Uses of Nitrogen Cylinders

Nitrogen is the most prominent element present in the air we breathe, but aside from floating all around us, pure nitrogen has a variety of uses. More and more, people are using nitrogen gas to perform functions traditionally achieved with air or carbon dioxide. Nitrogen cylinders make nitrogen gas transportable and capable of fulfilling many needs in many different places.

Beer Distribution

• You might find a nitrogen cylinder handy for a long-draw beer system. Beer distributors, typically bars, will use long-draw systems when they have placed the kegs of beer far away from the bar itself, meaning the beer must be pumped a long distance from container to customer. In order to transport the beer a long way and not over-carbonate it, you can use a blend of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The nitrogen helps dispense the beer like carbon dioxide, but it does not affect the beer's flavor. To use your nitrogen cylinder in this capacity, you will need a way to mix it with carbon dioxide. You can simply purchase a premixed cylinder, or you can use a gas blender to blend your nitrogen with carbon dioxide.

Tire Inflation

• You may want to try using your nitrogen cylinder to inflate the tires of your automobile as an alternative to putting air into them. The Get Nitrogen Institute states that tires inflated with nitrogen, as opposed to air, tend to deflate at a much slower rate because the larger molecules are less able to permeate the tire walls. Besides having to inflate very infrequently, other possible benefits of using nitrogen include longer tire life, since the tires will not suffer from oxidation, and longer rim life, since there will be no water vapor inside the tires to cause rust. Major airlines, the military, and NASCAR already use nitrogen for inflating tires, so you can use your nitrogen cylinder to do the same.

Paintball Tanks

• If you are so inclined, your nitrogen cylinder could go a long way on the paintball field. While carbon dioxide has traditionally been the compound of choice for paintball tanks, nitrogen has recently become a popular alternative. The outside temperature has much less of an effect on nitrogen than it does on carbon dioxide, so you can play consistently regardless of the weather. The carbon dioxide tanks also rely on a change from liquid to gas, and the conversion does not always happen smoothly, which can lead to sporadic firing problems. Nitrogen does not have to change states from liquid to gas, so the firing of the gun is unaffected. Nitrogen is also the most cost-effective option for filling paintball tanks.