How Gases Are Used All Around Us and In Our Daily Life

Our everyday lives are full of applications and processes that require the use of various types of gases. While we may not notice how gases are used all around us, they are essential in many different areas of our lives.

When talking about common gases, we’re typically talking about oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon and a couple others. Below you’ll see how these gases are used in everyday life and how we benefit from it.

 

Soda Fountains (carbon dioxide)

 Soda is one of those thirst quenching drinks due to its bubbly nature that everyone loves, which is a result of using carbon dioxide. As a non-toxic gas, it has high solubility, which means it easily dissolves in liquid to form a reaction that produces carbonic acid.

In fact, carbon dioxide is the most soluble gas out of all non-toxic gases which makes it the perfect gas to preserve drinks.

Carbonic acid is what gives you that sweet acidic flavor and fizz. Without that reaction, sodas would be flat and no one likes a flat soda. Because carbon dioxide is a common gas, it’s typically readily available which is great for cost purposes.

 

Nitro Beers (nitrogen)

 As we know, carbon dioxide is commonly used for fizzy drinks, and all the beer lovers out there know you can’t have a good beer without some sort of bubbles. While carbon dioxide is the main carbonation method for beverages, there’s another gas out there that is perfect for nitro beers. You guessed it: Nitrogen.

Guinness was one of the beers that brought nitro beers into the limelight. Unlike carbon dioxide, nitrogen is insoluble in liquid. So, in order for nitrogen to dissolve, it needs to be pressurized and kept cold. Typically, nitro beers are nitrogenated in pressurized kegs or while it’s on its way to the draft system within the lines.

When pouring, it also requires a special plate that the beer dispenses through. It is designed with multiple small holes that are there to help the nitrogen gas escape quickly, which is what creates that cool cascading effect when a nitro beer is poured into a glass. So the next time you enjoy a nitro brewed beer, you’ll know nitrogen is what gives it that cool effect.

 

Light Bulbs (argon)

Something we use everyday to illuminate our homes, cars and other devices to see in the dark are light bulbs. Argon gas is commonly used in fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs.

The light within a lightbulb creates heat, which oxygen will only end up making hotter and could potentially cause a bulb to combust, which is why argon is used in light bulbs instead. Argon helps create an inert environment that is needed to keep the tungsten filament lit safely.

Due to argon’s inert characteristic, it’s the perfect gas to keep a bulb lit for long periods of time without burning out. Nitrogen is also an inert gas that could work in light bulbs, but argon is used more commonly.

 

Paintball (carbon dioxide & nitrogen)

Paintball can be an intense game that can be very fun and competitive. If you’ve ever played before, you know the objective of the game is to hit your target with paintballs that are made of gelatin shells filled with paint. This makes it easy to tell if your target was hit. It’s definitely a great alternative to your traditional style of working out.

In today’s paintball world, carbon dioxide and high pressure air are commonly used. CO2 was the standard, but it did not perform optimally. This was because co2 converts from a gas to a liquid under extreme pressure. When a trigger is pulled, the co2 then converts back to gas, but in order for it to work properly, the co2 should remain at 75 degrees. So if the co2 cools down, the pressure of the co2 tank will decrease, which means there’s less power in each consecutive shot.

That’s when pressurized air became popular in the 90s. High pressure air tanks are typically made up of 78% nitrogen and pressurized at around 3000 PSI, which allows the gas to remain in a gaseous state. This allows for more pressure consistency with each shot. But if you’re new to paintball, you can definitely achieve practice with a standard Co2 tank. For more experienced players who like to fire quick consecutive shots, the high pressure air tank is the better option.

 

WiFi & Cable TV (helium)

Aside from filling balloons to float high in the sky, helium is also commonly used in the manufacturing of fiber optics. Helium is a vital part of technology and without it, we wouldn’t be able to spend hours on the internet each day.

Fiber optics goes into the cables that allow for data transfer used in wifi and cable tv. Helium is essentially used to prevent air bubbles from forming and getting trapped in the fibers. Fiber optics are very fragile and can easily break and destroy the fiber’s transmission properties if those bubbles form in the glass. The helium prevents this from happening and also helps cool down freshly drawn fiber.

Fiber optics manufacturing depends on helium gas as it’s used in various steps within the manufacturing process. Without helium we wouldn’t have the ability to enjoy the wonders of the internet and cable TV.

 

There are many more items all around us that directly and indirectly rely on industrial and compressed gases to function. Even something as little as a microchip within your computer involves the addition of an industrial gas to manufacture. We should appreciate what these gases are able to accomplish because without them, this world would be a lot different.

Air Source Industries supplies industrial gases to various industries with next business day delivery available. Whether you’re a restaurant looking for food grade Co2, or a manufacturing plant in need of helium or nitrogen, we’re here to help you get what you need. For a free quote on the gases you need, please call (562) 426-4017 or get a free quote today.

 

 

Sources:
https://www.scienceabc.com/eyeopeners/why-is-carbon-dioxide-mixed-in-cold-drinks-and-beverages.html
https://www.hopculture.com/what-is-nitro-beer-history/
https://askinglot.com/why-is-argon-and-nitrogen-used-in-light-bulbs
https://paintballer.co/co2-vs-hpa/
https://www.nap.edu/read/9860/chapter/6#34