What is a nitrogen gas purifier?
What is two-stage N₂ generation with a nitrogen purifier? How does it work and what are the benefits for businesses that need high-purity N₂?
What is a nitrogen gas purifier?
Two-stage nitrogen generation with a nitrogen purifier
A nitrogen purifier offers a new approach to on-site high-purity nitrogen generation. So new that it is helpful to start with the most basic question of all: What is it?
A nitrogen purifier is a piece of equipment that is part of an on-site nitrogen gas generation system. It takes lower-purity nitrogen produced by a nitrogen generator and boosts it to a purity of 99.999% or more. This article explains the working principle of a purifier. We will look at its role in a nitrogen generation system. And we will go into the (cost) benefits of two-stage nitrogen generation.
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Companies that need nitrogen for specific processes or applications have two ways of obtaining the gas. They can have it delivered or produce it themselves with an on-site generation system. This features a compressor (delivering the feed air) and a nitrogen generator, which removes the oxygen from the air to leave only nitrogen. As opposed to delivered nitrogen, a nitrogen generation system allows users to set the exact purity their application requires, up to 99.999% for a typical PSA generator.
However, producing nitrogen with a higher purity requires much more energy. That’s because the generator needs a lot of extra air to remove those last traces of oxygen. This is where a purifier comes in. A nitrogen generation system with a purifier allows the generator to produce nitrogen with a lower purity. The purifier then brings that purity up to 99.999% and more.
Most nitrogen gas purifiers work with hydrogen. As the nitrogen enters the purifier, it adds a specific dose of hydrogen. This mix enters a reactor filled with a catalyst, which enables the reaction of the hydrogen with the oxygen in the low-purity nitrogen. This reaction makes the oxygen disappear, with only heat and moisture as byproducts (both can easily be handled in a later stage). The result of this chemical process is nitrogen with a purity of more than 99.999%.
As mentioned, nitrogen generation systems can produce this high-purity nitrogen without a purifier. However, the two-stage process with a purifier is much more cost-efficient. Because it doesn't have to remove that last bit of oxygen, the generator requires less feed air. Which in turn means the system’s compressor uses a lot less energy. Working with a purifier also allows for a smaller-sized compressor and generator. As a result, on-site nitrogen gas generation with a purifier can lower energy costs and emissions. It also reduces the stress on a facility’s electrical system.
Added on to an existing on-site generation system, a nitrogen purifier can increase its production capacity. That’s because at a lower purity the existing generator can produce more nitrogen. The purifier ensures the new (higher) capacity has the same purity or even higher as the generator produced directly before.
It's important to keep in mind that a nitrogen purifier is only useful to businesses that require nitrogen with a very high purity. Most nitrogen users who generate their own nitrogen don’t need this high purity. They can simply enjoy the benefits of producing the exact (lower) nitrogen purity that works for their application without a purifier. But for those whose applications absolutely require high purity, two-stage generation delivers meaningful benefits.
Learn more about our nitrogen gas purifier—the ideal solution for achieving ultra-high nitrogen purity with maximum efficiency.