Sample of Industries Which Use Nitrogen and Typical Purities

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.

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.

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.

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.