Oxygen
The oxygen element was discovered in 1774 by Joseph Priestley. It was only later that its high level of chemical reactivity was discovered. Lavoisier renamed 'vital air' to oxygène in 1777 from the Greek -ὀξύς (oxys) (acid) and -γενής (-genes) (producer, literally begetter).
It is the most abundant element on the earth’s surface.
For example, oxygen makes up by weight:
- 46% of the Earth's crust (in the form of oxides, silicates, etc.)
- 89% of the Earth's water (in the form of molecules)
- 21% of the air we breathe
- 62% of the human body (in the form of molecules)
Colorless, odorless and tasteless, oxygen has poor solubility in water. A specific gravity of 1.105 makes it slightly heavier than air. When cooled to its boiling point of -297°F (-183°C), oxygen becomes a transparent, pale blue liquid that is slightly heavier than water.
Applications
- Oxygen is used in diverse applications covering many industries, including:
- Steel Manufacturing to enrich air and increase combustion temperatures in blast and open hearth furnaces; to raise steel temperatures and enhance recycling of scrap metal in electric arc furnaces; and to replace coke as the combustible in steel making.
- Chemical Processing to alter the structure of feedstock's through oxidation, producing nitric acid, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, vinyl chloride monomer and other building block chemicals; and to increase capacity and destruction efficiency of waste incinerators.
- Pulp and Paper to help manufacturers meet stringent environmental regulations in a variety of mill processes including demagnification, bleaching, oxidative extraction, chemical recovery, white/black liquor oxidation and lime kiln enrichment.
- Metal Production to replace or enrich air, increasing combustion temperatures in ferrous and non-ferrous metals production; to create a hot flame in high-temperature welding torches used in cutting and welding.
- Metal Fabrication to support oxy fuel cutting operations. Sometimes added in small quantities for shielding gases.
- Glass Manufacturing to enhance combustion in glass furnaces and fore hearths, reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to levels below new stringent requirements of the U.S. Clean Air AC.
- Petroleum Recovery and Refining to reduce viscosity and improve flow in oil and gas wells to increase capacity of fluid catalytic cracking plants as well as to facilitate use of heavier feedstock's and to reduce sulfur emissions in refineries.
- Health Services to resuscitate or, in combination with other gases, to anesthetize; but also essential to life-support systems used in emergencies or long-term treatment of patients with respiratory disorders.
- Utilities to convert coal to electricity for power generation.
Cutting With acetylene or LPG's, oxygen allows to boost the flame properties in flame torches and burners (flame temperature, specific flame output power).
