The basic uses of nitrogen
Nitrogen is used nowadays in a wide range of activities. Its
range of use varies from food industry to medical purposes.
In agriculture, almost all commercial fertilizers are nitrogen
based. In large amounts, such fertilizers erode and decay the
soil and pollute the waters, but when they are used correctly,
they contribute to extend food production. Natural fertilizers
also release nitrogen, but they are more environment friendly.
Nitrogen is being used in laboratories and medical facilities
for preserving different organisms and in producing cures for
diseases such as Anthrax. In medicine, liquid nitrogen is used
in performing surgeries. The general advantages of this therapy
are its ease of use, its low cost, and its good cosmetic
results. Most skin cancers are treated with excision or other
destructive procedures, such as electrodessication and
curettage. Superficial basal cell skin cancers and Bowen disease
can be treated with liquid nitrogen instead.
Nitrogen has recently been used in beer production. Many beers
use it as an ingredient. Brewers dissolve nitrogen in the beer,
which improves the beer's quality. The right blend between CO2
and nitrogen preserve the composition of beer and prevent or
reduce foaming.
As an extent, nitrogen is also used to fill tires.
Ingersoll-Rand's Productivity Solutions Group has introduced the
Nitrogen Tire Filling System, which enables tires to perform
better, last longer and function with a greater degree of safety
than tires filled with ordinary compressed air. A dry, inert
gas used by racing professionals and the military to inflate
race-car tires and military vehicles, this gas leaks through a
tire's rubber walls three times more slowly than oxygen. As a
result, tires filled with this high-quality gas, delivered by
IR's Tire Filling System, stay inflated longer, and therefore
grip the road better and provide greater control, in all weather
conditions. It is a clean, moisture-free gas that slows down the
tire aging process, unlike oxygen, for example, that is known to
erode the rubber on the interior. Nitrogen also solves issues
like improper tire inflation and excessive heating, which can
lead to catastrophic tire failure, thus causing serious
accidents.