Nitrogen is a commonly required gas in industry. As such, special equipment is used to manufacture it so that it is available for industrial purposes. This equipment is known as an N2 generator, or a nitrogen generator. It is used to generate pure nitrogen gas from the air and this might actually sound surprising to the uninformed.
Nitrogen presents problems in its storage and handling. This is due to the fact that it only liquidizes at an exceptionally low temperature range. It does not remain at this temperature, either, without outside intervention - -180C or -300F. Making sure that it stays pure and liquid in storage is therefore tricky.
The storage of a gas at that temperature is also not easy. Trying to maintain such a low temperature obviously requires specialized equipment, since the natural environment does not reach that level of coldness and there is nowhere on earth that is naturally available. The other method is to maintain a very high pressure, which causes gases to stay in a liquid state, such as propane fuel gas in a cooking canister.
What the lay person might not be aware of is that nitrogen gas is part of their life on a daily basis. It is 80% of the atmosphere and they inhale it with every breath that they take. This does not mean, however, that it is not responsive to other chemicals. It reacts easily with these to form various compounds that should be familiar to those in industry or agriculture, and which those who use the generating equipment should have some knowledge of.
One of these that might be familiar to users is ammonia. Ammonia is usually found in detergents, and it contains only two elements - the nitrogen and then hydrogen. Ammonia requires caution in its use as it can potentially combine with acidic substances to form a weak explosive. It is identified by its smell and it should not be treated recklessly.
Another compound is silver nitrate. Silver nitrate has an exquisite shiny appearance and flows like a liquid at room temperature. However, it is highly corrosive and can easily destroy human tissue. It is used in medicine to destroy external growths.
In agriculture, nitrogen is used in the form of nitrate compounds. These are typically found in fertilizers. The nitrogen is secured from the atmosphere by bacteria in the roots of some plants, such as lupins. Nitrates should be distinguished from nitrites. A nitrate has three oxygen atoms, whereas a nitrite has two. Then there is also nitric acid, which is perhaps the most volatile of all acids and which cannot be reliably stored in any other material for a long period of time. Nitric acid is formed when nitrogen combines with hydrogen and oxygen. It is extremely dangerous and should not be handled casually.
If you use the nitrogen generator, you should be educated about these compounds so that you can maintain the equipment properly and also take measures against possible damage to it. They may also interfere with the ability of the generator to produce pure nitrogen on a consistent basis.
Nitrogen presents problems in its storage and handling. This is due to the fact that it only liquidizes at an exceptionally low temperature range. It does not remain at this temperature, either, without outside intervention - -180C or -300F. Making sure that it stays pure and liquid in storage is therefore tricky.
The storage of a gas at that temperature is also not easy. Trying to maintain such a low temperature obviously requires specialized equipment, since the natural environment does not reach that level of coldness and there is nowhere on earth that is naturally available. The other method is to maintain a very high pressure, which causes gases to stay in a liquid state, such as propane fuel gas in a cooking canister.
What the lay person might not be aware of is that nitrogen gas is part of their life on a daily basis. It is 80% of the atmosphere and they inhale it with every breath that they take. This does not mean, however, that it is not responsive to other chemicals. It reacts easily with these to form various compounds that should be familiar to those in industry or agriculture, and which those who use the generating equipment should have some knowledge of.
One of these that might be familiar to users is ammonia. Ammonia is usually found in detergents, and it contains only two elements - the nitrogen and then hydrogen. Ammonia requires caution in its use as it can potentially combine with acidic substances to form a weak explosive. It is identified by its smell and it should not be treated recklessly.
Another compound is silver nitrate. Silver nitrate has an exquisite shiny appearance and flows like a liquid at room temperature. However, it is highly corrosive and can easily destroy human tissue. It is used in medicine to destroy external growths.
In agriculture, nitrogen is used in the form of nitrate compounds. These are typically found in fertilizers. The nitrogen is secured from the atmosphere by bacteria in the roots of some plants, such as lupins. Nitrates should be distinguished from nitrites. A nitrate has three oxygen atoms, whereas a nitrite has two. Then there is also nitric acid, which is perhaps the most volatile of all acids and which cannot be reliably stored in any other material for a long period of time. Nitric acid is formed when nitrogen combines with hydrogen and oxygen. It is extremely dangerous and should not be handled casually.
If you use the nitrogen generator, you should be educated about these compounds so that you can maintain the equipment properly and also take measures against possible damage to it. They may also interfere with the ability of the generator to produce pure nitrogen on a consistent basis.
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