Bulk Liquid Pure Argon  [ Return towards  Bulk Gases  ]

Argon, Ar, comprises just under 1% of the earth's atmosphere. Commercially available liquid argon is made in large cryogenic air separation plants, where normal atmospheric air is cleaned, compressed and cooled by expansion to create liquefied air which is subsequently separated by fractional distillation at cryogenic temperatures. Industrial grade argon, containing a few percent of oxygen, can be directly tapped from the primary ( or crude ) argon column, but pure argon needs further purification and distillation. Liquid argon is stored and transported in special vacuum-insulated tanks and tankers at temperatures in the range - 186 to - 143 º C and corresponding pressures ranging from atmospheric to about 20 bar. Tanks and tankers have no refrigeration systems to maintain the internal temperature, hence heat ingress may cause the liquid to boil and increase the pressure in the tank. Automatic systems vent any excess pressure. Generally, liquid argon is transported cold at a low pressure. Customers' tanks are generally high pressure ( up to 20 bar).

At our plant, quality is assured by continuous on-line process analysis and individual analysis of every tanker both before and after filling.

Gaseous argon is ….

• Tasteless, odourless, colourless
• Extremely inert - much more so than carbon dioxide or nitrogen
• Non-flammable
• Only slightly soluble in water

Liquid argon ….

• Has no commercial industrial uses!
• Can exist as a liquid at atmospheric pressure and - 186 º C, e.g. in a Thermos® flask