Fe or Al tank for EANx diving

[dannobee]

...Steel is not an element at all but an alloy consisting of a mix of iron (Fe), carbon (C), manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), vanadium (V), molybdenum (Mo), and chromium (Cr). As far as I know, different steel alloys can be made by varying the mix of the aforementioned elements. (I realize that by making this point I'm opening myself to the scrutiny of all lurking ScubaBoard chemists.)

Have fun and dive safe.

You forgot Nickel and Cobalt. If you get the Nickel content high enough it becomes Stainless Steel.

 

[sotgecho]

I am glad I sparked a periodic table of elements discussion and some basic chemistry. I was just trying to think of an interesting thread title!

 

[emttim]

Lol, I wasn't going to say anything but yeah when I saw the thread topic, I was a little confused since Fe is iron and not steel.

I dive a high pressure steel 100 that is nitrox dedicated. Honestly, I've dived both aluminum and steel tanks, and quite frankly, aluminum tanks are dog**** for buoyancy characteristics. Not only is the buoyancy terrible for aluminum tanks, but in addition to that, you have to carry more weight and the aluminum tanks hold less air. I would never recommend anything outside of a steel tank for any application.

For what it's worth, I recently went diving and that HP steel 100 allowed me to stay down for a little over an hour per dive at about 45 feet...well worth the money.