Nitrogen Generator: Empowering manufacturers to achieve nitrogen self-sufficiency, a new alternative to liquid nitrogen

In modern industrial production, nitrogen, as a crucial industrial gas, has an extremely wide range of applications. From food preservation to chemical synthesis, from electronics manufacturing to metal processing, nitrogen plays an indispensable role. In the past, many manufacturers relied on liquid nitrogen to meet their nitrogen needs, but today, with continuous technological advancements, nitrogen generators are gradually emerging as an ideal solution that can replace liquid nitrogen and help manufacturers achieve nitrogen self-sufficiency.

Nitrogen—the "Invisible Guardian" of Industrial Production

Nitrogen, the most abundant gas in the air, accounting for about 78%, is inert, odorless, and colorless. These properties make it an ideal choice for numerous industrial applications. In the food industry, nitrogen is widely used in nitrogen-filled packaging to remove oxygen from the packaging, inhibiting the growth of bacteria and mold, thus extending the shelf life of food while maintaining its taste and quality; in the chemical industry, nitrogen can be used as a protective gas in chemical reaction processes to prevent flammable and explosive substances from contacting oxygen, reducing the risk of explosions and fires; in the electronics industry, nitrogen is an indispensable protective gas in the production of electronic components and semiconductors, effectively preventing corrosion of circuit boards and improving product quality and stability.

Liquid Nitrogen—Once the Mainstay, Now a Problem

In the past, due to technological limitations, many manufacturers chose to use liquid nitrogen to obtain nitrogen. Liquid nitrogen is obtained through cryogenic air separation technology, where air is purified, pressurized, and cooled to liquefy it, and then liquid nitrogen is separated from the air based on the differences in boiling points of different components. However, with the continuous development of industrial production, the drawbacks of liquid nitrogen in use have gradually become apparent.

From a cost perspective, the procurement cost of liquid nitrogen is high, and the costs of transportation and storage are also considerable. Liquid nitrogen requires specialized cryogenic storage tanks, which have relatively high purchase and maintenance costs. At the same time, due to the extremely low boiling point of liquid nitrogen, vaporization loss is inevitable during storage, which further increases the cost of use. In addition, for some small manufacturers or manufacturers with fluctuating nitrogen demand, it is difficult to accurately control the storage volume of liquid nitrogen, which may lead to insufficient liquid nitrogen affecting production or excessive storage causing waste.

Safety is also an important issue in the use of liquid nitrogen. Liquid nitrogen has an extremely low temperature, reaching -196℃. During operation and transportation, if protection is inadequate, it can easily cause frostbite. Moreover, once liquid nitrogen leaks, it will rapidly vaporize into atmospheric pressure nitrogen at room temperature, with its volume instantly expanding hundreds of times. The leaked nitrogen will dilute the oxygen content in the surrounding air, and when the oxygen content drops to a certain level, it will cause suffocation and seriously threaten life safety.

Supply stability is also a major challenge facing liquid nitrogen. The supply of liquid nitrogen is affected by various factors such as transportation and manufacturers. During special periods, such as bad weather, transportation line failures, or equipment maintenance at liquid nitrogen production plants, it may lead to interruptions in the supply of liquid nitrogen, which is undoubtedly a huge risk for manufacturers that require continuous production.

Nitrogen Generators— ushering in a new era of nitrogen self-sufficiency

With continuous technological advancements, nitrogen generators have emerged, providing manufacturers with a new approach to solving nitrogen supply problems. A nitrogen generator is a device that uses physical methods to separate oxygen and nitrogen from the air to obtain high-purity nitrogen. Currently, the most widely used nitrogen generators in industry are mainly two types: Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) and membrane air separation.

1. Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Nitrogen Generator

PSA nitrogen generators use air as a raw material and carbon molecular sieve as an adsorbent, using the principle of pressure swing adsorption to separate nitrogen and oxygen by utilizing the selective adsorption of oxygen and nitrogen by the carbon molecular sieve. The working process is as follows: Clean and dry compressed air enters the adsorption tower. Because oxygen molecules are smaller than nitrogen molecules, under pressure, oxygen molecules are more easily adsorbed by the carbon molecular sieve, while nitrogen molecules are not easily adsorbed, so the gas passing through the adsorption tower is mainly nitrogen. When the carbon molecular sieve in the adsorption tower reaches saturation, the pressure in the adsorption tower is reduced to desorb the oxygen molecules adsorbed by the carbon molecular sieve, thus regenerating the carbon molecular sieve for the next adsorption. Usually, PSA nitrogen generators use two adsorption towers in parallel, controlled by an imported PLC to automatically operate the pneumatic valves, alternately performing pressure adsorption and depressurization regeneration to complete nitrogen-oxygen separation and continuously and stably produce high-purity nitrogen. PSA nitrogen generators can achieve continuous supply of high-flow nitrogen with purity up to 99.999% in high-demand applications, suitable for industries with high requirements for nitrogen purity and flow rate, such as food, pharmaceuticals, and electronics.

2. Membrane Separation Nitrogen Generator

Membrane air separation nitrogen generators also use air as a raw material. Under certain pressure conditions, they utilize the different permeation rates of gases with different properties, such as oxygen and nitrogen, in the membrane to separate oxygen and nitrogen. After the air is compressed and filtered by a compressor, it enters a polymer membrane filter. Due to the different solubility and diffusion coefficients of various gases in the membrane, the relative permeation rates of different gases in the membrane are different. Gases with relatively fast permeation rates, such as water, hydrogen, helium, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide, permeate through the membrane and are enriched on the permeate side of the membrane, while gases with relatively slow permeation rates, such as methane, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and argon, are retained and enriched on the other side of the membrane, thus achieving the purpose of separating the mixed gas and obtaining nitrogen. Membrane air separation nitrogen generators have advantages such as simpler structure, smaller size, no switching valves, less maintenance, faster gas production (≤3 minutes), and easy capacity expansion, making them particularly suitable for medium and small nitrogen users with nitrogen purity ≤98%, offering the best cost-performance ratio.

Significant Advantages of Nitrogen Generators over Liquid Nitrogen

1. Significant Cost Advantages

From the perspective of long-term operating costs, nitrogen generators have obvious advantages. Taking PSA nitrogen generators as an example, their energy consumption is about 0.2 - 0.4 kWh/Nm³, and the energy consumption of membrane separation nitrogen generators is even lower, about 0.1 - 0.3 kWh/Nm³. Assuming the nitrogen generator energy consumption is 0.3 kWh/Nm³ and the electricity price is 0.7 yuan/kWh, the nitrogen production cost is about 0.21 yuan/Nm³. The procurement cost of liquid nitrogen is usually between 1 and 3 yuan/Nm³, excluding transportation and storage costs. In addition, nitrogen generators do not require regular procurement and transportation like liquid nitrogen, avoiding the cost uncertainty caused by market price fluctuations. While the initial investment in a nitrogen generator is relatively high, over the equipment's lifespan, its total cost is far lower than the long-term use cost of liquid nitrogen. Moreover, for manufacturers with relatively low nitrogen demand, nitrogen generator leasing services can be chosen to further reduce initial investment costs.

2. Significantly Enhanced Safety

Nitrogen generators produce gas on-site, avoiding the safety risks associated with liquid nitrogen storage and transportation. Operators do not need to directly contact low-temperature liquid nitrogen, reducing the possibility of frostbite. Simultaneously, during operation, nitrogen gas is gradually produced and used as needed, preventing situations like liquid nitrogen leaks that rapidly dilute oxygen in a local space, greatly reducing the risk of personnel asphyxiation. Furthermore, the electrical systems of nitrogen generators typically have comprehensive safety protection measures, such as overload protection and short-circuit protection, further ensuring the safe operation of the equipment.

3. Strong Supply Stability

Nitrogen generators can achieve 24-hour uninterrupted on-site gas production. As long as there is a stable power supply and compressed air source, they can continuously supply nitrogen for production, unaffected by external transportation or suppliers. Even under special circumstances, such as severe weather or traffic control, nitrogen supply will not be affected. For industries with extremely high requirements for production continuity, such as electronics manufacturing and chemical production, this advantage of nitrogen generators is particularly important. Manufacturers can further improve the supply reliability of nitrogen generators by equipping backup power and compressed air equipment to ensure that the production process is not affected by nitrogen supply interruptions.

