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Oxygen, or O2, which comprises 21 percent of the earth's
atmosphere, supports life and makes combustion possible. The
most abundant of all elements on earth, oxygen comprises 85
percent of its oceans and, as a component of most rocks and
minerals, 46 percent of its solid crust. In addition, it constitutes
60 percent of the human body.
Colorless, odorless and tasteless, oxygen has poor solubility
in water. A specific gravity of 1.105 makes it slightly heavier
than air. When cooled to its boiling point of -297°F (-183°C),
oxygen becomes a transparent, pale blue liquid that is slightly
heavier than water.
Oxygen reacts with all elements, except inert gases, to form
compounds called oxides. The rate of reaction - known as oxidation
- varies. For example, magnesium oxidizes very rapidly, igniting
spontaneously in air. However, noble metals, such as gold
and platinum, oxidize only at very high temperatures.
Although oxygen itself is nonflammable, it enhances combustion
and enables all materials that are flammable in air to burn
much more vigorously. These combustion-supporting properties
account for its use in many industrial applications.
Oxygen is used in diverse applications covering many industries,
including :
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Steel Manufacturing ...
to enrich air and increase combustion temperatures in
blast and open hearth furnaces; to raise steel temperatures
and enhance recycling of scrap metal in electric arc furnaces;
and to replace coke as the combustible in steel making.
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Chemical Processing ...
to alter the structure of feedstocks through oxidation,
producing nitric acid, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide,
vinyl chloride monomer and other building block chemicals;
and to increase capacity and destruction efficiency of
waste incinerators. |
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Pulp and Paper ... to
help manufacturers meet stringent environmental regulations
in a variety of mill processes including delignification,
bleaching, oxidative extraction, chemical recovery, white/black
liquor oxidation and lime kiln enrichment. |
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Metal Production ... to
replace or enrich air, increasing combustion temperatures
in ferrous and non-ferrous metals production; to create
a hot flame in high-temperature welding torches used in
cutting and welding. |
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Metal Fabrication ...
to support oxyfuel cutting operations. Sometimes added
in small quantities for shielding gases. |
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Glass Manufacturing ...
to enhance combustion in glass furnaces and forehearths,
reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to levels below
new stringent requirements of the U.S. Clean Air Ac. |
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Petroleum Recovery and Refining
... to reduce viscosity and improve flow in oil
and gas wells; to increase capacity of fluid catalytic
cracking plants as well as to facilitate use of heavier
feedstocks; and to reduce sulfur emissions in refineries.
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Health Services ... to
resuscitate or, in combination with other gases, to anesthetize;
but also essential to life-support systems used in emergencies
or long-term treatment of patients with respiratory disorders.
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Utilities ... to convert
coal to electricity for power generation. |
Considered nontoxic and environmentally safe, liquid oxygen
can cause skin burns and tissues burns. In addition, it vigorously
accelerates combustion. To avoid these harmful effects, producers
and customers should follow strict safety guidelines for storage
and handling, and consult our oxygen Material Safety Data Sheet.
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Oxygen, MSDS |
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Oxygen (Liquid), MSDS |
Customers can obtain the oxygen they need through a variety
of supply options, including:
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Bulk liquid delivery in tube trailer trucks |
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Bulk gas delivery in tube trailer trucks |
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Cylinders |
Oxygen...Facts
Because it supports life, oxygen is used
in industrial and municipal wastewater treatment facilities.
Using 90 to 99 percent oxygen instead of air boosts the biological
activity required to eliminate wastes in water. And, with
a 90+ percent utilization rate, oxygen provides an efficient
and economical way for industrial complexes to meet U.S. Clean
Air Act and Clean Water Act requirements.
Oxygen, the second-largest volume industrial gas, is produced
commercially as a gas or as a liquid by several methods. These
include:
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Cryogenic Air separation, a process that compresses
and cools atmospheric air, then, - relying on different
boiling points - separates the resulting liquid into its
components in a distillation column |
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Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption (VPSA), a non-cryogenic
technology that produces oxygen from air by using an adsorbent
in a pressure swing process to remove nitrogen |
Select a gas from the list of the below for more information
about gas applications and supply options.
| » Atmospheric Gases |
» Process Gases |
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| » Gases & Mixtures for Specific Applications |
» Rare Gases |
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