Nitrox production

Nitrox Production

Nitrox is a term used in scuba diving to refer to any gas mixture composed (by volume) of nitrogen and oxygen. This includes atmospheric air, which is approximately 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases, primarily argon. However, in scuba diving, nitrox is normally differentiated and handled differently from air. This is because it has a higher oxygen fraction than air, i.e., greater than 21%. Nitrox is used in scuba diving to reduce the proportion of nitrogen in the breathing gas mixture, and thereby reduce the potential for decompression sickness or nitrogen narcosis.

Production Methods

There are two main methods for producing nitrox mixtures used for scuba diving: the continuous blending method and the partial pressure blending method.

Continuous Blending

The continuous blending method involves the use of a high-pressure compressor to mix oxygen and air at a controlled ratio. The oxygen is added to the intake air before compression. The oxygen fraction of the resulting gas mixture can be controlled by adjusting the rate of oxygen addition relative to the air flow rate. This method is commonly used in commercial nitrox production systems.

Partial Pressure Blending

The partial pressure blending method involves filling the scuba cylinder with pure oxygen to a calculated partial pressure, and then topping up the cylinder with air to reach the desired final pressure. The oxygen fraction of the resulting gas mixture can be controlled by adjusting the initial oxygen pressure. This method is commonly used in dive shops and by individual divers who blend their own nitrox.

Safety Considerations

Producing and handling nitrox requires special training and equipment due to the increased risk of fire or explosion associated with high-pressure oxygen. The equipment used for nitrox production must be oxygen-clean to prevent contamination that could lead to a fire or explosion. In addition, the gas mixture must be analyzed after production to ensure that it has the correct oxygen fraction and is safe to use.

See Also

• Scuba diving
• Decompression sickness
• Nitrogen narcosis

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