Industrigasser

Industrigasser, or industrial gases, are gases produced for commercial use in industry, science and technology. They include chemically simple gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, as well as inert or noble gases such as argon and helium, and a range of specialty gases. Industrial gases are typically manufactured in bulk at dedicated plants or generated on-site and stored as compressed gas in cylinders, as liquids in dewars, or distributed through pipelines. They are distinguished from medical or consumer gases by their intended industrial applications and purity requirements.

Production and supply: Most common industrial gases are produced by air separation (distillation of liquid air) to obtain nitrogen, oxygen, and argon; others are produced by chemical processes such as steam methane reforming to generate hydrogen, or by electrolysis. Carbon dioxide is produced from natural gas processing or fermentation streams. In addition to bulk plants, many industries deploy on-site gas generation systems (pressure swing adsorption, membrane separation) or procure cylinder or liquid supplies. Global supplier networks distribute to manufacturing sites worldwide.

Applications and safety: Industrial gases enable processes across steelmaking, metal fabrication, chemicals, electronics, food and beverage, healthcare and energy. They are used for shielding, inerting, cutting and welding, refrigeration and cryogenics, and as process feedstocks. Handling requires safety practices: high-pressure cylinders, risks of asphyxiation with nitrogen and argon, flammability with hydrogen or acetylene, and toxicity with chlorine or ammonia. Standards govern storage, transport, labeling, and environmental aspects, including energy use and emissions from production.