Today, people use nitrogen to improve their lives?

Nitrogen: Improve the life of the invisible hero

Nitrogen, an inert gas that accounts for up to 78% of the air, may seem to have little to do with our daily lives, but in fact, it plays an important role in improving the quality of human life. From agriculture to industry, from medicine to food preservation, nitrogen is used everywhere. Today, we will discuss how nitrogen has a positive impact on human life in many areas.

1. Nitrogen Sources and Characteristics

Nitrogen is one of the main components of air, the chemical symbol for N₂, is a colorless, odorless, non-toxic inert gas. Because of its stable chemical properties, nitrogen is not easy to react with other substances at room temperature, which also makes it an ideal raw material or protective gas in many fields. The production of nitrogen is mainly through air separation technology, which separates oxygen and nitrogen in liquid air to obtain high-purity nitrogen.

2. Nitrogen in Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the important areas of nitrogen application. Nitrogen fertilizer is an indispensable agricultural material in modern agricultural production, and the production of nitrogen fertilizer is inseparable from nitrogen. Through the Haber-Bosch process, nitrogen and hydrogen are synthesized into ammonia (NH) under the action of high temperature, high pressure and catalyst. Ammonia is an important raw material for the production of urea, ammonium nitrate and other nitrogen fertilizers. The use of nitrogen fertilizer has significantly increased the yield of crops and made an important contribution to solving the global food problem. According to statistics, about 40% of global food production depends on the use of nitrogen fertilizer. Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer can also lead to soil acidification and water eutrophication, so the rational application of nitrogen fertilizer is the key to sustainable development of agriculture.

3. Nitrogen in Industry

In addition to agriculture, nitrogen also has a wide range of applications in the industrial field. In chemical production, nitrogen is often used as a protective gas to prevent chemical reactions of raw materials at high temperatures or oxidizing environments. For example, in the production process of synthetic ammonia, urea and other chemical products, nitrogen is an essential raw material. Nitrogen is also used for cleaning and protection in semiconductor manufacturing, ensuring a clean environment for the chip manufacturing process. In the food industry, nitrogen is often used in food preservation, by replacing the oxygen in the packaging bag, delay the process of food oxidation deterioration. This non-toxic and tasteless preservation method not only extends the shelf life of food, but also ensures the food safety of consumers.

4. Nitrogen in Environmental and Health Applications

Nitrogen also plays an important role in environmental management and health protection. In the field of water treatment, nitrogen can be used to remove impurities in sewage by air flotation and improve the efficiency of sewage treatment. In the medical field, liquid nitrogen is used to preserve biological samples such as vaccines and blood to ensure their activity and safety during transportation and storage. Nitrogen is also used to make quick-frozen food, which locks in the nutrition and flavor of food through rapid freezing, providing consumers with better food choices.

5. Conclusion

As an important industrial raw material and protective gas, nitrogen is improving our lives in many ways. From ensuring food security to improving industrial production efficiency, from extending the shelf life of food to protecting the environment and health, the role of nitrogen is everywhere. In the future, with the progress of science and technology, the application field of nitrogen will be more extensive, and it will continue to contribute to the progress and development of human society.