Compressed air composes of other gases
July 8, 2022
Untreated compressed air always contains contaminants because of the nature of the gas and how it is produced. The need for air treatment basically results from 3 characteristics of compressed air.
Contaminants
- Oxygen: contaminant if oxidation is unwanted
- Nitrogen: contaminant if oxidation is wanted
How are the contaminants formed?
Dry air is mainly composed of nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). Air will keep the same nitrogen/oxygen ratio after compression, so additional treatment is needed to change this gas mix.
What problems can the contaminants cause?
- Oxygen causes oxidation, leading to explosions or fire of flammables (fast oxidation) or to rotting processes and corrosion of metals (slow oxidation).
- Nitrogen is an inert gas that can prevent oxidation to happen.
The Pneumatech solution
Pneumatech designs and manufactures both standard and engineered onsite gas generator products. Nitrogen and oxygen generators are available with Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology, while membrane technology is offered for lower nitrogen purity levels.
