May. 30, 2025
Nitrogen generators or nitrogen generation systems are machines that can separate nitrogen molecules from compressed air. These nitrogen gas generators or N2 generators are capable of purities of up to 99.999% at flow are required for your scientific equipment.
Peak Scientific\'s Nitrogen generators are used in laboratories all over the world to supply various analytical instruments with the most reliable nitrogen gas source. Our N2 gas generators can produce up to 99.999% pure nitrogen at the push of a button for your laboratory.
Nitrogen generation systems are still the most efficient way to supply instrument gas as, unlike gas cylinders, a nitrogen gas generator never runs out of gas and constantly supplies a consistent high purity of gas. Nitrogen, for those who don’t know, is an inert gas meaning it is not very reactive with other elements and chemicals. Nitrogen is highly abundant, accounting for around 78% of the earth’s atmosphere meaning we breathe in more nitrogen than any other element every day.
Nitrogen, for those who don’t know, is an inert gas meaning it is not very reactive with other elements and chemicals. Nitrogen is highly abundant, accounting for around 78% of the earth’s atmosphere meaning we breathe in more nitrogen than any other element every day.
Atomic number 7, discovered in by Daniel Rutherford, nitrogen is an inert gas meaning it is not very reactive with other elements and chemicals. Nitrogen is highly abundant, accounting for around 78% of the earth’s atmosphere meaning we breathe in more nitrogen than any other element every day.
Nitrogen gas has been used in laboratory analysis for decades. In the past, labs were required to have their nitrogen gas supply delivered in cylinders or in bottles from their closest nitrogen plant, which for some labs could take several days to deliver. These cylinders or bottles would then supply an LC-MS (Liquid Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer) instrument, or perhaps a detector in the case of GC (Gas Chromatograph), allowing the lab to carry out its analysis.
There is an alternative to nitrogen cylinders, this is an on-site nitrogen generator. A nitrogen generator not only removes the hassle of having to change over cylinders, it provides an uninterrupted supply of gas at a consistent purity. This consistency is generated using one of two technologies, namely, Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) and membrane nitrogen generators.
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The principle of operation for a membrane nitrogen generator is where atmospheric air is compressed by an air compressor and passed through a hollow fibre membrane, filtering out parts of air (primarily oxygen) leaving behind a high purity nitrogen gas.
More advanced nitrogen generation systems can include multiple stages of filtration before reaching the membrane, this removes more of the other particles in the gas such as dust and moisture. Fine mesh filters are commonly used in the nitrogen generation process, these are for removing particles in air whilst air dryers are used to remove moisture. Beyond ensuring higher purity of nitrogen, these extra filtration stages will also protect the membrane.
A PSA nitrogen generator (Pressure Swing Adsorption) works in a similar way to a membrane nitrogen generator in terms of compressing atmospheric air with an air compressor. Instead of passing through a membrane, a PSA nitrogen generator will pass air through a column of tightly packed material at pressure made of carbon called a Carbon Molecular Sieve (CMS). The CMS only allows the smaller nitrogen molecules to pass through whilst the larger molecules of oxygen and other molecules are adsorbed by the CMS leaving high purity nitrogen. Two CMS columns are required for a PSA nitrogen generator, as one column is deprussirized the other pushes the air through the sieve at pressure hence the name Pressure Swing Adsorption.
Similar again to the membrane nitrogen generator, an advanced PSA nitrogen generator will also contain prefiltration stages to remove dust particles and moisture from the air before entering the CMS.
For most mass spectrometers, a high volume of nitrogen gas is required meaning that cylinders or bottles could be consumed in a matter of days, when using an LC-MS instrument. This can result in regular interruptions of analysis and the inconvenience of having to switch over cylinders or wait for nitrogen deliveries. There is also the added inconvenience of the inconsistent purity delivered by cylinders and bottles when they reach the lower end of their capacity. This is because contaminants can enter the empty space in the cylinder. These impurities can have an impact on the integrity of analysis as they can react with the sample.
These inconsistencies and inconveniences are eliminated by a nitrogen gas generator which is why more and more labs are turning to nitrogen generators to supply their instrument gas. Also, a nitrogen generator is especially suitable for time-critical applications where there is no time for the analysis to be halted while gas cylinders are changed over.
On-site nitrogen gas generation is also a safer solution than using cylinders as staff are not required to move heavy cylinders around the laboratory. There are also cost benefits as on-site nitrogen generator reduces the administrative burden of ordering cylinders (raising purchase orders and scheduling deliveries), paying delivery fees. On top of this, the price for gas which is delivered in cylinders can fluctuate from month to month, as the market price of nitrogen gas is subject to supply and demand volatility. It is also necessary to consider the environmental benefits of eliminating continuous deliveries of gas. The production of the gas itself must also be taken into account as producing gas at a nitrogen plant requires vast amounts of energy consumption.
