Nitrous oxide is a colorless, odorless, sweet-smelling, non-flammable, chemically stable and non-toxic gas. Also called laughing gas due to its euphoric and dissociative effects, it finds medical use as an analgesic and anaesthetic.
Discovered in 1772, it is still used today in medicine to practice general anaesthesia, especially in combination with other drugs. The concentration compared to air, necessary to cause narcosis, is very high, of the order of 60/70 percent compared to oxygen. Among other things, nitrous oxide was the first anesthetic in the history of medicine.
Nitrous oxide is also used in the food sector as an additive (E-942), for the packaging of cream and other milk derivatives in a controlled atmosphere. Its quality and use are governed by various regulations, including Regulations (EC) 852/2004 and 1333/2008 and Directive 89/107/EEC concerning additives authorized in food products intended for human consumption.
Nitrous oxide, a food additive, is used as a propellant in spray whipped cream packages. It is slightly soluble in water but very soluble in fats, so it binds well to the lipid fraction of the cream. When the pressurized container is opened, the gas tends to escape, regasifying and creating tiny bubbles made up of emulsified fats. These bubbles create the characteristic swelling effect of whipped cream.
Nitrous oxide is also used as an oxidizer in rocket engines. Compared to other oxidizing agents it has the advantage of being non-toxic, stable at room temperature and relatively easy to store and transport in flight. It is the oxidizer of choice in several models of hybrid rocket engines - hybrids because the fuel is solid, while the oxidizer is liquid or gaseous. It has often been used in combination with a polybutadiene with hydroxyl end groups.
Gas used for various types of industrial applications such as in motor racing as an oxidizer, as a laboratory gas, in CVD (chemical vapor deposition) processes in industry of semiconductors and as a gas for flame processes (AAS, FID).
Primary gas utilizations in different markets
Health
Inhalation as an anesthetic and analgesic in surgical procedures.
Mechanics
Booster for internal combustion engines.
Laboratories
Oxidant for atomic absorption analysis.
Agro-food Industry
Propellant for liquid foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and products for household and industrial use.
Other
Leak detection
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