Pat, If I remember correctly, according to Dawn Merritt's Thesis (Indiana), using a liquid filled CO2 tank can result in fractionation of 1-2 ppt over the life of the tank. We purchase "gas filled" tanks (which as I understand it, means pressure less than about 800 psi) in larger cylinders. They won't last as long, but they cost less and seem to avoid the problem. Louis Elrod >I am runing continuous flow system with a Carlo Erba EA, ConfloII, and >Delta S. >I am setting up a new tank of CO2 reference gas and am not clear on the >concept of, or need to worry about fractionation in a tank of CO2 at 800 > >psi. Should I reduce the pressure so that all the CO2 is in the gas >phase( what pressure would that be ). Or is combination gas/liquid phase > >not a problem. >Thanks in advance for input. > >Pat Anderson >Great Lakes WATER Institute > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Louis W. Elrod Research Scientist Geotechnology Research Institute Houston Advanced Research Center 4800 Research Forest Drive The Woodlands, TX 77381 Phone: 281-364-6061 FAX: 281-364-6052 E-mail: [log in to unmask] WebSite: http://gtri.harc.edu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~