Industrial GasIndustrial gases are a group of gases that are specifically manufactured for use in a wide range of industries, which include oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, power, mining, steelmaking, metals, environmental protection, medicine, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food, water, fertilizers, nuclear power, electronics and aerospace. Their production is a part of the wider chemical Industry (where industrial gases are often seen as "speciality chemicals")The principal gases provided are nitrogen,oxygen,carbon dioxide, argon, hydrogen, helium and acetylene.HistoryThe first gas from thenatural environmentused by man was almost certainlyairwhen it was discovered that blowing on or fanning afire made it burn brighter. Man also used thewarm gases from a firetosmokefood.Steamfrom boiling water has also been used by man in cookingfoods.70006600 BCE carbon dioxide as a product of fermentation, particularly in beverages was first documented in Jiahu,China500 B.C - Chinese discovered the potential to transport gas seeping from the ground in crude pipelines of bamboo to where it was used to boil sea waterDiscovery of various gases: carbon dioxide (1754), hydrogen (1766),nitrogen (1772), nitrous oxide (1772), oxygen (1773), ammonia (1774), chlorine (1774),]methane (1776), hydrogen sulfide (1777),]carbon monoxide (1800),hydrogen chloride (1810), acetylene (1836), helium (1868), fluorine (1886),argon (1894), krypton, neon and xenon (1898)and radon (1899).1772 carbonated water was made1785 chlorine was first used in bleach textiles1844 - nitrous oxidewas first used for dentistry anesthesia; Kipps apparatus used to generate gases such as hydrogen,hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, acetylene and carbon dioxide by simplegas evolution reactions was invented1893 acetylene was manufactured1898 - acetylene generators were used to produce gas forgas cookingandgas lighting1912 - LPG was produced commercially from 1912, the use of acetylene for cooking declined.1869 - electrolysis of waterto produce hydrogen1884 - Brin processfor oxygen production which was invented1888 - electrolysis of waterto produce oxygen1892 - cloralkali processto produce chlorine1908 - Haber Processto produce ammonia1823 - Carbon dioxide was first liquefied1834 - firstVapor-compression refrigerationcycle using ether was invented1883 -Liquid oxygenandLiquid nitrogenwere both first made1898 - Liquid hydrogenwas first made1908 - Liquid helium1910.- LPGwas first made1880s - construction of the first high pressuregas cylinders1895 - refrigeration compression cycles were further developed to enablethe liquefaction of air byCarl von Linde1896 - discovery that large quantities of acetylene could be dissolved inacetoneand rendered nonexplosive allowed the safe bottling of acetyleneUse of Industrial GasesUses of industrial gases The different gases are used in a wide variety of industries, but most notably in the metal, polymer and food industries.Acetylene Acetylene is mainly used in oxy-acetylene flames for cutting mild steel and for welding.Hydrogen Hydrogen is used to react with traces of oxygen in other gas streams. The two gases react forming water, which can be easily condensed out of a gas mixture. The majority of the hydrogen is sold to the edible fats and oils industry where it is used to hydrogenate vegetable oils to make margarineCarbon dioxideCarbon dioxide is used widely in the food industry for applications such as removing the caffeine from coffee beans to make decaffeinated coffee and for carbonating beer, soft drinks etc. It is also used for cooling in the food and manufacturing industries.Nitrogen Nitrogen has two main uses: cooling and as an inert atmosphere. As liquid nitrogen it is used for cooling in many industrial processes and in the food industry As gaseous nitrogen it is used to form an inert blanket over substances that would otherwise be oxidized by the air. Nitrogen is used for cooling various mechanical equipment that needs to be kept extremely cold and for snap-freezing foods such as chicken, hamburger patties and fruit to be eaten out of season. Inert blankets of nitrogen are used over reactive liquids in tankers, in varnish manufacture and also inside potato chip packets.OxygenOxygen is used to oxidize unwanted impurities in the steel. The remainder is in the food industry, for medical oxygen for respiration and in oxy-acetylene torche.ArgonArgon is highly unreactive and so, like nitrogen, can be used as a protective blanket to prevent substances from oxidizing. Argon is mainly used to protect very hot metal, as this is highly reactive. Most of it is used in welding to protect the molten metal, and a small amount is used in light bulbs to prevent the white-hot tungsten filament from oxidizing.