Nitrogen Generation

Food packaging

Residual oxygen within a package promotes bacterial growth and oxidation, which can compromise quality and shelf life. Using nitrogen minimises the levels of oxygen present, therefore preserving quality and improving shelf lie. This is particularly relevant to coffee processing, meat packaging, dried foods processing and lettuce packaging.

Beverage applications

Using a nitrogen blanket during beverage storage, pre and post bottling, prevents the growth of bacteria and other microbes. Another use is purging air from pipes and hoses prior to bottling and to ensure oxygen is not introduced during transport. It can also help to preserve taste and freshness.

Chemical processing

Blanketing with an inert gas, such as nitrogen, is often used to ensure the chemical integrity and maximise safety. Nitrogen tank blanketing controls the oxygen concentration and humidity within the vessel, protecting the product from contamination, degradation, and chemical change. The reduced oxygen level minimises the chance of explosion. A nitrogen blanket can also be used to balance tank volumes and prevent collapse during unloading.

Metal processing

The use of nitrogen is widespread in the metal processing industry, including much of the support equipment such as lasers. Using nitrogen to minimise the contact with oxygen improves final product quality and minimises rework.

Electronic applications

Nitrogen is mainly used for automatic soldering machines and stops the oxidisation of solder.

When a nitrogen generator produces nitrogen gas, the generator does not create nitrogen by itself. Rather, nitrogen gas present in air (roughly 78% of air is nitrogen) is purified inside the generator, as any additional molecules, such as, oxygen, carbon dioxide or water, are removed from the gas.

Nitrogen compressor technology enables this separation process by providing air to a nitrogen generator system to purify either through a membrane and other filters or through a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) system and filters.

One nitrogen compressor-based system is PSA technology. A PSA nitrogen generation uses an air compressor to supply nitrogen gas from atmospheric air. A PSA nitrogen generator then passes nitrogen gas through a column filled with Carbon Molecular Sieve (CMS). Oxygen and other trace gasses get adsorbed by the CMS, allowing nitrogen to pass through. 

For a PSA nitrogen generator, two CMS columns are required, where one column is depressurised whilst the other column sends the air through the sieve at pressure. PSA nitrogen generators also include a multistage prefiltration processes to remove dust particles and moisture from air before it reaches the CMS.

Another nitrogen compressor-based system is membrane nitrogen generator, where air is compressed and passed through a membrane consisting of hollow fibres with pores small enough to prevent nitrogen from being pushed through along with oxygen. High purity nitrogen gas is then left behin