Making up 0.93% of the Earth’s atmosphere, argon gas is a colourless, odourless and non-toxic noble gas. Despite the gases abundance in our atmosphere, the diverse applications of argon gas are relatively unknown. From industrial processes to scientific research, argon gas is essential to a variety of fields.
Arguably the most significant use of argon is as a shielding gas during welding, particularly in TIG (tungsten inert gas) and MIG (metal inert gas) welding. Argon creates an unmoving atmosphere around the weld to protect the weld from gases like oxygen and nitrogen and other potential contaminants. This shield of argon results in stronger and cleaner welds, which are of utmost importance in applications involving stainless steel and aluminum.
Argon gas has many uses in industrial processes requiring an inert environment, such as the production of titanium. Argon creates this environment, preventing oxygen or moisture from contaminating the metals in production, maintaining the purity of these metals.
Another notable use of argon gas is in lighting, most often in fluorescent and neon lights. With fluorescent lightbulbs, argon mixes with mercury vapour, which when powered on, creates an ultraviolet light, exciting the phosphor coat in the bulb and creating light. With neon signs, argon and phosphor coatings work together to create vibrant and eye-catching displays.
In the field of preservation and packaging, argon plays an important role in the preservation of a wide range of products. From artwork, historical documents, all the way to food products, argon plays an important role in their preservation by displacing oxygen and moisture. The displacement of oxygen and moisture prevents oxidation and spoilage, extending the lifespan of items.
Argon also has medical applications. Mainly used in cryosurgery where argon is often used to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue such as warts. Argon lasers also have important uses in the medical field, with a variety of uses in procedures.
Lastly, many labs use argon gas for experiments requiring low reactivity. It is used in order to create a controlled environment to first, reduce the risk of explosions, and second to study different reactions without interference from gases such as oxygen or nitrogen.
Simcoe Gases is a premier supplier of argon, in high pressure argon gas cylinders and of liquid argon in cryogenic liquid cylinders. Call us today to discuss your Argon gas requirements and arrange fast delivery throughout Southern Ontario.