4. High Flexibility

Nitrogen generators can flexibly adjust nitrogen output and purity according to the manufacturer's actual production needs. If nitrogen demand changes during production, the operating parameters of the nitrogen generator can be adjusted through simple operations to meet the production requirements of different stages. This flexibility is unmatched by liquid nitrogen supply. Once the storage volume of liquid nitrogen is determined, it is difficult to quickly adjust the supply volume in the short term. For manufacturers with complex production processes and fluctuating nitrogen demand, nitrogen generators can better adapt to production changes and improve production efficiency.

5. Convenient Equipment Maintenance

Nitrogen generators have a relatively simple structure, and maintenance work mainly focuses on components such as air compressors, filters, and adsorption towers. The maintenance and replacement of these components are relatively convenient, and there is a wide supply of parts on the market. In contrast, liquid nitrogen tanks require regular inspection and maintenance to ensure their cryogenic performance and sealing, making maintenance relatively complex and costly. The operating status of the nitrogen generator can be monitored in real-time through an intelligent control system. Once a fault occurs, the system can promptly issue an alarm and display fault information, allowing maintenance personnel to quickly locate and resolve the problem.

Wide Application of Nitrogen Generators in Various Industries

1. Food Industry

In food packaging, nitrogen generators provide high-purity nitrogen for nitrogen-filled preservation packaging. By filling the package with nitrogen and removing oxygen and moisture, the growth of bacteria and mold is effectively inhibited, extending the shelf life of food while maintaining its color, taste, and nutritional components. Whether it's snacks like potato chips and biscuits or fresh foods like meat and seafood, nitrogen generators provide reliable nitrogen protection.

2. Pharmaceutical Industry

The use of nitrogen is crucial in the production, storage, and packaging of pharmaceuticals. Nitrogen generators can produce high-purity nitrogen for nitrogen-filled packaging of pharmaceuticals, preventing oxidation, moisture absorption, and microbial contamination, ensuring the quality and stability of the pharmaceuticals. In addition, in some pharmaceutical synthesis reactions, nitrogen can also be used as a protective gas to create an oxygen-free environment, improving the safety and purity of the reaction and product.

3. Chemical Industry

In chemical production, many chemical reactions need to be carried out in an oxygen-free or low-oxygen environment to prevent flammable and explosive substances from contacting oxygen and causing safety accidents. Nitrogen generators can provide nitrogen of different purities according to the different needs of chemical production to meet the protective gas requirements of various chemical reactions. Nitrogen can also be used for displacement, purging, and inerting during the storage and transportation of chemical products to ensure the safety of chemical products.

4. Electronics Industry

The purity requirements for nitrogen are extremely high in the production of electronic components and semiconductors. Nitrogen generators can produce nitrogen with a purity of over 99.999%, which can be used in chip manufacturing, circuit board welding, and electronic component packaging to effectively prevent the oxidation and corrosion of electronic components and improve product quality and yield.

5. Metal Processing Industry

In metal heat treatment processes, such as annealing, quenching, and tempering, nitrogen can be used as a protective gas to prevent the metal from reacting with oxygen at high temperatures, avoiding surface oxidation and decarburization, thereby improving the surface quality and mechanical properties of metal products. In addition, nitrogen can also be used to protect the welding area during metal welding, reducing welding defects and improving welding quality.

Choose a Nitrogen Generator and Usher in a New Era of Nitrogen Freedom

With the increasing demand for nitrogen in industrial production and the increasing requirements for production efficiency, cost control, and safety, nitrogen generators, as efficient, economical, and safe nitrogen production equipment, are gradually becoming the choice of manufacturers in various industries. It not only helps manufacturers break away from their dependence on liquid nitrogen, achieving nitrogen freedom, but also brings significant economic and social benefits to enterprises.

If your company is still troubled by nitrogen supply issues, consider choosing a nitrogen generator. There are many high-quality nitrogen generator brands and suppliers on the market. You can choose the most suitable nitrogen generator solution for your company based on your production needs, site conditions, and budget. With the help of nitrogen generators, your company will achieve a qualitative leap in production efficiency, cost control, and product quality, opening a more brilliant chapter of development.