Applications in the Chemical Processing Industry
Products: Nitrogen Membranes
Chemical Processing Industry Production, storage, and handling of
chemicals will sometimes require the use of chemically inert nitrogen.
Nitrogen is used by the chemical industry to protect against the danger
of fire, moisture contamination, and discoloration or product
degradation that results from atmospheric moisture and oxygen.
Typical applications of GENERON® membranes and Nitroswing® PSA's for the chemical industry are:
- Blanketing
- Pressure Transfer / Unloading
- Pipeline and Vessel Purging
- Reactor Sparging
- Pigging
- Drying
Where is GENERON® Nitrogen Best Applied?
In many cases, the exact purity of nitrogen for a given operation is
not known. However, the following generalizations can be made:
- When a material is blanketed for flammability or moisture protection, 95% nitrogen may be adequate.
- Chlorinated solvents are blanketed for moisture protection.
- Amines are sensitive to discoloration, with the sensitivity increasing as the amines move form mono to tri.
- Glycols are blanketed for moisture protection.
- Alcohols are blanketed for moisture protection.
- Hydrocarbons are blanketed for flammability protection.
- Higher purities of nitrogen may be needed for chemical processing operations, where 95% nitrogen is adequate for storage and transfer operations.
Similarly, the chemical processing industry has many uses for our NITROSWING® systems, including blanketing, purging and inerting atmospheres containing oxygen which represent the potential danger of explosions.
Industry Applications Plastics Industry
To improve the quality of injection-molded products as well as increase
design flexibility, plastics manufacturers frequently use nitrogen as a
gas assist to their traditional injection molding process. Consistent
with conventional injection molding, the material is melted and
injected into the mold. As the melted material begins to solidify, the
area adjacent to the mold walls begins to harden first. Nitrogen gas is
then injected into the molten material, pressurizing it from the inside
out, and pushing the melted material to the extremities of the cavity.
Then once the material is cured, the nitrogen is vented, the mold is
opened, and the part is ejected. Required nitrogen purity levels for
this process typically range between 95% and 99.995%…well within the
capabilities of the NITROSWING® technology.
Products: Generator Systems
Chemical Processing Industry
OXYWING® oxygen generation systems offer a competitive advantage over
traditional supply methods in most oxygen enrichment or oxidative
processes. Using on-site generated oxygen eliminates the need for
costly deliveries, transportation fees and take-or-pay situations. The
chemical processing industry can use our systems for
- Hydrogen peroxide production
- Sulfur recovery units (SRU)
- Sulfuric acid regeneration
- Other oxidative processes
Pulp and Paper Industry
- Oxygen Delignification - Use of oxygen prior to the bleaching plant reduces the amount of lignin used to bind the fibers together. By using this technology, your plant becomes more environmentally friendly, reducing organic waste and bleach consumption while improving paper quality.
- Oxygen/Alkali Extraction - Use of oxygen in this process significantly reduces the expense of alternative bleaching chemicals.
- Black Liquor Oxidation
- Lime Kiln Oxygen Enrichment - Increase kiln capacity and reduce emissions while lowering costs.
Glass/Enamel Industry
Choose OXYSWING® pressure swing adsorption systems as your solution to
meeting stringent specifications and economic challenges in the glass
industry. As all of us strive to achieve higher levels of productivity
while reducing our cost of operations, IGS has proven technology to
meet your special needs. With more than thirty (30) years of
engineering know-how, PSA oxygen systems have field-proven reliability
and significant cost results for you. Our OXYSWING® technology
continually demonstrates benefits in:
- Melting of glass ends
- Rotary drum kilns and tank furnaces
- Heating of effluent grooves and achieve...
- Lower fuel effluent
- Lower fuel usage
- Extended furnace life
Maximum Permissible Oxygen to Prevent Ignition of Flammable Gases & Vapors Using Nitrogen for Inerting
| Chemical | O2 Percentage* |
| Acetone | 11% |
| Benzene | 9% |
| Butadiene | 8% |
| Butane | 9.5% |
| Butene | 9% |
| Carbon Disulfide | 4% |
| Carbon Monoxide | 4.5% |
| Cyclopropane | 9% |
| Dimethylbutane | 9.5% |
| Ethane | 9% |
| Ether | 8.5% |
| Ether (Diethyl) | 8.5% |
| Ethyl Alcohol | 8% |
| Ethylene | 9% |
| Gasoline 73-146 Octane | 9.5% |
| Hexane | 9.5% |
| Hydrogen | 4% |
| Hydrogen Sulfide | 6% |
| Isobutane | 9.5% |
| Isopentane | 9.5% |
| JP-1 Fuel | 8.5% |
| JP-3 Fuel | 9.5% |
| JP-4 Fuel | 9% |
| Kerosene | 9% |
| Methane | 9.5% |
| Methyl Alcohol | 8% |
| Natural Gas | 9.5% |
| Neopentane | 10% |
| n-Heptane | 9% |
| Pentane | 9% |
| Propane | 9% |
| Propylene | 9% |
NOTE: Data in this table was determined from a publication of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. Data was
determined by laboratory experiments conducted at atmospheric temperature and pressure. Vapor-air inert
gas samples were placed in explosion tubes and exposed to a small spark or open flame. In the absence of
reliable data, the U.S. Bureau of Mines or another recognized authority should be consulted.
*General industrial practice seldom uses purities below 95% for these applications. Often higher purities than
95% are utilized based on customer's internal safety standards.
*Please note: These data sheets are provided by Generon IGS for guidance only. They are in no way to be
guarantees of performance. There is no warranty or promise expressed or implied.