Oxygen (O2) constitutes approximately 21% of
the air, has a gaseous specific gravity of 1.1, and has a
boiling point of -297.3°F (-183°C). Oxygen is produced by air
separation processes that use either cryogenic liquefaction and
distillation or vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) separation. Oxygen
can be stored and shipped as either a gas or a cryogenic liquid.
The principal uses of oxygen stem from its strong oxidizing and
life-sustaining properties. It is used in medicine for
therapeutic purposes and in the metals industry for steelmaking
and metal-cutting applications. In the chemical and petroleum
industries, oxygen is used in the production of a wide variety
of fuels and chemicals. Oxygen is used in the pulp and paper
industry for a variety of applications, including pulp
bleaching, black liquor oxidation, and lime kiln enrichment. In
the glass industry, oxygen/fuel combustion is used to reduce
particulate and NOx emissions in melting operations. Oxygen is
also used for gasification applications for producing synethesis
gas to make chemicals, fuels, electricity, hydrogen or steam.
