Sunday 21 June 2015

Some Interesting Facts About Nitrogen And Your N2 Generator

By Freida Michael


Nitrogen is a standard industrial gas at present. It is supplied by users of specialized equipment known as a nitrogen generator, or N2 generator. This equipment uses thin air to generate the pure gas, something which might come as a surprise to those who are not educated about this process.

Nitrogen itself is not an easy element to work with because of its gaseous nature. It only liquefies at a very low temperature, about minus 180 degrees Celsius, or -300 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes it difficult to contain or purify, since as a gas it must be captured and isolated from other gases, and as a liquid it does not remain that cold for very long.

Storage is therefore a challenge on its own. Refrigeration at -300F is not possible without special appliances since the natural environment does not offer a location at that temperature and the climate is never suitable. It is possible, however, to store the gas under exceptionally high pressure, which makes it stay liquid. This is seen in kitchen gas canisters, which contain pressurized gas that is sometimes liquid.

Nitrogen itself is harmless to people in its gaseous state. It represents 80% of the atmosphere at surface level. In other words, 80% of the air that you breathe is nitrogen. It does, however, have the ability to form compounds with other elements, and this is where users of the nitrogen generator might be interested in conducting some background research.

One of these that might be familiar to users is ammonia. Ammonia is usually found in detergents, and it contains only two elements - the nitrogen and then hydrogen. Ammonia requires caution in its use as it can potentially combine with acidic substances to form a weak explosive. It is identified by its smell and it should not be treated recklessly.

Ammonia is used in cleaning products and so should also be familiar to the lay person. It has a tell-tale smell and it consists of two components - hydrogen and nitrogen. Ammonia can pose risks because it reacts with acids to form an explosion. It should always be used sensibly.

Silver nitrate is used in medicine, where it burns growths off the exterior of the human body. It is an attractive chemical, with a reflective silver sheen and a liquid state at ordinary atmospheric temperature. But it eats into human skin so it should be treated with caution, too.

These compounds are some examples of what nitrogen forms when it reacts with other chemicals. Users of nitrogen equipment should be aware of these related compounds and should be aware of what might possibly form in the equipment. This is important in preventing damage and maintaining a pure output.




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