New specially-coated stainless steel cylinders have been developed by Intertek Technologies with the aim of reducing costs and improving their environmental capability. Intertek, a multinational inspection, product testing and certification company with branches in North and South America, designed the sample cylinders to enable offshore chemists to transport samples containing mercury and hydrogen.
Sample cylinders are used by offshore chemists to transport live crude, gas and water samples from offshore to onshore laboratories for testing. Intertek has invested in 200 high-pressure cylinders with 50 of those specially coated to allow the safe and effective transportation of samples containing mercury and hydrogen sulphide. Both elements can adhere to the internal surfaces of standard stainless steel cylinders, rendering analysis unreliable. The new coating allows for reliable sampling and analysis.