In the aerospace industry, nitrogen gas is used to pressurize certain components of industrial autoclaves. Because nitrogen is an inert gas that prevents combustion, it is an ideal choice for systems operating at high temperatures or high pressure.
See: Nitrogen Gas and Aerospace Manufacturing
Autoclaves apply heat and pressure to workloads placed inside them. There are two common types of autoclaves: those that utilize steam and those that use heated gas. Steam is typically a suitable choice for workloads that can endure moisture; however, gas is the optimal choice for workloads requiring a dry atmosphere. Furthermore, using gas to pressurize the autoclave ensures greater control and regulation of the heating atmosphere in the aerospace industry.
With gas pressurization in industrial autoclaves, nitrogen facilitates a more versatile operation by removing air, moisture, and other contaminants. As nitrogen is non-combustible, it provides a safe alternative to compressed air, especially in the aerospace industry.
Nitrogen can also be used in ejector pumps when processing aerospace parts in autoclaves. It can be introduced to safely and effectively remove nearly all air. Because safety is a significant concern during the manufacturing and processing of autoclave curing, nitrogen is a popular choice due to its inert properties.
Nitrogen is the most cost-effective solution for large and expensive workloads. Because it is readily available and even possible to generate from the surrounding air, it’s an accessible gas for large-scale projects.