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Locating LN2 & Storage

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Raymo1

Registered
Joined
May 4, 2006
Where does a person find LN2.. I know LN is stored in Dewars at home..

Where can they be purchased (Dewar) and about how much do they cost?

I know there are places that sell quantities of LN2.. I just don't know where to look.. Thx in advance

LN2 n00b :shrug:
Raymo

ps.. I just bought an F1ee pot..
 
Look up the place "Black Hole Surplus"

They sell good dewars at amazing prices :thup:

You get the actual LN2 from places like Airgas.
 
Where does a person find LN2.. I know LN is stored in Dewars at home..

Where can they be purchased (Dewar) and about how much do they cost?

I know there are places that sell quantities of LN2.. I just don't know where to look.. Thx in advance

LN2 n00b :shrug:
Raymo

ps.. I just bought an F1ee pot..

For dewars: BlackHoleSurplus
Best choice is to give him a call and see what he has in stock at any given time. AFAIK; that is the "go-to-place" for used dewars and is where most of the people here at OCF that own them have bought them from.

For LN2: Depending on where you live; try AirGas, Medical supply stores, welding shops, etc.
 
Well this a great question actually. I'm willing to bet a lot more people are wondering, but don't ask.

Dewars can be bought a bunch of places. You can find deals on forums, find them on ebay, and I believe Airgas sells them (more on Airgas later). Most recently though, there is a place called "Blackholesurplus" that is based in New Mexico and sells dewars on the cheap. (Link: http://www.blackholesurplus.com/ )

When looking for a dewar, what you want to look for are three things:

1. The most important is that the dewar still has a vacuum. Since LN2 is very cold, it would simply evaporate if allowed contact with the outside air. Therefore, dewars are simply double walled metal containers. To keep the inside wall cold and the outside wall warm, the air is pumped out from between them (creating a vacuum). If this vacuum is still good, then the dewar will hold LN2 for weeks (if not months) on a single fill.

2. The dewar size is important as well. Depending upon personal needs, 30L will do just fine. It's easy to overshoot the capacity on these thinking they will be small. Even a 30L dewar is pretty large. A 50L is right on the line of "uncarryable." Choose wisely on the size because getting too large will cost you.

3. Extraction method is the last important part. There are two ways to get the LN2 out. You can have a "tip 'n' pour" type dewar which simply has a hole at the top from which you'll pour the LN2. The other type is a pressurized canister. This can be dangerous if the safety valve isn't working, but is generally much easier to use. Basically the contact are under pressure and you have a spigot (like a hose almost) which you turn a valve on to release the LN2. These, being much easier, come with a hefty price tag.

Next is your LN2 supplier. Depending upon where you live, it can be harder (or easier) to find LN2. A bunch of common places that use LN2 would be Hospitals and Schools (more likely colleges). So if you're near those, an LN2 supplier usually will be.

Airgas is a nation-wide chain which sells DIce, LN2 and other pressurized gases. (Link: http://www.airgas.com/ )

For a list of their outlet stores, use the "Store Locator."

Another way to find a supplier by you is to simply google "Liquid Nitrogen near [insert postal code here]."

:thup:
 
Don't take your first price on LN2 either (unless they quote $1/L). When I first started looking around here, I was quoted $6/L at the local Airgas. Then I searched for welding shops and after at least five other calls found a different Airgas branch with a curious person (interested in why you'd freeze a processor) that offered $1.25/L.

That's within a 20mi radius, so there is big variation. Where you are will probably have more limited options, so begging may be a good alternative. If you go in and talk to the right person you might get a better deal. With limited options, the best bet (assuming it isn't a good price from the start) is to build a rapport with the supplier and get them interested in what you're doing with the LN2.

The problem is quantity. You can almost always get 180L for ~$1/L (plus rental/delivery fees), but smaller quantities are more expensive. If they're interested in what you do or at least curious enough to think you're crazy, they might have pity on you when selling small quantities.
 
Thx Guy's.. you were all very helpful
No question, is a dumb question if the information provided is used constructively..
I plan to do just as you say and do some surfing around checking things out now that I know where to go and what to expect... I could have just googled it but you guys know what to do without thinking about it..

Thx again.. I'll keep you up on when I do the nasty.. ;)
 
Last edited:
isn't this a pip...

Distance: 16 miles
Name: Airgas Northern CA & NV
Phone: (209) 536-0368
Fax: (209) 536-0401
Address: 14216 Tuolumne Road #5,
Sonora, CA 95370
Facility Type(s): Branch
 
There is some variation on price even within my local airgas location. One guy at the local branch will charge me $2 per liter plus a hazmat fee, where if I talk to another guy at the same store he will charge me $1 per liter and will take off the hazmat fee. If you get them to charge you the $1 price and you keep your receipt, you can use that the next time to get the better price.
 
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