Oxygen
Oxygen (O) is a highly reactive Period 2 element with the atomic number 8. It readily forms compounds (notably oxides) with almost all other elements.
At standard temperature and pressure, two atoms of the element bind to form di-oxygen (O2), a colorless, odorless, tasteless diatomic gas with the formula O2. By mass, oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen and helium and the most abundant element by mass in the Earth’s crust. Diatomic oxygen gas constitutes 20.8% of the volume of air.
The oxygen level in normal fresh air is approximately 21% volume. Reduced oxygen levels can cause dizziness or fainting. If levels are too low, serious brain damage or death may occur. In some underground environments such as mines, low oxygen conditions can be formed either by displacement of the oxygen by another gas, or by consumption of the oxygen in the area by a chemical or biological process.
An oxygen monitor can help to prevent injury or death by providing an early warning of reduced oxygen concentration. Typically, if the oxygen level drops below 19.5% volume (the OSHA-mandated level) a low-oxygen alarm is triggered, and personnel can be evacuated until the problem is properly investigated and resolved.
Specifications
| Gas | Oxygen | Gas Density | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Symbol | O2 | Detection Principle | Galvanic |
| PEL (ppm) | LEL (%) | ||
| IDHL (ppm) | UEL (%) | ||
| Industries | Water & Waste Water Treatment, Ozone Generators, Confined Spaces, Research | description | |
| applications |
Products
- P1643-2 Remote Alarm Panel
- P1879 Gas Calibration Kits
- P1880 Gas Cylinder
- P1880 Gas Cylinder
- P2065-D Single Channel Controller Series
- P2259 Four Channel Gas Controller
- P2260 Eight Channel Gas Controller
- P2260-16 Sixteen Channel Gas Controller
Industrial Applications
Steel Production
The smelting of iron ore into steel consumes 55% of commercially produced oxygen. In this process, O2 is injected through a high- pressure lance into molten iron, thereby removing sulfur impurities and excess carbon as the respective oxides, SO2 and CO2. The reactions are exothermic, with the temperature increasing to 1,700°C.
Chemical Industry
Another 25% of commercially produced oxygen is used by the chemical industry. Ethylene is reacted with O2 to create ethylene oxide, which, in turn, is converted into ethylene glycol, the primary feeder material used to manufacture many products, including antifreeze and polyester polymers (the precursors of many plastics and fabrics).
Other Applications
Most of the remaining 20% of commercially produced oxygen is used in medical applications, metal cutting, welding, as an oxidizer in rocket fuel, and in water treatment. Oxygen is used in oxyacetylene welding, in which acetylene and O2 are burned to produce a very hot flame. In this process, metal up to 60 cm thick is heated with a small oxyacetylene flame and then quickly cut by a large stream of O2. Larger rockets use liquid oxygen as an oxidizer, which is mixed and ignited with the fuel for propulsion.