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Argon Gas Bottle Refill Supply - Argon Gas Cylinder Prices
Argon gas is an inert gas used as TIG or GTAW welding gas, shielding gas and purging gas.
Argon gas is available in G2, E2 & D cylinder sizes.
Argon is the principal gas used in shielding gas applications due to its high density and total inertness.
The low ionising potential of argon allows easy forming of a welding arc without reacting with the metal components being welded.
It can be used on a wide range of ferrous and non-ferrous metals for welding and cutting.
Common applications include:
- Shielding gas for MIG and TIG welding processes and for plasma cutting
- Welding and cutting a wide range of ferrous and non-ferrous materials
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Who Discovered Argon?
1785 – Argon was hypothesised as a component of air by Henry Cavendish.
1882 – New lines in the colour spectrum indicated a new unknown gas within air, based on research by H. F. Newall and W. N. Hartley.
1894 – Lord Rayleigh and Sir William Ramsay first isolated Argon from air. To achieve this, they removed the oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen from clean air and deduced Argon from what remained.
What is Argon Used For?
- Argon is used in arc welding such as gas metal arc welding and gas tungsten arc welding, as a shielding gas.
- In the electronics industry, argon is used for growing crystals of silicon and germanium in a controlled atmosphere.
- Argon is used in the poultry industry to asphyxiate birds, as it is more humane than other abattoir options.
- Argon is used for extinguishing fires in special instances where product or equipment might be damaged by foam, water or other extinguishing agents.
- Argon is used inside incandescent light bulbs/globes. Argon preserves the filaments from oxidation at high temperature, by displacing oxygen.
- Argon is used in dual paned windows for thermal insulation, between the panes, providing more energy efficient windows.
How is Argon Made?
- Argon is produced using fractional distillation.
- Argon is cryogenically separated from the air in a distillation tower.
- The entire installation is known as an Air Separation Unit – ASU.
- The argon is then stored as a liquid, for ease and economical transportation.
Facts About Argon
- The original chemical symbol for argon was “A” but later changed to “Ar”.
- Argon is number 18 on the periodic table
- The name “argon” comes from the Greek “argos”. It means "the lazy one" in reference to its inert nature and chemical inactivity.
- Argon is colourless, odourless, non-flammable and non-toxic.
- Argon is a chemically inert gas.
- Argon is the most affordable alternative, when nitrogen is not sufficiently inert.
- Argon has low thermal conductivity.
- The atmosphere contains about 0.9 % of argon.
Argon Properties
| Melting point: | -189.37 °C |
| Liquid density: | 1395.4 kg/m3 |
| Liquid/gas equivalent: | 825.5 vol/vol (15°C at 1 arm) |
| Melting point: | -189.37 °C |
| Boiling point: | -185.85°C at 1 atm |
| Molecular weight: | 39.948 g/mol |
| Liquid/gas equivalent: | 825.5 vol/vol (15°C at 1 atm) |
| Liquid density: | 1395.4 kg/m3 at 1 atm |
| Auto-ignition temperature: | 300°C or 572°F |
| Gas density: | 5.7722 kg/m3 (boiling point at 1 atm) |
| Gas density: | 1.6903 kg/m3 (15°C at 1 atm) |
| Specific gravity: | 1.38 |