Argon - 99.9999% Pure, Colorless And Odorless Gas For Inert Atmosphere Applications, Non-reactive And Asphyxiating

Argon

Product Information

General information

Filling pressure at 15 C, bar: 200

Material recommendations: No restrictions

Characteristics

Colourless, odourless gas. Non-reactive. Inert

Health risks

Asphyxiating.

Transport

ADR Class 2, 1(a)

Physical data

• Molecular weight: 39.95
• Boiling point at 1.013 bar, C: -185 .9
• Density (1.013 bar, 15 C) kg/m3: 1.69
• Vapour pressure at -0 C, bar:
• 20 C, bar:
• Flammability range in air, % (volume): Non combustible
• Specific volume (1.013 bar, 15 C), m³/kg: 0.591

Source

The most common source of argon is an air separation plant. A crude argon stream containing up to 5% oxygen is removed from the main air separation column via a secondary (side-arm) column. The crude argon is then further purified to produce the various commercial grades required. Argon may also be recovered from the waste streams of certain ammonia plants.

Applications

Argon. is one of the most common carrier gases in gas chromatography. Argon is used as a carrier gas in sputtering, plasma etching and ion implantations, and as a blanket atmosphere in crystal growth.

Many geiger-counting tubes contain argon or argon mixed with organic vapours or other gases, for example 10% methane in argon.

Argon is used in blends with, for example, fluorine and helium in excimer lasers.

Argon is one of the principal gases used for filling incandescent (filament) lamps, generally in a mixture with either nitrogen, krypton or neon, for phosphorescent tubes in mixtures with neon, helium and mercury vapour and for thyratron radio tubes, in mixtures with neon.

The argon-oxygen decarburizing (AOD) process is the most common method of refining stainless steel, and uses large quantities of both gases supplied either in liquid form or via pipeline from an on-site plant.

Argon is used in the iron and steel industry to prevent oxidation of molten metals and alloys and for degassing and desulphurization of molten steel and iron baths.

Argon is used, often in a mixture with hydrogen, as a protective atmosphere for the heat treatment of certain metals, particularly those which are susceptible to nitriding when treated in a nitrogen-based atmosphere.This includes stainless steels and many different specialized and therefore small-scale applications.

One of the most common applications of argon, either pure or in various mixtures, is as a shielding gas for arc welding.