Nitrogen: What is it and where is it used?
21 April, 2022
Nitrogen is all around us. It is the biggest component of the air we breathe, but we don't use it. In this article we take a look at some of the many things it can be used for.
Choosing the right nitrogen supply for your business
When sourcing your nitrogen supply, it's common to choose industrial gas bottle delivery. However, there's more efficient alternatives, mostly notably on-site production with a PSA or membrane generator. This article covers various options, while emphasizing the benefits of each.
Obtaining nitrogen through a third-party supplier
Bottled nitrogen
The first choice mentioned is purchasing nitrogen bottles from an off-site production facility. This process is very straightforward. You order the desired nitrogen quantity for your application, and the supplier delivers it in big heavy bottles.
N2O2, generated by a cryogenic nitrogen plant, is converted into a gas and bottled under very high pressure (300 bar). As a result, a lot of nitrogen gas is stored in a relatively small bottle. However, in order to withstand the high pressure, the containers are quite bulky, adding weight.
After use, these bottles are placed in a rack, where they are stored for pickup - requiring additional storage.
Advantages:
● An easy solution for facilities with a low nitrogen consumption.
● Provides readily available nitrogen for peak flows.
● Simple installation.
Disadvantages:
● Due to the size and weight of bottles, transportation is not environmentally friendly.
● Working pressure must be greater than bottle pressure. If not, nitrogen is wasted.
● Relatively high price due to production and shipment costs.
● Special bottle rack switching system required to avoid workflow interruptions.
● Safety concerns (heavy steel handling, high pressure).
● Creates dependency on nitrogen suppliers.
● Not suitable for high gas consumption.
Liquid bulk nitrogen supply
A second option involving a third party is to install a liquid nitrogen storage tank that's periodically filled by a gas company. These tanks can either be rented from the supplier or purchased. Additionally, an evaporator is required for gaseous nitrogen use.
An evaporator transforms liquid nitrogen into nitrogen gas. Just like bottled nitrogen, transportation is required for liquid nitrogen supply. However, in this case, it's delivered by a thermally insulated tank truck. The liquid nitrogen is then pumped from the truck into the insulated storage tank.
It is also possible to order liquid nitrogen in smaller cans for situations with low consumption. These small tanks are known as dewars. Also, just like bottled nitrogen, liquid nitrogen is produced by a cryogenic nitrogen plant.
Advantages:
● Provides readily available nitrogen for peak flows.
● Generally more cost-effective than bottled nitrogen.
● Capacity adjustments are easy to match changing nitrogen demands.
Disadvantages:
● Tank insulation isn't perfect. Liquid gas can heat up and evaporate, known as boil-off losses.*
● Long term contracts with gas companies are common (usually 5-7 years).
● Additional setup required including a special foundation and evaporator.
● Not environmentally friendly.
● Safety concerns (liquid nitrogen is -196 °C, there is a frostbite risk when working with liquid nitrogen).
● Evaporator can freeze up when your nitrogen consumption is higher than nominal or when it’s cold outside.
*Boil-off losses are waste. Whenever you use less nitrogen than the tank's capacity, pressure rises causing boil-off losses. If no gas is consumed at all, this waste is as high as 1% of the tank's remaining volume, per day. To counteract these losses, filling up the tank regularly is required (typically once a week).
On-site cryo production
Related to liquid nitrogen delivery is on-site cryo production. When your consumption is extremely high, a gas company might install a small cryogenic nitrogen plant. This is the same type of generator used to create nitrogen that's transported in bottles and tank trucks. You can read more about cryogenic nitrogen generators in the linked article.
Generating your own nitrogen supply
Opposed to the previous methods of purchasing and receiving nitrogen, generating your own does not involve the cryogenic process. As a result, both membrane or Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) nitrogen generators don't require extreme temperatures. These types of equipment separate air into their components through other means.
Although PSA and membrane are two very different technologies, they both require a stream of compressed air to work. Also, since these two generators don't use cryo, the resulting gas composition is not the same.
Cryogenic nitrogen has a fixed, high purity level. The nitrogen purity of commercially available generators is adjustable to match your preferences. It's worth noting that achieving the same purity level as cryo-generated nitrogen is inefficient with PSA and membrane generators.
With these machines, higher purity requires more power, resulting in increased operational costs. That being said, PSA and membrane generator purity levels are sufficient for most applications. And users can lower their cost per unit of nitrogen by producing the right purity for their application instead of the highest. You can read more about nitrogen purity here.
Advantages:
● Usually, generating your own nitrogen is the most cost-effective.
● Purity can be set accordingly. Energy expenses depend on your desired level.
● No dependency on gas suppliers.
● Stable gas price.
● Safe option.
● No waste.
● Most environmentally friendly option.
Disadvantages:
● Special measures required for peak flows (e.g. buffer tank, high pressure buffer tank, liquid gas buffer).
● Less adaptable to changing nitrogen demands than liquid or bottled delivery.
● Requires additional maintenance.
When you need a supply of an industrial gas like nitrogen and oxygen for your business, the first solution that probably comes to mind is to get it delivered to you in bottles. However, there are a lot more, possibly more efficient, options to consider. In this article we will talk about obtaining nitrogen in bottles, but also in liquid form and by making your own with a PSA or membrane nitrogen generator.
As opposed to the previous methods of getting nitrogen, generating your own does not involve the cryogenic process. Its extreme temperatures are nowhere to be found in membrane or Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) nitrogen generators. These generators have to separate the air into its components in a different way. PSA and membrane are two very different technologies, however they both need a stream of compressed air in order to work. Because these technologies are so different from cryo, the composition of the resulting gas will be different. Cryogenic nitrogen gas has a fixed, very high purity level. The nitrogen purity of commercially available generators can be adjusted to match your preferences, but gaining the same level of purity as cryo generated nitrogen is extremely inefficient. With these machines, higher purity levels require more power, resulting in higher running costs. That being said, for most applications the purity levels of cryogenic nitrogen are overkill. You can read more about nitrogen purity here.
Take a Closer Look at PSA and Membrane Generators
Pressure Swing Adsorption Generators
![PSA generator schematic]()
Pressure Swing Adsorption Generators
Learn more about generating nitrogen using PSA technology.
Learn more about generating nitrogen using PSA technology.
Learn more about generating nitrogen using PSA technology.
Membrane Generators
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Membrane Generators
Learn more about generating nitrogen using membrane generators.
Learn more about generating nitrogen using membrane generators.
Learn more about generating nitrogen using membrane generators.
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