Argon

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BOC can supply argon:

• In a full range of purities.
• In any quantity you require.
• As either compressed or liquefied gas.
• In over 30 countries.

Our argon products include:

• Pure argon.
• Argon mixtures.

We have specialist argon grades for use in:

• Industrial applications.
• Food.

Supply options

Call Us or Email Us for advice on the most cost effective supply option to meet your needs, these include:

• Compressed argon – gas cylinders for convenience or for mobile supply.
• Liquid argon cylinders – for small volume cryogenic applications.
• Bulk argon – delivered by cryogenic tankers into on-site storage for high-volume applications.
• On-site argon – as a high value by-product of large scale oxygen and nitrogen manufacture using the air separation process.

Processes that use argon

Argon is totally inert to almost all substances at all temperature and pressures. Because it comprises only 4% of the atmosphere it is a high value gas. It is the gas of choice when super-inertness is needed for high temperature process or metal working. Therefore it is used in:

• Heat Treatment – as a protective atmosphere for the most reactive metals, where nitrogen could react or needs to be excluded.
• Inerting and purging – for storage vessels and pipelines in chemicals and pharmaceutical plants.
• Metal refining – for degassing and stirring to achieve exact composition specification.
• Semiconductor applications – as a protective atmosphere for silicon crystal pulling in wafer manufacture.

Argon has a much higher density than air, which makes it an effective shielding gas for:

• Welding – pure or in mixture to shield the molten metal from contamination by the atmosphere.
• Cutting – pure at very high temperature for plasma arc cutting of ferrous and non-ferrous alloys.

Argon has a very low thermal conductivity relative to most other gases. This makes it a useful gas for:

• Insulation – to fill inter-space in double glazed windows.

Industries that use argon

Argon’s inertness, low boiling point and low conductivity properties give it a key role across many industries such as:

• Steel and Iron – to obtain precise specification of products:
  • for argon-oxygen decarburisation (AOD) in stainless steel production.
  • for ladle refining steel techniques where nitrogen could react with metals.
  • to ensure temperature homogeneity in continuous casting and for plasma torches for precise temperature control.
• Non-ferrous metals – to minimise chromium oxidation, to degas aluminium to avoid porosity and for specific atmosphere in titanium production and processing.
• Metal Heat Treatment – to protect reactive metals from oxidation.
• Glass – exploiting its low conductivity as an insulator in double glazing.
• Chemicals and Pharmaceutical – to inert and purge storage vessels and pipelines.
• General fabrication – to fill lamp bulbs to protect tungsten filaments and extend life.

Safety Information

• Argon is an inert gas that causes oxygen depletion leading to asphyxiation and death. The danger is exacerbated by the fact that argon’s density is greater than air. This allows it to flow downwards and collect in low lying areas far from the point of leakage.
• Argon is not consumed in any process and might therefore be present in high concentration in exhaust streams. Argon used in electric welding operations can fill the tanks and vessels being constructed and lead to asphyxiation hazards.
• In its liquid form argon represents a frostbite hazard.

Technical Information