Oxygen (O₂)

The oxidizing gas used for life sustaining and performance optimization applications 

Oxygen is a colorless, odorless reactive gas and the life-supporting component of air. It forms just under 21% of the earth's atmosphere, and is the most abundant element in the earth's crust, mainly in the form of oxides, silicates, and carbonates.

In addition to its use as a respiratory gas for healthcare applications, oxygen has strong oxidizing properties that can benefit many industries by improving yields, optimizing performance, lowering costs and reducing carbon footprint compared to other fuels. Oxygen enrichment or replacement of air also enhances chemical and biological process efficiency.

Applications using oxygen include combustion, oxidation, fermentation, wastewater treatment and aquaculture. Combined with fuel gases or with argon (Ar) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), oxygen is also used for metal cutting, welding, scarfing, hardening, cleaning, and melting applications. In the food industry, oxygen is used to maintain red meat’s fresh, natural color.