[opuktun]

Hi people,

I was wondering if it is possible to use a metal scoop to transfer liquid nitrogen from the tank to my dewar flask. Will the scoop suddenly break off and drop into the liquid?

Sorry for the stupid questions.

It's my first time handling liquid nitrogen. >.<

[nj_bartel]

Uh, it may cause the liquid nitrogen to start boiling rapidly and popping all over you, which stings a bit.

[enahs]

Plus the metal scoop will be really cold and hard to handle and dangerous to touch with the bare skin.

Liquid nitrogen containers are compressed; the LN will flow out when you open the valve. Usually there is a rubber hose on the LN containers. Just set the dewar on something, put the rubber hose in it, and turn it on. You can hold the rubber hose at first*, pretty quickly though it will freeze and no longer be flexible and no need to hold it.

And remember, it is just nitrogen. Do not worry about spilling it on the floor to protect your safety. The worst thing that will probably happen to the floor is you will get a clean spot where you spilled it...


*Using an appropriate glove.

[opuktun]

Plus the metal scoop will be really cold and hard to handle and dangerous to touch with the bare skin.

Liquid nitrogen containers are compressed; the LN will flow out when you open the valve. Usually there is a rubber hose on the LN containers. Just set the dewar on something, put the rubber hose in it, and turn it on. You can hold the rubber hose at first*, pretty quickly though it will freeze and no longer be flexible and no need to hold it.

And remember, it is just nitrogen. Do not worry about spilling it on the floor to protect your safety. The worst thing that will probably happen to the floor is you will get a clean spot where you spilled it...


*Using an appropriate glove.

Mmm, I was thinking of using a metal scoop from the kitchen (a newly bought one that is...) and cryogenics glove... =.=

The problem with the liquid nitrogen in my lab is that it does not come with the valve. Or at least I didn't see it. My seniors usually handle it by pouring the liquid from the metallic container.

[P]

Can't you pour it also then?  Why can't you  do what they do?

[Sep]

Your scoop should work fine. What you should be mainly concerned with is how your going to make your grip. Frost bites are no fun. I believe cryogenic gloves will put you in the safe zone like you mentioned. I'm not 100% sure though. I know they are made for handling really cold stuff but I dont know if there are different types that have different ratings that keep your skin safe to a certain degree or not. But I'm  99% sure you'll be good to go with cryogenic gloves.

[ARGOS++]

Dear Opuktun;

It’s very hard to believe, that a scoop, except a very small one, will be a help in your situation, because two reason:
     -  a Dewar Tank very -  very rarely have a bottleneck large enough for such a kitchen tool.
     -  such a tool would only be helpful, as long as the Dewar tank is full till the bottleneck, and that’s a very short period, and that makes no sense.

I handled such tanks during several years in my lab.
Normally there are two situations:
   -  if the Dewar tank isn’t larger then 2 - 4 gallons you may handle it like a big wine flask.
   -  if it is a larger metallic tank normal handling is done with an “ascending pipe”.

So maybe you have to ask for such a pipe and you will need the isolating gloves only for handling your small Lab Dewar-vessels.

Good Luck!
                    ARGOS⁺⁺

[opuktun]

Can't you pour it also then?  Why can't you  do what they do?

The container is less than half filled but still heavy and my seniors poured it WITHOUT using gloves due to the lack of grip. Spilling liquid nitrogen onto my hand is one of the last thing that I want to see in the lab.

Thanks nj_bartel, Sep & ARGOS++ for your opinions. 

[P]

The large container we had in our lab was on a pivot so it could be tilted with ease. We still wore gloves and goggles though.

Spilling liquid nitrogen onto my hand is one of the last thing that I want to see in the lab.

There are many worse things that can happen in a lab!    Acids, mutagens and hot things are much worse.

[opuktun]

Having a pivot is a good idea...

Nonetheless, I agree with you on the danger in the lab. So I will quit doing chemistry next year. 

Hope that I will survive for the last few months.

[complex]

As to spilling LN2 on hand...
I was using a dewar of LN2 to keep the traps cold for a Hi-Vac line. I only filled it about half-full. I was wearing a thick glove too. But I had to tilt it slightly to get it on the trap and the thing it sits on under it. But the thing it sat on (ring stand with something covering the ring) was being stubborn.  It spilt over the side...and kept spilling...until I finally got it up (I didn't want to break the glassware nearby which is why I didn't drop). And I got nice wittle blisters on my hand (with the glove) for a couple weeks until I poked them out with a needle...then they finally started to heal. A couple weeks previously I spilt a little on my hand, but didn't get that bad of a blister cluster XB.

[Fleaker]

It's actually far better to spill liquid nitrogen onto bare skin than on clothing because the LN2 will just skitter off. I can stick my hand in LN2 for a second or so but pull it out unharmed. When you spill LN2 on your clothes or on another absorbant/wicking material, then you run into trouble because the evaporation rate is slowed.