Reprinted from American Laboratory March 2011

Technical Article by Mike Marone and Ron Geib

Getting the Most Out of

• Smoother internal surfaces: do not
retain as many contaminants, such as
oxygen and moisture

Compressed Gases: The Role

• Tight grain structure of metal: The cold
drawing process produces a very tight
grain structure that is more resistant to

of the Gas Pressure Regulator

adsorption of moisture and impurities.

Materials of construction

S
Brass is the most common material used
uppliers of compressed gases go out Purity in pressure regulators. Other materials,
of their way to deliver gas products
The first step in choosing a regulator is to notably stainless steel, are used when gas
that meet customer requirements
consider the purity level that is required for compatibility with brass is an issue, or in
for purity, mixture accuracy, and
the application. Typically, requirements higher-purity applications.
other specifications. Most gases are deliv-
ered in conventional high-pressure cylin- fall into three categories: 1) general pur-
pose (4.0 or 99.99% pure or lower), 2) high Inert gases and flammables are generally
ders, while other gas products are delivered
purity (5.0 or 99.999% pure), and 3) ultra- compatible with brass and most materials.
in bulk or small bulk containers and dew-
high purity (6.0 or 99.9999% or higher). Gases that have corrosive properties may
ars. Whatever the means of delivery and
require corrosion-resistant materials for all
storage, these gases are handled, regulated,
If, for example, an application requires high- wetted parts. The most common corrosion-
and distributed by the user. In the process,
purity gas, the use of general-purpose regu- resistant material used for these applica-
the gases are exposed to different equip-
lators should be avoided; only high-purity tions is 316 stainless steel, although Monel
ment and systems that can either maintain
(or better) regulators should be used. As a (Special Metals Corp., Huntington, WV),
or degrade gas purity.
minimum, regulators used in delivery sys- Elgiloy (Elgiloy Specialty Metals, Elgin, IL),
tems should be cleaned (by the supplier) for and Hastelloy (Haynes International, Inc.,
End-user gas handling systems can be as
oxygen service to CGA G4.1/ASTM G93 Kokomo, IN) are also sometimes used. Most
simple as a regulator, valve, and tubing; or
guidelines. This will ensure both a minimum gas companies have material compatibility
as complex as a site-wide gas management
level of cleanliness and safe usage with high- charts on their Web sites (see Figure 1).
system. They can also be a combination
of the two. Whatever the configuration, pressure oxidizers such as oxygen and nitrous
oxide. (Note that economy-grade regulators Forged brass bodies are typically used in
the impact of the delivery system on gas
and gases are not suitable for laboratory use, the lowest-cost regulators, and are suitable
quality is often underestimated, or worse,
and are not considered in this article.) for use with the lowest-purity gas, 4.0–4.5,
sometimes not even considered.
depending on the type of diaphragm (neo-
prene or metal).
In addition, the use of hazardous gases such Body type
as acetylene, hydrogen, and chlorine can cre-
Regulator bodies may be forged or Brass barstock bodies have smaller internal
ate an unsafe condition if the proper equip-
machined from barstock. Forging is used volumes, and smoother internal surface
ment is not used. Further, failure to consider
only with brass, whereas barstock is used finishes, in the 25-Ra range. Brass barstock
the consequences of crossover usage of hard-
for brass, stainless steel, and other mate- bodies with stainless steel diaphragms can
ware with flammables, oxidizers, and corro-
rials. Barstock bodies are preferred for maintain 5.0 purity of noncorrosive gases.
sives can lead to serious problems.
higher-purity applications for the follow-
ing reasons: Stainless steel should be chosen for semicorro-
This article focuses on gas pressure regula-
sive or corrosive gases or mixtures, or for higher-
tors. Materials of construction, selection
• Smaller internal volume: easier to purity requirements. Stainless steel regulators
criteria, general precautions, and other
purge, facilitating removal of moisture are made from barstock material, and can be
issues are discussed in the context of safety
and impurities machined from a standard of about 25 Ra down
and gas purity. Other articles by the authors
deal with additional system elements.

Regulators
Regulators are used in gas delivery sys-
tems to reduce the pressure from a high-
pressure source to a working pressure for
use. The right regulator will maintain
gas purity and deliver the gas safely to
downstream gas delivery components,
and ultimately to the point of use. Many
different criteria need to be taken into Figure 1 Example of a material compatibility chart (Figures 1, 2, and 3 courtesy of MATHESON,
account when selecting the right regula- Montgomeryville, PA; source: MATHESON Gas Catalog.) Kel-F®: 3M Co. (Maplewood, MN);
tor for an application. ­Teflon®, Tetzel®, and Viton®: DuPont (Wilmington, DE); Kynar®: Arkema, Inc. (Philadelphia, PA).
to 10 Ra or lower for ultrahigh-purity (UHP) requirements. Purity lev-
els of 5.0–6.0, depending on the type of connections, can be expected.

