What are the industrial uses of nitrogen gas?
Nitrogen is an inert gas; suitable for a wide range of industrial applications. It covers numerous aspects of manufacturing chemicals, processing, handling, and shipping. Nitrogen is most often used as a purging gas because it is not reactive and possesses excellent blanketing properties. Removal of contaminations, process streams in stripping methods, and sparging are a few places where nitrogen is used. It is also used to store explosive compounds safely and prevent explosions of combustible specks of dust.
Did you know? Two-thirds of all the nitrogen produced by industries around the world is sold as gas. In comparison, one-third is sold as a liquid. Since nitrogen is an inert gas, it is used in an atmosphere where oxygen poses fire, oxidation, and explosion hazards. Nitrogen is colorless, odorless and can construct multiple bonds with many elements and compounds. Outlined below are a few examples of industrial uses of nitrogen gas:
- Food industry:
Nitrogen gas provides an unreactive atmosphere. Therefore, it can help preserve perishables and is used in the food industry to delay rancidity and other oxidative damages that occur to food.
- Lighting industry:
Tungsten is a metal that combusts in the presence of oxygen; this is the main reason a non-reactive gas such as nitrogen is used inside bulbs. Nitrogen is also cheaper when compared to other inert gases like argon, helium, or radon.
- Steel manufacturing:
Melting, ladle process, and casting of steel are a few instances when nitrogen is used. Nitrogen directly impacts the hardness, formability, and aging properties of steel.
- Tire filling:
Nitrogen is dry and does not contain any moisture; this, therefore, prevents rusting of tire rims. Nitrogen is used to inflate race, road, and aircraft tires as it does not heat up quickly and maintains consistent pressures over a longer time.
- Beer manufacturing:
In some beers like stouts and British ales, nitrogen is used as a replacement or along with carbon dioxide as it produces smaller bubbles making it easier to dispense beer. Nitrogen is also used to charge the packing of beer cans and bottles.
- Fire fighting systems:
The presence of oxygen causes fire to burn richer and spread quickly. Nitrogen is used in fire suppression systems to reduce the oxygen concentration, thereby extinguishing the fire quickly.
- Chemical industry:
During sample preparation or chemical analysis, nitrogen is the most commonly used gas. It assists in the volume reduction and concentration of the chemical samples
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