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Cryogenic plant knowledge, written by the engineers who build them
Guides on air separation, oxygen and nitrogen plant sizing, maintenance and safety, so you can plan your next plant with clear numbers instead of guesswork.
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Good to know
How an air separation plant turns air into gas
Every oxygen and nitrogen plant starts with the same ingredient: ordinary air. Four stages take it from the atmosphere to pure, usable gas.
- 01
Compress
Filtered air is compressed so that it can be cooled and separated efficiently.
Ambient to high pressure - 02
Purify
Moisture, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons are removed so they cannot freeze and block the cold equipment.
Molecular sieve beds - 03
Cool
Heat exchangers bring the air down until it begins to liquefy, recovering cold from outgoing gas.
Around −170°C - 04
Distil
In the column, nitrogen boils off first while oxygen collects as liquid, giving separate high purity products.
−196°C to −183°C
What is in the air you breathe
Nearly all of dry air is just two gases, which is why oxygen and nitrogen plants are the backbone of industrial gas supply.