Cryogenic Air Separation
Introduction
Cryogenic Air Separation is the most common industrial process to produce high-purity oxygen, nitrogen, and argon.
Based on distillation of liquefied air at very low (cryogenic) temperatures.
Widely used in steel plants, chemical industries, hospitals, and energy sectors.
Principle
Different gases in air have different boiling points:
Nitrogen: –196 °C
Oxygen: –183 °C
Argon: –186 °C
By cooling and liquefying air, these gases can be separated by fractional distillation.
Feedstock
Atmospheric air (78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, ~1% Argon, traces of COâ‚‚ & water vapor).
Main Steps
Air Filtration
Compression
Purification
Cooling & Liquefaction
Fractional Distillation in Columns
Product Extraction
Plant Components
Air compressor
Air pre-treatment unit (filters, molecular sieve adsorbers)
Heat exchangers
Expansion turbine
High & low-pressure distillation columns
Argon separation unit
Cryogenic storage tanks & product pipelines
Products
Oxygen → used in steelmaking, medical applications, chemical processes
Nitrogen → used in semiconductor manufacturing, cryogenic cooling, medical applications
Argon → welding, metallurgy, semiconductor industry
Introduction
Cryogenic Air Separation is the most common industrial process to produce high-purity oxygen, nitrogen, and argon.
Based on distillation of liquefied air at very low (cryogenic) temperatures.
Widely used in steel plants, chemical industries, hospitals, and energy sectors.
Principle
Different gases in air have different boiling points:
Nitrogen: –196 °C Oxygen: –183 °C Argon: –186 °C
By cooling and liquefying air, these gases can be separated by fractional distillation.
Feedstock
Atmospheric air (78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, ~1% Argon, traces of COâ‚‚ & water vapor).
Main Steps
Air Filtration
Compression
Purification
Cooling & Liquefaction
Fractional Distillation in Columns
Product Extraction
Plant Components
Air compressor
Air pre-treatment unit (filters, molecular sieve adsorbers)
Heat exchangers
Expansion turbine
High & low-pressure distillation columns
Argon separation unit
Cryogenic storage tanks & product pipelines
Products
Oxygen → used in steelmaking, medical applications, chemical processes
Nitrogen → used in semiconductor manufacturing, cryogenic cooling, medical applications
Argon → welding, metallurgy, semiconductor industry
