Industrial gas

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
A gas regulator attached to a nitrogen cylinder

Industrial gases are the

specialty chemicals
").

Industrial gases are used in a wide range of industries, which include

corporate
industrial clients, covering a size range from building a process facility or pipeline down to cylinder gas supply.

Some

balloon helium, dispensing gases for beer kegs, welding gases and welding equipment, LPG and medical oxygen
.

sodastream
.

Early history of gases

smoke foods and steam
from boiling water to cook foods.

Bubbles of carbon dioxide form a froth on fermenting liquids such as beer.

candles made of sulfur [4] inside empty wine vessels would keep them fresh and prevent them gaining a vinegar smell.[5]

Döbereiner's hydrogen lamp

Early understanding consisted of empirical evidence and the protoscience of alchemy; however with the advent of scientific method[6] and the science of chemistry, these gases became positively identified and understood.

Kipp's apparatus
Acetylene flame carbide lamp

The

laboratories. The timeline of attributed discovery for various gases are carbon dioxide (1754),[7] hydrogen (1766),[8][9] nitrogen (1772),[8] nitrous oxide (1772),[10] oxygen (1773),[8][11][12] ammonia (1774),[13] chlorine (1774),[8] methane (1776),[14] hydrogen sulfide (1777),[15] carbon monoxide (1800),[16] hydrogen chloride (1810),[17] acetylene (1836),[18] helium (1868) [8][19] fluorine (1886),[8] argon (1894),[8]
krypton, neon and xenon (1898) [8] and radon (1899).[8]

Carbon dioxide, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, ammonia, chlorine, sulfur dioxide and

Kipps apparatus which was invented in 1844 [22] and could be used to generate gases such as hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, acetylene and carbon dioxide by simple gas evolution reactions. Acetylene was manufactured commercially from 1893 and acetylene generators were used from about 1898 to produce gas for gas cooking and gas lighting, however electricity took over as more practical for lighting and once LPG was produced commercially from 1912, the use of acetylene for cooking declined.[20]

Late Victorian Gasogene for producing carbonated water

Once gases had been discovered and produced in modest quantities, the process of

Haber Process to produce ammonia in 1908.[23]

The development of uses in refrigeration also enabled advances in

LNG was filed in 1914 with the first commercial production in 1917.[24]

Although no one event marks the beginning of the industrial gas industry, many would take it to be the 1880s with the construction of the first high pressure gas cylinders.[20] Initially cylinders were mostly used for carbon dioxide in carbonation or dispensing of beverages. In 1895 refrigeration compression cycles were further developed to enable the liquefaction of air,[25] most notably by Carl von Linde[26] allowing larger quantities of oxygen production and in 1896 the discovery that large quantities of acetylene could be dissolved in acetone and rendered nonexplosive allowed the safe bottling of acetylene.[27]

A particularly important use was the development of welding and metal cutting done with oxygen and acetylene from the early 1900s. As production processes for other gases were developed many more gases came to be sold in cylinders without the need for a gas generator.

Gas production technology

Distillation column in a cryogenic air separation plant

refrigeration cycle that operates by means of the Joule–Thomson effect
. In addition to the main air gases, air separation is also the only practical source for production of the
noble gases neon, krypton and xenon
.

Cryogenic technologies also allow the

natural gas fields contain sufficient helium to make this economic. The larger industrial gas companies have often invested in extensive patent
libraries in all fields of their business, but particularly in cryogenics.

Gasification

The other principal production

amine treating. This separated carbon dioxide can potentially be sequestrated to a carbon capture reservoir or used for Enhanced oil recovery
.

Air Separation and hydrogen reforming technologies are the cornerstone of the industrial gases industry and also form part of the technologies required for many fuel

carbon neutral alternative fuel if produced by water electrolysis (assuming the electricity is produced in nuclear or other low carbon footprint power plant instead of reforming natural gas which is by far dominant method). One example of displacing the use of hydrocarbons is Orkney;[28] see hydrogen economy
for more information on hydrogen's uses.
rocket fuel
.

A nitrogen generator
Membrane nitrogen generator

Simpler

nitrogen generators and oxygen plants. Other examples producing smaller amounts of gas are chemical oxygen generators or oxygen concentrators
.

In addition to the major gases produced by air separation and syngas reforming, the industry provides many other gases. Some gases are simply byproducts from other industries and others are sometimes bought from other larger chemical producers, refined and repackaged; although a few have their own production processes. Examples are hydrogen chloride produced by burning hydrogen in chlorine, nitrous oxide produced by thermal decomposition of ammonium nitrate when gently heated, electrolysis for the production of fluorine, chlorine and hydrogen, and electrical corona discharge to produce ozone from air or oxygen.

