Applications in the Chemical Processing Industry

Products: Nitrogen Membranes
Chemical Processing Industry Production, storage, and handling of chemicals will sometimes require the use of chemically inert nitrogen. Nitrogen is used by the chemical industry to protect against the danger of fire, moisture contamination, and discoloration or product degradation that results from atmospheric moisture and oxygen.

Typical applications of GENERON® membranes and Nitroswing® PSA's for the chemical industry are:

Blanketing
Pressure Transfer / Unloading
Pipeline and Vessel Purging
Reactor Sparging
Pigging
Drying

Where is GENERON® Nitrogen Best Applied?

In many cases, the exact purity of nitrogen for a given operation is not known. However, the following generalizations can be made:

When a material is blanketed for flammability or moisture protection, 95% nitrogen may be adequate.
Chlorinated solvents are blanketed for moisture protection.
Amines are sensitive to discoloration, with the sensitivity increasing as the amines move form mono to tri.
Glycols are blanketed for moisture protection.
Alcohols are blanketed for moisture protection.
Hydrocarbons are blanketed for flammability protection.
Higher purities of nitrogen may be needed for chemical processing operations, where 95% nitrogen is adequate for storage and transfer operations.

Similarly, the chemical processing industry has many uses for our NITROSWING® systems, including blanketing, purging and inerting atmospheres containing oxygen which represent the potential danger of explosions.

Industry Applications>Plastics Industry

To improve the quality of injection-molded products as well as increase design flexibility, plastics manufacturers frequently use nitrogen as a gas assist to their traditional injection molding process. Consistent with conventional injection molding, the material is melted and injected into the mold. As the melted material begins to solidify, the area adjacent to the mold walls begins to harden first. Nitrogen gas is then injected into the molten material, pressurizing it from the inside out, and pushing the melted material to the extremities of the cavity. Then once the material is cured, the nitrogen is vented, the mold is opened, and the part is ejected. Required nitrogen purity levels for this process typically range between 95% and 99.995%…well within the capabilities of the NITROSWING® technology.

Products: Generator Systems
Chemical Processing Industry
OXYWING® oxygen generation systems offer a competitive advantage over traditional supply methods in most oxygen enrichment or oxidative processes. Using on-site generated oxygen eliminates the need for costly deliveries, transportation fees and take-or-pay situations. The chemical processing industry can use our systems for

Hydrogen peroxide production
Sulfur recovery units (SRU)
Sulfuric acid regeneration
Other oxidative processes

Pulp and Paper Industry

Oxygen Delignification - Use of oxygen prior to the bleaching plant reduces the amount of lignin used to bind the fibers together. By using this technology, your plant becomes more environmentally friendly, reducing organic waste and bleach consumption while improving paper quality.
Oxygen/Alkali Extraction - Use of oxygen in this process significantly reduces the expense of alternative bleaching chemicals.
Black Liquor Oxidation
Lime Kiln Oxygen Enrichment - Increase kiln capacity and reduce emissions while lowering costs.

Glass/Enamel Industry

Choose OXYSWING® pressure swing adsorption systems as your solution to meeting stringent specifications and economic challenges in the glass industry. As all of us strive to achieve higher levels of productivity while reducing our cost of operations, IGS has proven technology to meet your special needs. With more than thirty (30) years of engineering know-how, PSA oxygen systems have field-proven reliability and significant cost results for you. Our OXYSWING® technology continually demonstrates benefits in:

Melting of glass ends
Rotary drum kilns and tank furnaces
Heating of effluent grooves

and achieve...
Lower fuel effluent
Lower fuel usage
Extended furnace life

…….from concept to completion: we provide solutions!

Chemical processing industry image

Maximum Permissible Oxygen to Prevent Ignition of Flammable Gases & Vapors Using Nitrogen for Inerting
Chemical	O2 Percentage*
Acetone	11%
Benzene	9%
Butadiene	8%
Butane	9.5%
Butene	9%
Carbon Disulfide	4%
Carbon Monoxide	4.5%
Cyclopropane	9%
Dimethylbutane	9.5%
Ethane	9%
Ether	8.5%
Ether (Diethyl)	8.5%
Ethyl Alcohol	8%
Ethylene	9%
Gasoline 73-146 Octane	9.5%
Hexane	9.5%
Hydrogen	4%
Hydrogen Sulfide	6%
Isobutane	9.5%
Isopentane	9.5%
JP-1 Fuel	8.5%
JP-3 Fuel	9.5%
JP-4 Fuel	9%
Kerosene	9%
Methane	9.5%
Methyl Alcohol>	8%
Natural Gas	9.5%
Neopentane	10%
n-Heptane	9%
Pentane	9%
Propane	9%
Propylene	9%
NOTE: Data in this table was determined from a publication of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. Data was determined by laboratory experiments conducted at atmospheric temperature and pressure. Vapor-air inert gas samples were placed in explosion tubes and exposed to a small spark or open flame. In the absence of reliable data, the U.S. Bureau of Mines or another recognized authority should be consulted. General industrial practice seldom uses purities below 95% for these applications. Often higher purities than 95% are utilized based on customer's internal safety standards. Please note: These data sheets are provided by Generon IGS for guidance only. They are in no way to be guarantees of performance. There is no warranty or promise expressed or implied.