SAMPLE OF INDUSTRIES WHICH USE NITROGEN AND TYPICAL PURITIES
Nitrogen is presently used in a wide variety of industries for its various benefits. See below for a small sample of industries where nitrogen has been extremely beneficial.
Food Packaging 99.5%
Usage/Benefits
- Inert atmosphere packaging extends shelf life and minimizes both spoilage and moisture migration.
- Prevents insect invasion and/or growth.
Beverage Industry 99% - 99.9%
Usage/Benefits
- Protect raw materials and final product from oxidation.
- Extends shelf life.
- Sparging and head space to eliminate oxygen and improve shelf life.
Beer Brewing 99.99%
Usage/Benefits
- Protect full-leaf hops from degradation during storage.
- Reduce CO usage and subsequent contribution to environment
- Sparging and head space purging to extend shelf life.
- Nitrogenation of product to improve texture and taste.
Coffee 99.5%
Usage/Benefits
- Protect beans from degradation due to oxidation.
- Extend shelf-life of final product.
- Inert atmosphere for all packaging requirements
Fruits Vegetables 99%
Usage/Benefits
- N2 inerting to eliminate bacteria growth preventing mold and mildew
- Extend warehouse life of stored product
- Controlled atmosphere storage to control ripening time
Vertical Form Filling Machines 99.5%
Usage/Benefits
- Injection of N2 for inerting plastic bags prior to sealing.
- N2 inflation of the bag protects fragile products during shipping while also inerting to improve shelf-life
Grain Storage 99.5%
Usage/Benefits
- Grain drying and kilns benefit from the low moisture content of N2.
- The need for continuous drying enhances the ROI of self-nitrogen generation.
Tobacco 99.9%
Usage/Benefits
- Kill/prevent infestation by tobacco beetles.
Soldering 99.95%
Usage/Benefits
- A nitrogen blanket can reduce the solid oxides (dross) formed when low melting point metals such as tin solders are in contact with air.
Semiconductors 99.99%
Usage/Benefits
- Purging toxic gases from process chambers including: Chemical Vapor Deposition, Reactive Etch, and Sputtering tools.
- Providing an inert environment during solder bump processes.
Chemical and Petrochemical 95% - 99.99%
Usage/Benefits
- Suppress flammability, purging of volatile organics (VOCs).
- Blanketing to protect chemicals from degradation.
- Flare tower inerting.
- For sensitive chemicals, preserve product integrity by removing oxidizing environment.
Gas Barriers & Dry Gas Seals 95%
Usage/Benefits
- N2 is an effective barrier in hazardous areas
- N2 forms an effective barrier in ships, oil platforms, compressor seals, and storage containers to separate combustible barriers.
Pipelines 95%
Usage/Benefits
- N2 purging to bring O2 levels to within safe limits.
- Safe and cost effective pressure gas to support pigging operations.
- Containerized systems enable easy drop-in to support field operations.
Refineries 95% - 98%
Usage/Benefits
- Tank blanketing, purging, or pipe pressurization.
- Blanketing to prevent build-up of combustible vapors.
Off- Shore Platforms 95% - 99.5%
Usage/Benefits
- Inaccessible off-shore oil & gas platforms benefit greatly from localized N2 production.
- Establishes the inert atmosphere required to prevent explosions.
- Designed to meet stringent environmental and safety certifications.
Oil Recovery > 95%
Usage/Benefits
- Replacement of liquid injection.
- N2 minimizes corrosion effects on borehole piping.
- Inerting from re-pressurization of oil wells.
- Containerized systems enable easy drop-in to support field operations
Oil & Gas Wells > 95%
Usage/Benefits
- Displace O2 to eliminate a combustible environment.
- Minimize oxidation of hydrocarbons.
- Installed in ISO-containers for full environmental protection.
Pharmaceuticals 99% - 99.9%
Usage/Benefits
- Lab use (purging)
- Blanketing of raw materials and process environments
- Sparging of bottles and inerting of packaging.
- Product degradation protection.
Autoclaves 95% - 99.999%
Usage/Benefits
- Ideal for autoclaves and ovens requiring an inert atmosphere for processing.
- Metals, carbon fibers, high performance polymers.
Metal Operations 99.5% - 99.99%
Usage/Benefits
- Brazing, laser cutting, heat treatment: controls corrosion.
- Protection during annealing and sintering operations.
Heat Treatment 99% - 99.999%
Usage/Benefits
- Pressurized furnaces utilize a high volume of N2.
- Inert atmosphere prevents many undesirable oxidizing processes from occurring.
Laser Cutting 99.5% - 99.99%
Usage/Benefits
- Superb ROI in the competitive environment of a metal fabrication shop.
- N2 eliminates the oxide edges during laser cutting.
- Systems are sized to handle both beam pathway purge and assist gas for all laser powers.
Sintering 99.5% - 99.999%
Usage/Benefits
- Sintering of metals and ceramics in high temperature furnaces often requires an inert environment.
- N2 inerting prevents the damaging effects that oxidation imparts.
Adhesives < 99.9%
Usage/Benefits
- Blanketing to eliminate adhesive chemical degradation.
- Purging to eliminate O2 from degrading the bonding action resulting in incomplete or reduced tensile bond strength.
Shipping / Storage > 99.5%
Usage/Benefits
- Blanketing of storage reservoirs to eliminate the transport of foreign pest species.
- N2 minimizes the combustible environment in both chemical and grain transportation.
Metal Fabrication 99% - 99.99%
Usage/Benefits
- Purging during S/S welding.
- Eliminate oxide edges during laser cutting.
Injeciton Molding > 99%
Usage/Benefits
- Prevention of resin degradation due to oxidation.
- Prevent discoloration, loss of tensile strength and premature failure.
Mining Industry > 95%
Usage/Benefits
- Flotation and flammability suppression.