What Is Nitrogen Gas Used For?
Nitrogen is an odorless, colorless, and noncombustible gas offering versatile uses for many applications and industries. From preserving food products to supporting metal fabrication processes, nitrogen’s inert nature makes it a go-to choice that supports safety and quality.
Learn more about the uses of this compound and how to make nitrogen gas on demand for your operations.
Uses of Nitrogen Gas Across Different Industries
The market for nitrogen gas is growing rapidly, and experts project a compound annual growth rate of over 5.5% from 2024 to 2032. The demand surge is due to its versatility in numerous applications across many sectors, including the following:
Laser Cutting
Nitrogen is an effective laser-cutting assist gas, helping to blow melted material from the kerf. Since this compound does not generate heat, it can drive melted metals away from the laser cut without interfering with the melting process. Depending on the purity of the gas, nitrogen also helps to prevent oxidation from appearing.
Heat Treating and Metal Fabrication
Nitrogen is a go-to gas solution for creating an inert, nonreactive atmosphere for heat-treating processes. It helps combat oxidation that can cause metal discoloration or weakening, supporting longer-lasting and better-looking results.
Breweries
Breweries depend on nitrogen gas to clean bottles, kegs, and tanks by removing residual beer, wort, or mash. Because nitrogen is inert, it does not cause oxidative reactions that can be a health hazard or cause a sour taste in the following batch.
In addition to helping eliminate the need for costly CO2, breweries utilize nitrogen generators to pressurize kegs, transfer products, and enhance flavor profiles.
Oil and Gas
The oil and gas industry also uses nitrogen for various processes. Among the most important uses is purging and clearing oxygen pipelines to combat corrosion and combustion.
Nitrogen also helps pigging operations, acting as a propellant to drive the pig device through the pipelines. The compound can also support blanketing and inserting to prevent potential explosions by displacing oxygen.
3D Printing
As the 3D printing industry evolves, so do its best practices for achieving a cleaner, more precise result. Nitrogen is key to top-quality production. It combats oxidation throughout the printing process, which can cause clumping, unsightly discoloration, and reduced efficiency.
Oxygen can interfere with the laser and printing material, so nitrogen gas is an excellent alternative that also eliminates the risk of combustion associated with 3D printer dust.
Food Packaging
The food packaging industry uses nitrogen gas in a few essential ways:
- Processing: Food-grade nitrogen can assist with the cooking and cooling process to promote faster preparation for packaging.
- Preservation: Nitrogen can displace water vapor and oxygen and support vacuum packaging solutions to extend food shelf life, flavor, and freshness.
- Storage: By preventing spoilage and potential pest infestations, nitrogen is valuable for food storage processes.
Benefits of On-Site Nitrogen Gas Generation
Nitrogen gas generators provide a competitive advantage for businesses that regularly use this gas and invest in modernizing their operations. Experts project the market for this equipment to grow to over $16 billion by 2033.
Instead of working with a provider to buy nitrogen gas as needed, companies can obtain the equipment to utilize on-site and reap many benefits, such as:
- Cost savings: A huge perk of buying a nitrogen gas generator for your operation is reducing ongoing costs. Your business can spend less by forgoing fees for new bottles, transportation and storage.
- Reliability: With your own generator, you can ensure a continuous nitrogen supply without relying on suppliers that can cause delays and operational downtime.
- Customization: Your company can invest in nitrogen generation equipment that tailors production based on your specific operational and application requirements.
- Space efficiency: Using gas generation equipment saves significant storage space. You do not need to store bottles or tanks or invest in expensive external gas storage solutions, concrete pads, plumbing, and safety inspects that you would be required up front to carry if you purchased nitrogen from a bulk gas provider.
- Reduced carbon footprint: When your company has on-site equipment, you can reduce transportation needs that contribute to higher costs, increased fuel consumption, a larger carbon footprint, and negative environmental impacts.
How to Generate Nitrogen Gas On-Site
Businesses across various industries can utilize nitrogen gas generators to produce this compound on-site. To successfully generate nitrogen, you must:
- Connect the nitrogen generator to a source of clean, dry air.
- Allow the generator to separate nitrogen molecules from compressed air.
- Deliver high-purity nitrogen to your application.
Having this equipment allows your operation to produce nitrogen on demand, reducing the need for gas bottle deliveries and possible downtime. They offer greater flexibility in your production processes, and your team can adjust the amount and purity of nitrogen your generator produces to suit your specific uses.
Where to Buy Nitrogen Gas Generators
When investing in a nitrogen gas generator for your business, consider the following factors to ensure you buy your equipment from the right supplier:
- Experience: Choose a provider with experience in the nitrogen generation industry. They will have greater insight into your application and can rely on many years of operational excellence, and you can check out what previous customers say about their equipment to ensure you purchase from a reliable supplier that sells the highest-quality systems.
- Consulting: Work with a provider that offers consulting services to help you find a generator suited for your unique applications and purity requirements. A helpful, expert sales team can ensure you invest in equipment that benefits your operations and meets industry standards.
- Certifications: Only work with companies that are International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001-certified to ensure you receive top-quality solutions.
- Warranties: Select a provider that offers a generous warranty to give your team greater peace of mind.
- Service and support: Ongoing service allows your business to keep its nitrogen generator in top working condition to ensure reliability. Work with a supplier that offers after-sales support and can quickly send a technician to you if a problem occurs with your equipment to minimize downtime.
Contact Liberty Systems to Learn More About Quality Nitrogen Gas Generators
If your business needs high-quality nitrogen generation equipment, turn to Liberty Systems. We offer unmatched customer service and support to ensure you get the necessary solutions to enhance operations.
We have spent over two decades perfecting our products to achieve greater durability and longevity, and our experienced service technicians are here to support you, regardless of the issue. Our team will match you to the right nitrogen generator products for your unique operational and industry needs. While most suppliers offer 12-month coverage, Liberty Systems offers an industry-leading three-year extended warranty.
Are you interested in learning more? Contact Liberty Systems to speak with one of our expert Sales Engineers today!
