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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.