Oxygen Characteristics

 

Colourless and odourless gas. Many materials burn in oxygen that do not normally burn in air. Reduces the flash-point

temperature and increases the combustion speed. Gas density is heavier than air.

 

Oxygen Technical Data

US DOT NAME oxygen, COMPRESSED

UN NUMBER 1072

US DOT LABEL NonFLAMMABLE GAS

US DOT CLASS 2.2 nonFLAMMABLE

CYLINDER CGA OUTLET 540

SDS LINK Oxygen COMPRESSED SDS

 

US DOT NAME oxygen, REFRIGERATED LIQUID

UN NUMBER 1073

BOILING POINT -182.98 F

US DOT LABEL NONFLAMMABLE GAS

US DOT CLASS 2.2 NONFLAMMABLE

CYLINDER CGA OUTLET

SDS LINK Oxygen LIQUID SDS

 

Oxygen Supply Options

 

cOMPRESSED HIGH-PRESSURE CYLINDERS

cOMPRESSED CYLINDER CLUSTERS (BANKS)

liquid dewars

TUBE TRAILERS

Cryogenic Bulk Gas Systems

 

Oxygen Source

Oxygen is obtained on a commercial scale by the liquefaction and subsequent distillation of air. For very

high purity oxygen it is normally necessary to take the product from an air separation plant through a secondary purification and distillation stage. Alternatively high-purity oxygen may be produced by the electrolysis of water. Lower purities of oxygen can also be produced with membrane technique.

 

 

Oxygen Uses and Applications

Many oxidation reactions in the chemical industry use pure oxygen rather than air in order to benefit from higher reaction rates, easier product separation, higher yields, or smaller equipment size.

 

High-purity oxygen is used for the formation of silicon dioxide and metal oxide, as an etchant for photoresist, and in mixtures with hydrocarbons for etching silicon. Oxygen is also used in conjunction with hydrogen to fuel torches for welding, brazing, glass blowing and tube sealing for a variety of electronic components such as reed relay switches.

 

High-purity oxygen is used in conjunction with high-purity methane in Advanced Gas Cooled (AGR) nuclear reactors to maintain an appropriate carbon balance in the (CO₂) gas coolant in the nuclear core.

 

High-purity oxygen is used in the optical fibre production process.

 

Injecting oxygen into sewage treatment plants accelerates the decomposition of sewage.

 

Oxygen is used for chemical synthesis.

 

Oxygen is used as an oxidizer.

 

Oxygen is used to supplement or replace air in burners used in many different industries in order to obtain increased temperatures. Typical applications are found in the steel, non-ferrous, glass and concrete industries amongst many others.

 

Oxygen is used for flame sealing of glass ampoules for finished products for the pharmaceutical industry and the chemical industry.

 

In the food industry, oxygen is used in the transportation of live fish and seafoods.

 

Oxygen is used for enrichment of air during fermentation.

 

Mixed with other gases, oxygen serves in the production of breathable atmospheres (O₂ + CO₂: reanimation; O₂ + He or O₂ + N₂: underwater diving).

 

Oxygen is used in some cases for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) of food stuffs. It is used either pure or in mixtures with carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen.

 

Liquid oxygen is used in liquid oxygen explosives, and as a comburent in space propulsion.

 

Oxygen is used in the medical field, as pure gas and in mixtures.

 

Oxygen is also used in calibration gas.

 

Oxygen is used in metal treating laser applications. Oxygen is used in cutting and welding.