For highly corrosive gases, Monel or Hastelloy may be used. These

materials provide a higher degree of corrosion resistance, but at
a higher cost. While these materials are more corrosion resistant
than stainless steel, they cannot be supplied at the lowest Ra sur-
faces finishes, and are not normally used for 6.0 purity or better.

Delivery of highly corrosive gases at ultrahigh purity is a chal-

lenge to the materials. Downstream purification may be used.
One’s gas supplier should be consulted.

Regulator diaphragm
In lower-cost regulators, the diaphragm is an elastomer, typically
neoprene. A regulator with a neoprene diaphragm should not be used
when it is important to maintain purity levels of 4.5 or better. Elasto-
mers can adsorb and diffuse contaminants, and may not be compatible
for use with some gases. Metal diaphragms (stainless steel) provide a
more secure metal-to-metal seal, are more broadly applicable, and are
less prone to adsorption and diffusion of contaminants.

Pressure service
Source pressure (inlet) and delivery pressure (outlet) are impor-
tant parameters for proper regulator selection. Typical regulators
can be separated into high-inlet-pressure regulators for use on
high-pressure sources (such as cylinders), and lower-inlet-pres-
sure regulators for use with lower-pressure sources such as some
liquefied gases, bulk, small bulk, and dewars. Low-inlet-pressure
regulators may also be used downstream from a primary regulator
at the point of use (including line regulators; see below).
Most standard high-pressure cylinders used in the laboratory have
cylinder pressures up to 2500 psig. Cylinder regulators are usually
rated for a maximum inlet pressure of 3000 psig. Occasionally,
higher-pressure cylinders are used, and these require regulators
rated for the higher pressure, sometimes up to 6000 psig.
Cylinder regulators reduce the source pressure down to a safer,
practical delivery pressure. Outlet delivery pressure is regulated by
the control knob, and various delivery pressure ranges are available,
such as 30, 100, and 250 psig. “Oversizing” is not recommended; a
delivery pressure of 15 psi, for instance, is more stable and settable
using the lower-range regulators, such as 30 psig.
Required flow
Regulators are designed for various flow rates, determined by the
Cv (coefficient of velocity) and orifice size. The larger the Cv, the
higher the flow capacity of the regulator. Regulators with a Cv from
0.02 to 1.0 are typically the standard range, although much higher
coefficients of velocity are available.
The orifice not only determines the flow capacity, but can have an
effect on the droop and cylinder pressure decay characteristic of the
Figure 2 Table of CGA valve outlet connection numbers.
regulator.* In order to have adequate flow capacity while limiting
the droop and decay characteristics, the regulator should be sized
correctly based on specifications for the application.
Compressed Gas Association connections
The Compressed Gas Association (CGA) has promulgated the
specifications for a standard set of cylinder valve outlet fittings to be
used on compressed gas cylinders (see Figure 2). CGA fitting configu-
rations (thread type, direction, and size) are specific to various classes
of compressed gas. Typical classes are inert gases, flammable gases,
highly corrosive gases, and oxygen. The different CGA fittings are
designed to prevent mismatches of equipment and gas (e.g., it is not
possible to use an oxygen regulator on a hydrogen cylinder).
Importantly, users should never attempt to defeat this safeguard
with the use of adapters. Equally important, PTFE tape, oil, or any
other lubricant should not be used on the inlet connection of a
regulator. PTFE tape can shred, and fluid lubricants will find their
way into the flow stream; neither should be inside the regulator.
Difficulty in attaching a regulator to a cylinder suggests the wrong
CGA connection, or that replacement may be necessary. Safety
note: The regulator fitting and the regulator itself should be

* Note: 1) Droop is a change in the delivery pressure as flow increases. 2) As the cylinder is depleted, the cylinder pressure declines. This reduces the pressure
on the inlet side of the regulator, which causes an increase in the delivery pressure (a much smaller issue with dual-stage regulators; see below); this is known
as cylinder pressure decay.

