Production of Nitrogen, Oxygen and Argon

Production of Nitrogen

Nitrogen gas is an industrial gas which can be produced:

• by the fractional distillation of liquid air (using a cryogenic air separation unit),
• by mechanical means using gaseous air (using pressurized reverse osmosis membrane or Pressure swing adsorption).

Nitrogen can be used in many fields:

• to produce Ammonia (see Production of Hydrogen)
• to preserve the freshness of packaged or bulk foods (by delaying rancidity and other forms of oxidative damage)
• in incandescent light bulbs as an inexpensive alternative to argon
• in the production of electronic parts such as transistors, diodes, and integrated circuits

 

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Production of Oxygen

Like Nitrogen, Oxygen can be produced:

• by the fractional distillation of liquid air (using a cryogenic air separation unit),
• by mechanical means using gaseous air (using pressurized reverse osmosis membrane or Pressure swing adsorption).

Oxygen is mainly used for:

• the smelting of iron ore into steel
• the medical industry
• welding

 

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Production of Argon

Argon can be produced by the fractional distillation of liquid air (using a cryogenic air separation unit). It is a by-product of the Oxygen and Nitrogen production.

Argon is used in some high-temperature industrial processes, where ordinarily non-reactive substances become reactive. For example, an argon atmosphere is used in graphite electric furnaces to prevent the graphite from burning.

Argon is also used for the welding industry as a protective gas.