What is cryogenics?

Cryogenics is a new technology that improves the performance of products and industrial processes by using very low temperatures. This technology is used in the production and preservation of products, maintaining health, and communication between storage and the workforce. This method has created a new revolution in industry. By reducing the temperature, the performance of products improves and their stability increases. For example, in the medical field, low cryogenic temperatures are used to preserve organs and cells. This technology produces quality and more cost-effective products and is used in various industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and space.

What is cryogenics?

Cryogenics is the science that deals with how to produce and the effect of very low temperature reduction. The origin of the word cryo comes from the Greek word (Kryos) meaning cold. With these descriptions, we can use cryogenics or supercryology to include all temperatures below the freezing point of water. The use of very low temperatures in cryogenic technology requires special equipment and devices that are capable of producing and maintaining these temperatures. Generally, gases such as helium, nitrogen or hydrogen are used to cool and maintain low temperatures. What is the cryogenic method Air separators or cryogenic method Air separation unit refers to the process of separating atmospheric air into its main components such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon and other noble gases. Due to its wide application, oxygen ranks third among chemicals in terms of production and is present in many industrial units as one of the required elements. Its applications include industries such as steel, metallurgy, non-ferrous metal production, welding, metal cutting, cement, ceramics, oil refining and papermaking, etc.

The most common air separation method (ASU) is cryogenic distillation (refrigeration). Other non-refrigeration methods, such as adsorption, chemical processing, and membrane separation, are also used in commercial units to separate a component from ordinary air. High-purity oxygen, nitrogen, and argon, which are used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, can be produced cryogenically

Cryogenic Liquid Process

In this process, air is cooled to a liquid state, then these liquids with different boiling points enter a distillation column. This process can produce high-purity gas, but it is an energy-intensive process. This method was invented by Dr. Carl von Linde and is used today in places where high-purity gases need to be produced. Cryogenic separation processes require special heat exchangers and high-efficiency separation columns. All the energy required for refrigeration is supplied by air compressors at the inlet. Industrial Cryogenic Process

This separation method is currently one of the most cost-effective and efficient methods for producing high-purity oxygen, nitrogen, and liquid noble gases in industry. Separation units use multiple distillation columns to produce high-purity liquid gases from compressed air. In this technology, pure nitrogen is produced as a by-product. Research shows that oxygen production by cryogenic methods has increased in recent years. According to the market demand, the production capacity will reach 5000 tons per day in the near future. The figure below shows the 5 main operating units required for air separation and production of useful products. The air is first purified to remove contaminants and enters the compressor. It is then cooled to very low temperatures to distill oxygen, nitrogen and argon. Various heat exchanger configurations can separate the air into the required products. The type of process can vary based on the purity and flow of the product. The properties of various refrigeration processes for air separation can directly depend on the pressure at the inlet or outlet of the products

Industrial Cryogenic Process

To achieve low temperatures in distillation, cooling equipment, an insulating chamber, and a refrigeration cycle are required, which operates using the Joule-Thomson method. The distillation process includes the following steps:

Air enters the system with these specifications. 99% of its volume is made up of oxygen and nitrogen gases, and the remaining gases include argon, carbon dioxide, xenon, and other noble gases. To eliminate impurities, the air is pre-filtered before being decomposed into its constituent components. The air is sucked in at a pressure of about 5 to 10 bar. Different pressures are for different efficiencies. In this section, the initial cooling of the air to -180 ºC takes place. As the air rises in the liquid column, it becomes colder until it turns into a liquid. In the distillation column, the air is converted into its constituent components in a completely physical process. The liquid collects on the tray column. First, oxygen with a higher boiling point (-183 ºC) condenses, then nitrogen with a lower boiling point (-196 ºC) tends to condense. Nitrogen gases collect at the top of the column and liquid oxygen at the bottom of the column. Oxygen evaporates at the bottom while nitrogen condenses at the top. This process continues until the desired purity level is reached. As shown in the figure, there is also a separate column for collecting noble gases. The compounds must be further purified. In more advanced devices, there is a production capacity of 45,000 m3 of oxygen, 1,700 m3 of argon gas and 91 m3 of noble gases per hour, which are 60 to 85% pure. The oxygen and nitrogen produced enter the network lines at a pressure of 40 barr. Liquid oxygen, nitrogen and liquid oxygen, nitrogen and argon are filled into tanks. Part of it is transferred to road tankers

Part of it is put into steel tanks at a pressure of 300 bar.

Partak Techno Market Industries (Zofen)

 Manufacturer of Cryogenic Products in Iran

1. Cryogenic Piston Pump
2. Cryogenic Centrifugal Pump
3. Cryogenic Valve
4. Vaprice
5. Cryogenic Tanks