How to order Deuterium from Matheson to a University

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Andrew Seltzman
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How to order Deuterium from Matheson to a University

Post by Andrew Seltzman »

I have successfully bought a 50L lecture bottle of deuterium from Matheson, below is the procedure to use to avoid confusion and excess paperwork.

This write up is the procedure for shipping to an individual at a University in the US, to a physics / engineering building, where the university is already registered with Matheson, and paying with a personal debit/credit card. They do not ship to residential addresses(don't even try, no gas suppliers will) and will require you to set up an account if shipping to a previously unregistered business at a commercial address(not covered here).

The main matheson website is:
http://www.mathesongas.com/
Deuterium is sold as a specialty gas:
http://www.mathesongas.com/catalog/cate ... =specialty
Their datasheet and product numbers are listed here
http://www.mathesongas.com/pdfs/product ... re-Gas.pdf

You will likely want to buy an LBA size tank(this is a standard size 50L lecture bottle), the bottle is sold outright and not leased like a larger tank.
The 2 lower purity grades are
CP grade: 99.7%, product number G1211276, $233 for 50L
UHP grade: 99.995%, product number G1211276, $250 for 50L
In addition to the above costs, there will be a $14.95 hazmat fee(shipping a flammable gas), and $22.45 fuel surcharge in addition to shipping ~$100, they ship via palletized freight; the lecture bottle will be put into cardboard/foam safety over pack and attached to a shipping pallet(you might want to check if they will send via UPS ground for a lower rate).

I would recommend the UHP grade, as it's not that much more expensive.

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To order:

First, get an FEIN number for yourself(this will be required in the deuterium purchasing form) from the IRS, this is easy and free
http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Bus ... %29-Online
Select sole proprietor, and follow the instructions, you will be issued a number of the form XX-XXXXXXX, keep this number handy

Next order from matheson, don't bother with the web store, that requires a logon/account with Matheson, and don't try to set up an account for your self, this is not required.

Send matheson a request for quote via email
-----------------------------------------------------------
info@mathesongas.com should work
I worked with Bonnie Haltzman, <bhaltzman@mathesongas.com>, she was very helpful with figuring out the paperwork

Title your email RFQ: Deuterium Order, or something like that, to make it clear that you are requesting a quote.
Request a quote for 1x G2671580, if you are ordering the UHP grade,
Put down your shipping address at the university (your physics/engineering department address), and the university name.
They should send you a quote via email as a PDF (this is so that you have a quote number to reference), make sure that they have the shipping address as the correct building on the quote. Email them that you are interested in placing the order and tell them you will be paying via a personal credit card(they will take this over the phone later), also give them your phone number somewhere in this process if they need to contact you. They will send you a deuterium purchasing form(required for all deuterium purchases) if they have not already.

Filling out the deuterium purchasing form
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You will get this via emai as a word document titled "RESTRICTED CHEMICAL COMPLIANCE INQUIRY"
You need to fill out these items:
Complete Legal Name of Entity Purchasing the product: <This is your full name>
Address: <this is the shipping address at the university>
Shipping address: <this is also the shipping address at the university>
What is the intended use of the product?: Research
Federal Employer Tax Identification Number: <this is the FEIN number that you got from the IRS>
SAFETY/SECURITY INFORMATION:
All 3 check boxes: yes
Name: <the name of your campus police department>
Phone number: <the non-emergency phone number for the campus police department, you can find this on their website>
The way they explained this to me is: If the building is broken into / an alarm goes off / there is an emergency, etc, these are the people who will respond first. Some companies may have their own security/emergency team, at a university, this is the campus police department. You do not need to provide/attach written policies.

PRODUCT INFORMATION
Products: Deuterium
Quantity: 1
Type of packaging: LBA
Mode of shipment: FOB ground

Will the Deuterium purchased from Matheson Tri-Gas be used outside of the United States of America: <No>

Signature: <your signature>
Printed Name: <your name>
Title: <your title>
Date: <the date>

To be completed if product(s) is being purchased by a university:
<leave this blank, you are purchasing it, not the university>

Type the form, print it out, sign it, scan it, and e-mail it back to your sales contact.

