Unknown spirotechnique

[lesnonpareils]

Hello all, I bought a metal case with two air tanks and a mask but I absolutely don't know what it is. I don't think it's for diving but spirotechnique is a diving brand equipements.

Does someone know what it is, is function, reliability and other informations ? Thank you !

 

[Bob DBF]

Looks more like a SCBA, or for emergency exit from a toxic environment, but I have no idea. Interesting though, translations didn't help, the bottom line is a warning of high pressure air. The top two are branding, no translation. Some close ups of the mask and first stage (?) low between the tanks may not help, but I would interested in seeing them.

Looks like an interesting puzzle.


Bob

 

[iain/hsm]

If you look carfully at the cylinder neck markings you will see the manufacturer.

It will read "SM GERZAT" if so then take careful considertion if you intend ever charging.

The material used was specific to Gerzat He aluminium of the 5000 range namely 5283
It acts more like a cast "iron" than a ductile "iron" in property and was a poor choice for aluminium
in a pressure vessel. Failures I have seen have all been detatched heavy lumps than a ductile split wall

 

[lesnonpareils]

Ok thanks you for the il informations. If I understand it's a SCBA emergency kit, but from poor quality iron tanks ?
They still loaded with pressure and tested. Have you an idea of the pressure (how many bars ?), The connection and if it's ok if I intent to reload them to full capacity ?
Thank you for your Time

 

[michael-fisch]

No No No.
He means that they are aluminum tanks made from a very poor choice of aluminum, that wll fracture into many pieces (frangable) than the more benign lateral split that current aluminum tanks display upon falure.
The reference to cast Iron is just to display what happens when the tanks fail, so you should also be very carefull not to drop the tanks when they are under pressure.

Michael

 

[iain/hsm]

Thanks Michael a much better explanation.

 

[lesnonpareils]

Ok Michael thank you for thoose précisions.

It's kind of worrisome that they can explode just if I drop them ! Is it lethal if it happens ? When you speak of dropping them, is it more from 1 meter up of a concrete floor by mistake or just if I put myself on the floor without suffisient précautions ?

Sorry for asking dumb questions but I really don't know anything about thoose kind of équipements.

To continue the investigations, does someone have an idea of the pressure inside of them ?
Or the threading standard of tanks and fittings ?

Sorry for my bad english (french...)
Thank you for your time !

 

[lesnonpareils]

Ok so i looked at the bottom of the air tanks and here's what I found :
The manufacturer is indeed SM. GERZAT, and old french brand wich was sold to LUXFERS FRANCE.

I found this article on a french forum that explained what iain/hsm said.
Nouvelles recommandations de la SM Gerzat pour les bouteilles en aluminium - Forums plongée Plongeur.com
Here's the google translate link in english : Google Traduction

So yes, there is indeed a big product recall since 2005 on thoose things. It could be funny because it's in use from many decades but they warn only in 2005 ...

I tried to contact the number of in the botton page to call LUXFER, it falls on a switchboard, tried all numbers but no answer, i'll try later in the day, they must be eating or sleeping at 1:30PM ..

BUT !!!

This is what is marked on my tanks :
SM. GERZAT N°24317 . ---> I think this is the model, so its' not a 5000 range. But it could be even worth don't know about this ..
0 à 15% ---> O2 ?
178 HPZ PS 200 HPZ ----> Searched on Google, this HPZ means "héctopièze", an old unit, similar to bars. 1hpz = 1 bar. So nominal pression is 178 bar and max is 200. Good to know.
11 - 2 - 1960 ----> Creation date. So it's definitevely not a 5000 range, they says in the article that they was built 25 years ago, not 60 years ago.

Well, I think that I have all technical specs. Now I have to search for reliability informations on this. Does anyone have any information on it ?

​

 

[lesnonpareils]

Well, now I'm completely lost.
I found a vert interesting PDF to indentify SM. GERZAT bad tanks (AG5 iron).
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...fication.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2HCSmwjBsdkdP4-uYwZtjn
Sorry, this time I can't google trad. But they says that all AG5 tanks have some kind of round line on the bottom when it's produced after 1977, I don't have any of them. So it suggest that it's indeed built in 1960, BUT they said too that before 1977 they don't mention the "AG5" logo. And I have it on the bottom .. So now I'm fixed, it's an AG5 bad iron ...

 

[lesnonpareils]

Ok, here's all what we need to know about them ! Just amazing work here.
Index of /openlibre/tiv-du-cd86_dec_2017/ALU - NITROX - COMPOSITE - CORROSION/ALU