Facts About Nitrogen Gas

Nitrogen is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and nonflammable. And although nitrogen is used like an inert gas, it is not a true inert. Nitrogen compounds are formed inside living things but also have many uses in industry. It is often used in the metal, chemical, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, construction, and food and beverage industries. Ammonia (NH3) is a common and very important nitrogen compound used in the fertilizer, plastic, and livestock industries.

History

In 1772, the chemist and physician Daniel Rutherford first discovered nitrogen by removing oxygen and carbon dioxide from the air. He found a residual gas that would not support combustion or living things and considered it air without oxygen. Other scientists working on nitrogen experiments at the time also referred to it similarly, as burnt or dephlogisticated air (air without oxygen). Even the French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier called nitrogen “azote,” meaning without life, even though nitrogen is found in many foods, plants, and fertilizers.

Nature

Nitrogen gas, or N2, makes up about 78.1 percent of the air in the atmosphere. Nitrogen is a diatomic element, meaning it will always be bonded with another element, either a second nitrogen or a different element altogether. Nitrogen can be found in all living things as an integral part of biological processes. It also appears in the compounds sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and potassium nitrate (KNO3). The nitrogen cycle is also a very important part of nature, where bacteria process nitrogen as fertilizer for plants.

Industrial Uses

Nitrogen is used as an inert in many industrial applications. It can protect flammable and explosive substances from touching the air, and it can protect chemicals and other surfaces from exposure to oxygen. This form of nitrogen coverage is sometimes called padding, or inerting. In metal forging, nitrogen is used as a shield gas in the treatment of iron and steel. In construction, nitrogen allows for an alternative to expansion fitting--shrink fitting. Shrink fitting is the process of using liquid nitrogen to cool metal so that it can be fitted. Once it returns to its normal temperature, it will expand to its regular size, resulting in a tight fit.

Chemical Uses

After using pipes, storage and equipment, petrochemical plants and refineries use nitrogen to flush out any leftover vapors that could become dangerous. This also helps provide a protective atmosphere for flammable liquids in storage. Liquid nitrogen is used to cool reactors during maintenance, and in the extraction and maintenance of natural gas and oil pockets.

Health Uses

Liquid nitrogen is used as a food preservative because it’s fast cooling can deep freeze food with minimal damage to the cell structure. This results in better taste and appearance. Nitrogen is also used to preserve blood, viruses, and livestock semen, and can be used to destroy diseased tissue during surgery.

References

• Universal Industrial Gases, Inc.: Nitrogen (N2) Properties, Uses and Applications
• Los Alamos National Laboratory: Nitrogen

Resources

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