Being an inert gas, nitrogen is suited for a wide range of uses in many different industries including oil and gas, electronics, food and beverage packaging, laboratories, fire prevention, pharmaceutical, marine and general industry. This is because one of the most unique properties of this colorless and odorless gas is its low reactivity, which can benefit many processes. Listed below are a few of the industrial applications of nitrogen.
Nitrogen is mainly used in food & beverage as a filler gas, to displace oxygen. Preserving the taste, aromas and the quality in general in one important aspect where N2 does the job, by keeping out O2, the main culprit in the air that causes spoilage. Another main task is to increase the shelf life of the packaged product.
During the pharmaceutical production process, oxygen can cause unwanted reactions in the product. Nitrogen is a dry, inert gas that doesn’t react with other elements and affect product quality. Nitrogen helps pharmaceutical companies save cost and live up to the high standards that are required in the industry.
The margin for error in electronics manufacturing is extremely small. In order to create a precise, controlled environment for packaging, assembly, and storage as well as the soldering processes itself, the use of nitrogen is key. Nitrogen creates a protective environment, prevents oxidization of components and the soldering material, therefore improving the quality and reducing rejected parts in production, among many other benefits in use.
Different analysis techniques in a laboratory or university environment require the use of Nitrogen, to create a protective and neutral atmosphere that is not influencing the measurement done. LC-MS is an example of an analysis technique where nitrogen is used to eliminate solvents from a sample.
The oil and gas industry uses nitrogen to enhance safety and reduce the risk hazards facilities of operation. Nitrogen is used to purge compressor systems, pipelines, and reactors to avoid fires and
explosions. Other applications in oil and gas include blanketing storage tanks and oil and gas drilling.
Nitrogen is a key component in fire safety across the world. The gas can expel oxygen to a level below the LOC (Limiting Oxygen Concentration), as a result a normally flammable substance can no longer burn because there's not enough oxygen available to support the burning process.
The use of nitrogen is spread across the entire landscape of general industry. You will find nitrogen in every corner because of its highly inert properties. In general industry we find nitrogen usage for automotive, construction, metal fabrication, aerospace, battery & renewables, and many more industries.