One of the most common elements found in the earth’s atmosphere is nitrogen gas. In fact, 78% of the air we breathe each day consists of nitrogen. Aside from its natural formation, however, there are also many industrial uses where nitrogen is created and applied. Since it’s such a versatile gas that can easily be generated on site, nitrogen is used in many industries from pharmaceutical manufacturing and food preservation to soldering and laser cutting applications.
Keep on reading to learn about 10 of the most popular and interesting uses of nitrogen gas, and how nitrogen gas generators are helping many industries find cost-savings and improved product quality.
It is very common for food packaging companies to use compressed nitrogen and nitrogen-CO2 gas to control oxygen levels in perishable food packaging such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, dairy products, meat, and more. Known as Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), this process preserve freshness, maintains flavor, extends the shelf life of foods and beverages, and provides a cushion around food to protect it during transport. Nitrogen is also used for beverage storage, CO2 mixing, and beverage dispensing such as for breweries, distilleries, and juice packagers.
Nitrogen gas is used for many pharmaceutical purposes, specifically for blanketing, inerting, and sparging. It reduces moisture and oxygen in packaging to extend the shelf life and stability of the drugs. Nitrogen is also used in anesthetics and cryopreservation to preserve sperm, egg, blood, and other biological specimens.
Nitrogen is most used for chemical tank and vat blanketing and is used to lower oxygen levels. Chemical blanketing with nitrogen will prevent fires and explosions in dangerous atmospheres that are created when handling volatile materials in chemical plants and manufacturing facilities by reducing the levels of oxygen under the material’s explosive limits. Nitrogen blanketing also preserves the quality of chemicals that react negatively to the presence of oxygen.
In the electronics industry, nitrogen gas is used while soldering. Soldering is the process of fusing two electronic components to create a permanent connection. Nitrogen is used to reduce surface tension to create a clean break away from the electrical bond and to lower the amount of dross created in the soldering process.
Kilns and furnaces used for heat treating have one enemy—oxygen. Oxygen discolors the product and can dangerously weaken it. Nitrogen is the ideal gas for providing an inert atmosphere that will avoid any oxidation issues in the heat-treating process.
For many industry laboratories, there must be a specific environment to control humidity, temperature, and oxygen levels while running tests and experiments with laboratory instruments and glove boxes. For many of these studies, nitrogen gas must be used.
Nitrogen gas is widely used in laser cutting applications for beam purge and as an assist gas for the cutting process itself. The use of nitrogen gas in the cutting process ensures a clean, smooth cut and prevents discoloration of the cut edge associated with oxidation. The use of nitrogen gas is particularly critical when cutting mild steel or stainless steel.
Nitrogen gas is used for general purging and blanketing the specially treated water used for power plant operation. The most effective way to get enough nitrogen for these operations while saving money is by installing an onsite nitrogen generator.
Nitrogen can be used for some printing applications such as for drying materials and preventing oxygen contamination for film production and separation. Nitrogen is beneficial to ensure purity of these printed products, and by using an onsite nitrogen generating system, printers can save hundreds of thousands of dollars while getting the levels of nitrogen they need for manufacturing.
Nitrogen provides various benefits when used for tire inflation. As nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules the use of nitrogen gas in tires allows them to maintain tire pressure much longer and improving tire pressure retention leads to better gas mileage. Nitrogen is commonly used for aircraft tires and large off-road construction and mining vehicles because it substantially improves tire life and prevents explosions in the event of a tire blow out.
As you can see from these nitrogen applications, nitrogen gas is very valuable and useful commodity in many industries—and these are only 10 of them! An onsite nitrogen generator is the most cost-effective and practical way to meet your nitrogen needs without the worry of cylinder deliveries or the costs of renting from other companies. Looking to install your own nitrogen gas generator for your industrial applications? We’ve got you covered.
Advanced Gas Technologies Inc. has been marketing, installing, and maintaining industrial gas generating systems, standard industrial compressor systems, and engineered compressor systems throughout North America since . Our primary mission has always been to assist our clients to substantially reduce their industrial nitrogen costs by utilizing leading-edge technologies such as on-site nitrogen generating systems.
Our systems can lower ongoing nitrogen costs by as much as 90% and, therefore, deliver significant operating savings to our clients’ bottom line. We displace the requirement of having to purchase the gas. Instead, we sell our business clients the technology and equipment they need to make their own nitrogen onsite.