Related services and technology can be supplied such as

chemicals, particularly liquids such as bromine, hydrogen fluoride and ethylene oxide
.

Gas distribution

Mode of gas supply

Compressed hydrogen tube trailer

Most materials that are gaseous at ambient temperature and pressure are supplied as compressed gas. A

tube trailers) through piping systems. Gas cylinders are by far the most common gas storage [29] and large numbers are produced at a "cylinder fill"
facility.

However, not all industrial gases are supplied in the

refrigerants and the most significant industrial gases with this property are ammonia (R717), propane (R290), butane (R600), and sulfur dioxide (R764). Chlorine also has this property but is too toxic, corrosive and reactive to ever have been used as a refrigerant. Some other gases exhibit this phase change if the ambient temperature is low enough; this includes ethylene (R1150), carbon dioxide (R744), ethane (R170), nitrous oxide (R744A), and sulfur hexafluoride; however, these can only be liquefied under pressure if kept below their critical temperatures which are 9 °C for C2H4 ; 31 °C for CO2 ; 32 °C for C2H6 ; 36 °C for N2O ; 45 °C for SF6.[30] All of these substances are also provided as a gas (not a vapor) at the 200 bar pressure in a gas cylinder because that pressure is above their critical pressure.[30]

Permanent gases (those with a critical temperature below ambient) can only be supplied as liquid if they are also cooled. All gases can potentially be used as a refrigerant around the temperatures at which they are liquid; for example nitrogen (R728) and methane (R50) are used as refrigerant at cryogenic temperatures.[25]

Exceptionally carbon dioxide can be produced as a cold solid known as dry ice, which sublimes as it warms in ambient conditions, the properties of carbon dioxide are such that it cannot be liquid at a pressure below its triple point of 5.1 bar.[30]

Acetylene is also supplied differently. Since it is so unstable and explosive, this is supplied as a gas dissolved in acetone within a packing mass in a cylinder. Acetylene is also the only other common industrial gas that sublimes at atmospheric pressure.[30]

Gas delivery

Photos gas cabinet inventory

The major industrial gases can be produced in bulk and delivered to customers by

pipeline
, but can also be packaged and transported.

Most gases are sold in

operations and maintenance
contract for a gases facility for a customer, since it usually has the experience of running such facilities for the production or handling of gases for itself.

Some materials are dangerous to use as a gas; for example, fluorine is highly reactive and industrial chemistry requiring fluorine often uses hydrogen fluoride (or hydrofluoric acid) instead. Another approach to overcoming gas reactivity is to generate the gas as and when required, which is done, for example, with ozone.

The delivery options are therefore local gas generation,

ship), and packaged gases in gas cylinders or other containers.[1]

Bulk liquid gases are often transferred to end user storage tanks. Gas cylinders (and liquid gas containing vessels) are often used by end users for their own small scale distribution systems. Toxic or flammable gas cylinders are often stored by end users in gas cabinets for protection from external fire or from any leak.

Gas cylinder color coding

EN 1089-3 color coding for industrial gas cylinders

Despite attempts at standardization to facilitate user and first responders' safety, no universal coding exists for cylinders with industrial gases, therefore several color coding standards are in usage. In most developed countries of the world, notably countries of European union and United Kingdom, EN 1089-3 is used, with cylinders of liquefied petroleum gas being an exception.

Further information: EN 1089-3

In United States of America, no official regulation of color coding for gas cylinders exists and none is enforced.[31]

What defines an industrial gas

Industrial gas is a group of materials that are specifically manufactured for use in

feedstock, in process enhancement, as a useful end product, or for a particular use; as opposed to having value as a "simple" fuel
.

The term “industrial gases”

breathing gases
", etc.; or by their source, as in "air gases"; or by their mode of supply as in "packaged gases". The major gases might also be termed "bulk gases" or "tonnage gases".

In principle any gas or gas mixture sold by the "industrial gases industry" probably has some industrial use and might be termed an "industrial gas". In practice, "industrial gases" are likely to be a pure compound or a mixture of precise

oxyacetylene
). Lists of the more significant gases are listed in "The Gases" below.

There are cases when a gas is not usually termed an "industrial gas"; principally where the gas is processed for later use of its

energy
rather than manufactured for use as a chemical substance or preparation.

The

natural resources or in an oil refinery
. Materials such as LPG and LNG are complex mixtures often without precise chemical composition that often also changes whilst stored.

The petrochemical industry is also seen as distinct. So petrochemicals (chemicals derived from petroleum) such as ethylene are also generally not described as "industrial gases".

