What Are the Benefits of Argon Gas in Windows?
Argon gas, one of the "noble gases," is used in better grades of thermal-pane windows. Argon offers decided advantages that increase house-heating efficiency, thus lowering heating costs. These advantages include inertness, density and cost.
Other People Are Reading
-
Inertness
-
The oxygen in air reacts with metals and other substances, causing corrosion or other damage. Argon, on the other hand, does not react to form compounds--so argon gas in-between tightly sealed pains of glass remains indefinitely.
Density
-
While argon is best-known for its chemical inertness, it also affords beneficial physical properties. Dry air has a density of 1.29g/L (grams per liter); the density of dry argon is 1.78g/L. Argon is almost half as heavy as air, which makes it less susceptible to convection currents.
-
Cost
-
Argon is the most plentiful of the inert gases, representing 0.9 percent of Earth's atmosphere. It is also environmentally friendly, and argon's abundance makes it relatively inexpensive.
Additional Advantage
-
Homes can be made more energy efficient by sealing them from leaks. This reduces fresh-air intake and can increase pollution within a home. Argon windows are designed to keep heat in, so using them is one way to save heating costs without increasing indoor pollution.
Other Gases
-
Krypton and xenon gases are also inert gases and are denser than argon. Yet, the incremental benefit offered by using these gases instead of argon doesn't justify the additional cost.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Gustavo Rivas Valderrama
