In petrochemical industries including manufacturing process for PVC, PE, Polyethylene, Ethanol, Formaldehyde, Petroleum, Anilin, Benzene Anhydride, nitrogen is often used as blanketing gas to safeguards flammable liquids and solids from the dangers of oxidation thus causing combustion or explosive reaction.

Similarly, where flammable materials need to be stored or transported, nitrogen is often used as protective atmosphere and purging gas in pipelines. In coal mines, the key initiative in extinguishing fire is to reduce oxygen content of the combustive gases below the lower limit of explosion (LEL).

Specialty foams are occasionally injected with nitrogen gas to help seal off air ingress (blanketing gas) to the fire and help cool the surface (protective atmosphere) of the coal embers after the LEL has been achieved. In oil and gas mining, nitrogen injection increases the pressure in the oil wells so that fossil resources can be more easily recovered and yields significantly improved.

Nitrogen plays a central role in Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR). Five main EOR applications that utilises nitrogen are :

• Pressure maintenance
• Miscible displacement
• Immiscible displacement
• Gas assisted gravity drainage
• Mixed gas to reservoir reserves.

Nitrogen is also used to support drilling operations such as for instrument panel inerting, prevent flammable gases from igniting, and protect tubulars from downhole corrosion. It’s also used in pressure systems for pigging and purging pipelines, also to help extending life of some systems such as hoist or engine starters by providing clean dry air.

Check our Cangas range of PSA and VPSA Nitrogen Generators here