Payment info
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Arrange with your sales contact to call the up to give them your card info

Shipping
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There is usually 3 weeks lead time before they ship.
Shipping will be about $100 via palletized freight(even with this, it's still cheaper to buy from matheson), yes they will send an entire 18 wheeler with a 5lb cardboard box on a pallet. Check if they will send via UPS ground. The driver will call you(on the number you gave matheson when ordering) when they are arriving. They'll (mine did) have you sign for the package, cut the box off the pallet and give it to off the truck. Some may need to use a lift gate(mine didn't but be aware of this)
IMG_20150921_150309251.jpg
IMG_20150921_151040301.jpg

Lecture bottle specifications
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The valve is a CGA 170 / 110 fitting.
You can buy CGA 110 to CGA 180 adapters from sigma aldrich if you have a lecture bottle regulator that requires this
The bottle is 2" OD, these clamps fit them nicely:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/291030246142?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT
Last edited by Andrew Seltzman on Wed Sep 23, 2015 3:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Andrew Seltzman
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Richard Hull
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Re: How to order Deuterium from Matheson to a University

Post by Richard Hull »

This should tell serious folks to contact and become real close pals with a university scientist/worker that has an account.
This being the case just phone most gas suppliers deal with one person forever. At this point a simple phone call to them and your credit card should have the gas on the way with zero paper work needed. I dealt with the same lady for 5 orders for the gas at Spectra Gas in 1998, 1999, 2004, 2012 and 2014, placing my last 50L order weeks before retiring. There was only a hazmat charge and a $12.00 UPS ground shipping fee. Came in a small cardboard box wrapped in bubble wrap and foam. I never touched a piece of paper or filled out a form...ever!

Why so easy for me?....Long time buyer, known to the lady contact who I asked for by name over the phone and I and my company were in her file. 5 minutes on the phone got the tank on the way the next day. I dealt with Spectra gases.

As Andrew noted...., Now, especially now, there are a bunch of crazy hoops to leap through even if you are a university this is magnified and blooms out more if it is a first time buy. It is ridiculus and crazy.

Always try a local but large welding supply house, first!!!! Around 2008 I ordered and received a no hassle 25L bottle of D2 from a local welding shop that I had dealt with for years. It was a Matheson product. I paid more for the 25L than I had been paying for the 50L, but I got it, no hassle.

Everyone has a horror story related to D2 purchasing.

I now have two 50L reserve cylinders on hand to carry me through what will surely be the rest of my life's needs.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Andrew Seltzman
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Re: How to order Deuterium from Matheson to a University

Post by Andrew Seltzman »

I think we should have a thread on how to order deuterium, possibly this one, with detailed write-ups, prices, contact information of the suppliers, where to order, etc to document the easiest way to buy.

Richard: What were the prices(that you found) for the deuterium that you bought over the years for various suppliers?

^^ Everyone join in with their information/stories
Andrew Seltzman
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Richard Hull
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Re: How to order Deuterium from Matheson to a University

Post by Richard Hull »

I only ever dealt with two suppliers.

That one order in 2008 from the local Robert's Oxygen. All the other orders 1999-2014 were with Spectra Gas and a 50L tank was averaging ~ $300.00 with hazmat and shipping included in that price. I think the gas was about $100.00 the tank was about $120.00, hazmat was $25-$50 and shipping (always UPS ground) was on the order of $20.00 when first ordered (~$280). The last tank (2014) cost an all up price of $328.00.

I wasted much of the first tank and a large fraction of the second on fusor III which used no diff pump, just the micromaze attached to the forepump. Fusor IV with the diff pump went into operation in 2004 and finished of that second tank by 2006 and the third tank is almost empty now, but should suffice for HEAS 2015. So, the fusor IV has operated 9 years off that one 50L tank installed back in 2006.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Andrew Seltzman
Posts: 815
Joined: Sun Feb 01, 2004 8:02 pm
Real name: Andrew Seltzman
Contact:

Re: How to order Deuterium from Matheson to a University

Post by Andrew Seltzman »

Since there have been a few more posts on deuterium I'll also add the following about shipping from matheson:

You can avoid having it sent via palletized freight if you specify "Ship from Joliet via Fedex overpack" on the order. It helps if you have a fedex account to charge this to. This way they will ship with fedex ground in the overpack alone which will save you about $100 of shipping any receiving the package will be easier.
Andrew Seltzman
www.rtftechnologies.org
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