Crazy Buy of the Week

Mike wrote:
I prefer to fill my slowly leaking cars tires with N2O. I can't
explain it but it makes for a much more pleasant ride.

Mike

Puts a smile on your face?

Brian W

Martin Gregorie wrote:
/snip/ Enc Brit (14th Ed.) mentions this: "nitrogen gas
is somewhat inert since the heat of dissociation of the nitrogen
molecule into atoms is large, but it can unite directly under certain
circumstances with several elements, including hydrogen, oxygen, boron,
silicon, lithium, magnesium, calcium, barium, titanium, vanadium,
tantalum, tungsten and manganese...."

To be specific, lets look at the Haber Process, which is the basis of
nitrogenous fertiliser manufacture. It combines hydrogen with nitrogen
from the atmosphere. This reaction requires temperatures between 300 -
550C at pressures of 150 - 250 atmospheres and only takes place over an
iron oxide catalyst.

Silicon carbide is made by reacting nitrogen with silicon, but it only
reacts at 1300-1400 C.

That looks like a pretty inert, or non-reactive if you prefer, gas to me.


Electric arc welding methods used to rejoice in names like ArgonArc and
Heliarc, for reasons that will be clear.

But Nitrogen can be and is used as a weld shield gas for some purposes.

Brian W