Sometimes the chemical industry is thought of as distinct from industrial gases; so materials such as ammonia and chlorine might be considered "

chemicals
" (especially if supplied as a liquid) instead of or sometimes as well as "industrial gases".

Small scale gas supply of hand-carried containers is sometimes not considered to be industrial gas as the use is considered personal rather than industrial; and suppliers are not always gas specialists.

These demarcations are based on perceived boundaries of these industries (although in practice there is some overlap), and an exact scientific definition is difficult. To illustrate "overlap" between industries:

Manufactured

town gas) would historically have been considered an industrial gas. Syngas is often considered to be a petrochemical; although its production is a core industrial gases technology. Similarly, projects harnessing Landfill gas or biogas, Waste-to-energy
schemes, as well as Hydrogen Production all exhibit overlapping technologies.

Helium is an industrial gas, even though its source is from

natural gas processing
.

Any gas is likely to be considered an industrial gas if it is put in a gas cylinder (except perhaps if it is used as a fuel)

Propane would be considered an industrial gas when used as a refrigerant, but not when used as a refrigerant in LNG production, even though this is an overlapping technology.

Gases

Elemental gases

Elemental gases in the periodic table
Hydrogen Helium
Lithium Beryllium Boron Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Fluorine Neon
Sodium Magnesium Aluminium Silicon Phosphorus Sulfur Chlorine Argon
Potassium Calcium Scandium Titanium Vanadium Chromium Manganese Iron Cobalt Nickel Copper Zinc Gallium Germanium Arsenic Selenium Bromine Krypton
Rubidium Strontium Yttrium Zirconium Niobium Molybdenum Technetium Ruthenium Rhodium Palladium Silver Cadmium Indium Tin Antimony Tellurium Iodine Xenon
Caesium Barium Lanthanum Cerium Praseodymium Neodymium Promethium Samarium Europium Gadolinium Terbium Dysprosium Holmium Erbium Thulium Ytterbium Lutetium Hafnium Tantalum Tungsten Rhenium Osmium Iridium Platinum Gold Mercury (element) Thallium Lead Bismuth Polonium Astatine Radon
Francium Radium Actinium Thorium Protactinium Uranium Neptunium Plutonium Americium Curium Berkelium Californium Einsteinium Fermium Mendelevium Nobelium Lawrencium Rutherfordium Dubnium Seaborgium Bohrium Hassium Meitnerium Darmstadtium Roentgenium Copernicium Nihonium Flerovium Moscovium Livermorium Tennessine Oganesson

The known

nonmetals
.

(Synthetic elements have no relevance to the industrial gas industry; however for scientific completeness, note that it has been suggested, but not scientifically proven, that metallic elements 112 (Copernicium) and 114 (Flerovium) are gases.[35])

The elements which are stable

monatomic
.

In the industrial gases industry the term "elemental gases" (or sometimes less accurately "molecular gases") is used to distinguish these gases from molecules that are also

chemical compounds
.

Radon is chemically stable, but it is

uraniferous ores processing. Radon is a trace naturally occurring radioactive material
(NORM) encountered in the air processed in an ASU.

Chlorine is the only elemental gas that is technically a vapor since STP is below its critical temperature; whilst bromine and mercury are liquid at STP, and so their vapor exists in equilibrium with their liquid at STP.

Other common industrial gases

This list shows the other most common gases sold by industrial gas companies.[1]

There are many gas mixtures possible.

Important liquefied gases

Dewar being filled with LIN from storage tank

This list shows the most important liquefied gases:[1]

Industrial gas applications

A cutting torch is used to cut a steel pipe.

The uses of industrial gases are diverse.

The following is a small list of areas of use:

Companies

See also

References

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  13. ^ "The History of Ammonia" (PDF). firt.org.
  14. ^ "Chemistry in its element - methane". Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved 28 Jul 2014.
  15. ^ Carl Wilhelm Scheele, Chemische Abhandlung von der Luft und dem Feuer (Chemical treatise on air and fire) (Upsala, Sweden: Magnus Swederus, 1777), § 97: Die stinckende Schwefel Luft (The stinking sulfur air [i.e., gas]), pp. 149-155.
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  19. ^ "Helium facts - History". www.helium-corp.com. Archived from the original on 2014-11-19. Retrieved 2014-07-05.
  20. ^ a b c d "Celebrating 100 Years as The Standard for Safety: The Compressed Gas Association, Inc. 1913 – 2013" (PDF). www.cganet.com. 11 September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
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  28. ^ "How hydrogen is transforming these tiny Scottish islands".
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  34. ^ [2]. socratic.org. Retrieved on 2018-08-28.
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External links

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