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Abcs Of Oxygen For Energy

By Lucia Weeks


In elemental state, oxygen is a gas in the atmosphere and is dissolved in water. The amount of relatively reactive oxygen elemental remains constant only in long run, because O2 producing plants replace much as of aerobic breathing creatures as well as other combustion processes is used again (oxygen for energy). Without this biological cycle O2 would only occur in compounds, ie elemental O2 exists in a dynamic equilibrium.

An older method is based on chemical reactions barium oxide method. It is uneconomical due to high energy costs. For barium oxide is heated under air at 500 degrees C., the barium forms. When heated to 700 degrees C recorded earlier O2 is released by thermolysis again. Prior to development of Linde process, this method was the only way to pure O2 present.

Oxygen is not created in primordial nucleosynthesis, but is produced in relatively large amounts in giant stars by helium burning. It is first formed from three helium nuclei 12C (Triple-alpha process), which subsequently merged with another helium nucleus to 16O. 18O is formed by fusion of 4He with a 14N nucleus.

Even in so-called main sequence stars like the sun plays a role in energy oxygen. In CNO cycle (CNO cycle) represents O2 is an intermediate of nuclear reaction in which proton capture by a 12C nucleus, which acts as a catalyst, a 4He nucleus (alpha particle) is produced. In extremely heavy stars occurs in late stage of their development to O2 burning, in which the O2 is used as nuclear fuel for reactions that lead to construction of even heavier nuclei.

Most white dwarfs, which are the final state of 97% of all stars in prior theory, exist side by helium and carbon to a large extent of oxygen. Technically O2 is today almost exclusively obtained by rectification of air. The method in 1902, first developed by Carl von Linde (Linde process) and designed by Georges Claude economically viable. Small amounts arising as a by-product in production of hydrogen by electrolysis of water.

Initially, the O2 has been accepted as a basic component for the formation of acids. Therefore, the term Oxygenium (acidifier) 1779 proposed by Lavoisier oxygen. In fact, most inorganic acids in solution of non-metal oxides in O2 water. The halogens, such as chlorine and bromine, is therefore held for a long time oxides of unknown elements. Only later was recognized that hydrogen is responsible for the acid character.

The actual separation of nitrogen and O2 by distillation in two distillation columns with different pressures. The distillation is carried out in counter-current principle, that is by the condensation heat of evaporated gas flows upward, condensed liquid drips down. Since O2 has a higher boiling point than nitrogen, it condenses readily and collects at the bottom so, nitrogen at the top of column.

The separation takes place initially at 5-6 bar in so-called medium pressure column. The resulting oxygen-enriched liquid is then (pressure about 0.5 bar) further separated in low pressure column. Through the liquid O2 of low pressure column, gaseous nitrogen of high pressure column is passed. It liquefies this and heated with the votes condensation heat the liquid. The more volatile nitrogen is discharged and preferably remains purified liquid oxygen. This still contains the noble gases krypton and xenon, which are separated in a separate column.




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