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.
