Whether you are managing a small or large manufacturing plant, nitrogen gas is an essential resource across a wide range of industries. However, one crucial factor often overlooked when utilizing nitrogen is its purity level.
The specific nitrogen purity required can significantly impact operational costs, product quality, and overall efficiency. Selecting the appropriate purity for your application is not only economically savvy, but it also ensures optimal performance.
If your operational budget is impacted by nitrogen purity levels, you could be throwing good money out the window. Keep reading to see why businesses are increasingly turning to onsite nitrogen generation for a cost-effective solution.
Understanding Nitrogen Purity Levels
Nitrogen is rarely used at its absolute purest (100%) in industrial applications. Nitrogen purity levels refer to the concentration of nitrogen gas in the process stream. Depending on the application, nitrogen purity requirements can range between 95% and 99.999%.
Purities between 95% to 98% are often used in industries such as fire prevention, where a completely inert environment is not necessary. Food and beverage applications like modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and some pharmaceutical processes require purities between 99% to 99.5%, meanwhile, electronics manufacturing and semiconductor production require purities ranging from 99.9% to 99.999%+.
Cost Differences Between Purity Levels
The cost associated with nitrogen generation or supply rises as purity levels increase. Why? Because producing high-purity nitrogen requires more efficient and costly CMS air separation material and much higher compressed air requirements, resulting in higher energy consumption or increased input costs from suppliers.
Generating nitrogen at 95% purity requires less efficient CMS material and far less compressed air.
Efficiency Considerations for Different Nitrogen Purity Levels
Choosing the right nitrogen purity level is not just about cost; it can also improve efficiency and reduce waste. For industries like food packaging, using the right nitrogen purity level can directly impact the freshness and shelf life of products. Similarly, precision-based applications such as laser cutting depend on higher nitrogen purity for precise cuts free of oxidation.
Over-using resources such as nitrogen with unnecessarily high purity means higher operating costs and potential inefficiency. Similarly, failure to match the correct purity level may lower product quality or even result in product rejection.
Industry-Specific Nitrogen Purity Recommendations
Each industry leverages nitrogen differently, and purity requirements vary accordingly. Here are some industry-specific recommendations:
- Food and Beverage Industry (99-99.5%): Extends the shelf life with Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) and rapid freezing of perishable goods.
- Metal Fabrication & Laser Cutting (99.5-99.999%): Prevents oxidation in heat treatment and improves laser cut quality.
- Pharmaceutical & Medical Industry (99-99.999%): Ensures sterility and minimizes contamination risks during packaging, processing, and storage of sensitive products like vaccines or drugs.
- Electronics & Semiconductor Manufacturing (99.9%-99.999%): Prevents defects and oxidation in microchips, where even the tiniest deviation in purity can lead to defects that affect product performance.
Onsite Nitrogen Generation: A Cost-Effective Solution
While many industrial facilities still rely on bulk liquid nitrogen deliveries or cylinders, there’s a growing shift towards onsite nitrogen generation systems as a more economical and efficient solution. For one, the logistics of delivering and storing nitrogen cylinders or liquid nitrogen in tanks involve added costs, the risk of running out of supply, and potential downtime. Onsite systems provide a continuous nitrogen supply tailored to your requirements.
Onsite nitrogen generators also allow you to choose the precise purity level needed for your operations. Unlike bulk supply, where you’re typically locked into a specific high purity, onsite systems offer flexibility for diverse applications.
Key Benefits of Onsite Nitrogen Generation
- Lower Operating Costs: Reduces nitrogen expenses
- Customizable Purity Levels: Matches nitrogen purity to specific application needs
- Improved Efficiency: Continuous supply eliminates downtime and logistics issues
Contact Advanced Gas Technologies for Cost-Effective Nitrogen Solutions
Advanced Gas Technologies Inc. offers cost-effective nitrogen generation solutions for your specific industry. With 30 years of marketing, installing, and maintaining industrial gas generating systems, standard industrial compressor systems, and engineered compressor systems experience, we can help you with your nitrogen generation needs. Contact us to learn more about the costs of nitrogen generation and see how our onsite nitrogen generators can benefit your business.