vetenary medication and human medication.

Cheers Peter

Thanks all!

Would you give your loved-ones drinks fizzed with CO2 from the welding distributor?

How about oxygen at the hospital? Or helium for your MRI machine. All the same oat bag.