Figure 3 Cutaway drawings of single-stage (left) and dual-stage
(right) regulator.
checked thoroughly for leaks each time
they are attached for use.
Single- and dual-stage designs
Cylinder regulators are available in single-
stage and dual-stage designs. From the front,
outward appearances are similar. Regulators
use two gauges to indicate inlet and outlet
pressures, regardless of whether the design
is single or dual stage (see Figure 3 for com-
parison of single- and dual-stage designs).
Many users prefer dual-stage regulators because
they believe they provide better purity perfor-
mance. In reality, the only advantage of a dual-
stage regulator is pressure performance, and the
difference can be an important one.
Dual-stage regulators are essentially two
single-stage regulators in one body, with
the first regulator supplying the second
regulator. A dual-stage regulator is used
when the delivery pressure of the regulator
must be stable over a long period of time as
the cylinder pressure declines.
Typically, with a single-stage regulator, the
delivery pressure will rise about 0.5 psig to 2
psig for every 100 psig of decline in the cylin-
der pressure, which translates (roughly) to a
delivery pressure increase of 10 psig up to 40
psig over the life of a cylinder. Output pres-
sure can of course be manually readjusted,
but the effect is not continuous and operator
intervention is required. When this is not
practical or cannot be tolerated, a dual-stage
regulator is used. Even though the first stage
will still exhibit the delivery pressure rise as
the cylinder pressure decays, the change is
easily managed by the second stage, and out-
put pressure is virtually constant.
Line regulators
Line regulators are single stage,
and have only a single pressure
gauge (output). Line regulators
are installed at point of use and
are intended for use downstream
from a primary pressure regula-
tor, as would be the case with
manifold-supplied or house-sup-
plied gas distribution systems.
Typical line regulators have an
inlet pressure rating of about 400
psig maximum; in normal use
the actual inlet pressure is much
lower (and controlled by the
upstream device). As a result, the
output pressure creep typical of
single-stage regulators is not a problem with
a properly deployed line regulator.
Specialty regulators
Some gases or applications require specific
operating parameters or limitations. For
example, an acetylene regulator must be lim-
ited to a maximum of 15 psig delivery pres-
sure due to the instability of acetylene above
this pressure. Acetylene regulators are sup-
plied with a delivery gauge that has a red area
marked on the gauge face above 15 psig.
Some regulators may have specialized interior
surface treatments or platings. An example is
a regulator designed for use with low ppm lev-
els of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) mixtures. This
prevents the small amount of H2S molecules
from sticking to the interior surfaces of the
regulator and leaning out the mixture.
Outlet valves
Many regulators are fitted with outlet
valves. These are useful for turning flow on
and off, but for proper flow control a rota-
meter or mass flowmeter should be used.
Often, at point of use, a line regulator will
supply proper delivery pressure, and the
instrument or laboratory device will pro-
vide appropriate final flow controls.
Risks
Gas pressure regulators are necessary in
any application that requires the use of
compressed gas. As a result, all laboratories
have a selection of “assets” that have seen
previous use. It is up to the user to select
and prepare regulators and other equip-
ment properly for appropriate and safe use.
• Indiscriminate use of old components
and regulators, even those that are in
good condition, can lead to problems.
A record of usage for every gas flow
component should be kept.
• Regulators should be dedicated to a single
gas service. If it is necessary to change ser-
vice and redeploy a regulator, that regula-
tor should be appropriately cleaned prior to
reuse. Users should seek expert assistance if
they are unsure of the appropriate measures.
• Along similar lines, it seems intuitive
that with a gas delivery system com-
prised of centralized or manifold-sup-
plied sources, changeover of gas service
on previously used tubing (and other
components) should be done only
when necessary, and only after system-
atic purging and cleaning of the entire
flowstream. Again, it is good practice to
seek expert assistance.
• Regulators with obvious evidence of
corrosion should not be used (anything
that is visible on the outside is sure to
be inside as well).
• Regulators with damaged threads or seal-
ing surfaces of the cylinder connection
should be carefully leak-tested before
deployment. If a proper seal in the cyl-
inder valve cannot be achieved, the
regulator should be taken out of service.
PTFE tape or pipe sealant should not be
used in an attempt to remedy the leak.
• If one of the gauges on a regulator appears
to be stuck or malfunctioning, it should
be assumed that there is a damaged
component in the regulator. Qualified
repair (gauges and internal parts must be
replaced with equivalent parts) must be
enlisted or the regulator replaced. Oil or
spray lubricant should not be used in an
attempt to loosen a stuck gauge.
Summary
In any laboratory or production setting, there
are numerous circumstances that can lead to
degradation or contamination of gas prod-
ucts prior to their application at point of use,
sometimes with serious performance or safety
consequences. Mindful attention to applica-
tions and equipment choices will help ensure
that the gas used is of the same quality the
supplier worked so hard to deliver.
Mr. Marone is Senior Project Manager, and Mr.
Geib is Product and Technology Marketing Man-
ager, ­MATHESON, 166 Keystone Dr., Mont-
gomeryville, PA 18936, U.S.A.; tel.: 215-641-
2700; e-mail: MMarone@MathesonGas.com.