Industrial Gas Generation

Applications of industrial gases:  The different gases are used in a wide variety of industries, but most notably in the metal, polymer and food industries. Uses of the individual gases are discussed below. Acetylene Acetylene is mainly used in oxy-acetylene flames for cutting mild steel and for welding. Hydrogen Hydrogen A small proportion of the hydrogen is used by BOC Gases to react with traces of oxygen in other gas streams. The two gases react forming water, which can be easily condensed out of a gas mixture. The majority of the hydrogen is sold to the edible fats and oils industry where it is used to hydrogenate vegetable oils to make margarine. Carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide is used widely in the food industry for applications such as removing the caffeine from coffee beans to make decaffeinated coffee and for carbonating beer, soft drinks etc. It is also used for cooling in the food and manufacturing industries. Nitrogen Nitrogen has two main uses: cooling and as an inert atmosphere. As liquid nitrogen it is used for cooling in many industrial processes and in the food industry As gaseous nitrogen it is used to form an inert blanket over substances that would otherwise be oxidised by the air. Nitrogen is used for cooling various mechanical equipment that needs to be kept extremely cold and for snap-freezing foods such as chicken, hamburger patties and fruit to be eaten out of season. Inert blankets of nitrogen are used over reactive liquids in tankers, in varnish manufacture and also inside potato chip packets.