What flammable mixture prevention technique involves keeping the head space above the liquid in a storage tank or other vessel full of an inert gas?

• A. Not presure
• B. Gas blanketing
• C. Vacuum purge
• D. Venting

Answer: (B)

Gas blanketing keeps the space above the liquid filled with an inert gas, usually nitrogen, to prevent air from mixing with the vapors. By displacing oxygen in the headspace, the environment becomes much less able to support a flammable vapor–air mixture, so the risk of ignition is greatly reduced during storage and handling. This technique is especially important for flammable liquids because it continuously maintains an inert atmosphere, unlike venting which simply releases vapors to the surroundings or a vacuum purge which removes air but does not sustain an inert blanket. The inert gas blanket may be monitored and controlled to keep oxygen levels low and protect against oxidation and moisture as well.