I'm new here and you may have talked about this 100's of times but here goes.
I started making some projects out of used oilfield pipe, and the smoke was choking me. I've never had smoke like this before. I have to use a respirator to be able to stand there and cut. Anyway I noticed that this new batch of pipe has some kind of lining in it. it looks like fiberglass but i have no idea what it is. today I was looking around the shop and noticed that all the exposed metal in the shop has rust on it.
Everything!!! the nut and washer on the chopsaw the nuts on the grinders the jaws and handle of the vice everything that is exposed steel.
Here's my guess.. sulpher dioxide in the smoke..it sticks to the metal when the metal sweats......sulphuric acid.....
My biggest concern is what is this doing to my welders??
Has ths happened to anyone else.
What can I do for the welders...If anything
thanks.....Mike
One thing you can do is STOP using the pipe until you can verify what has been in contact with the pipe and what are the health hazards associated with the product and what are the products of decomposition when it is subjected to welding.
A respirator has very limited protection when you do not know what you are protecting against. Even a forced air supply may not be sufficient if the there are other routes ofentry besides inhalation. If you have any employees they have a right to know what the health hazards are. As an employer you are required to have all information available to them. PLease stop using this pipe until you know more!
Maybe the supplier can give you information about the source and prior use of the pipe.
You could also send a sample off to a lab to have it tested.
Have a good day
Gerald Austin
What you have is Hydrogen sufide or H2S that is a color less gas that rusts everything. kills people burn it and it turns to sulfer dioxide even a more nasty stuff. as for the liner in the pipe that could be a number of things what are you cutting? drill pipe? well casing? well liner?or production tubing? there might be some liners used as an anti crosive. Also were are you working any way? GOM? California Texas ?
H2S has a rotten egg smell. Another possibility. since many plastics contain chlorine (like PVC), is hydrogen chloride (HCl) disolved in water that's hydrochloric acid. Your lungs are wet inside so HCL fumes are really bad for you. Teflon (used as a corrosion resisting lining in some chemical piping) contains flourine leading to the possibility of hydroflouric acid (which will etch glass). Polyurethane has hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon in sequence. Cut that out and it's cyanide. The advice above to find out for sure what this is before proceeding is really good advice.
Bill
By woofy
Date 10-31-2004 15:35
This is really a reply to all of you..
Thanks for all of your input. Here's what I've done.
Stop cutting inside, if I decide to cut it at all.
Talked with my supplier...Won't use lined pipe again
Now that you mention it i does look more like pvc....Still not good for you
A respirator for organic vapors stops it.
The welders I was refering to were my machines not people. I'd never ask anyone to endure this stuff. It's a one man shop.
I live in South Dakota I'm guessing the pipe came from the northern Wyoming patch. There are a lot of methane wells there. This is well liner.. The part the sucker rod passes through. The last batch of sucker rod was coated too..
I guess you're never to old to keep paying for your education.
thanks......Mike
