Cylinder storage hall filled with rows of gas cylinders under a steel roof, segregated by gas

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68 answers on gas supply, plant and equipment, and safety — each drawn from the product or safety page it belongs to, so nothing here contradicts the detail. Search them, or jump to a section.

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Buying from KIGL 4

What does KIGL actually manufacture?

Two things. We fill industrial and medical gases into cylinders at our own works, and we design and build acetylene plants, PSA oxygen plants and PSA nitrogen plants. The combination is unusual — most gas companies do not build plant, and most plant builders have never run one.

What do you manufacture versus supply?

We manufacture the compressed and dissolved gases we fill, and the plant and safety equipment we build. We supply — rather than produce — helium, nitrous oxide, hydrogen, and liquid gases. We draw that line explicitly on every page, because it affects what we can commit to on lead time.

Which areas do you supply?

Cylinder gas is filled at our own works in Guwahati and served from there; beyond its delivery radius it reaches customers through our network of agents across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and other states. Equipment ships anywhere in India, including all seven North-East states, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Odisha.

How do I get a quotation?

Use the enquiry form on our contact page, or telephone. Tell us the gas or equipment, the quantity or capacity, and where you are.

Gases 26

Why is acetylene dissolved in acetone rather than simply compressed?

Acetylene decomposes explosively under pressure on its own — it does not need oxygen to do so. Dissolving it in acetone, held inside a porous mass that fills the cylinder, keeps it stable. This is why an acetylene cylinder is heavy, why it must be used upright, and why it can never be filled like an ordinary compressed gas.

More on Dissolved acetylene gas (DA) to IS 308, filled at our Guwahati works →

Why must an acetylene cylinder be used upright?

Lying it down lets liquid acetone reach the valve. The acetone is then drawn off with the gas, which starves the porous mass, contaminates the flame and damages downstream equipment. If a cylinder has been horizontal, stand it upright and leave it for at least an hour before use.

More on Dissolved acetylene gas (DA) to IS 308, filled at our Guwahati works →

Why is argon better than nitrogen as a shielding gas?

Argon is a noble gas and genuinely inert under welding conditions. Nitrogen, despite being unreactive at room temperature, dissociates in the arc and can form nitrides in the weld metal, causing porosity and embrittlement in steels. Argon is also heavier than air, so it blankets the pool instead of drifting away.

More on Argon gas for TIG and MIG welding, heat treatment and laboratory use →

Do I need pure argon or an argon mixture?

Pure argon for TIG on most materials, and for MIG on aluminium. For MIG on carbon and stainless steel an argon-CO₂ or argon-oxygen mixture usually gives better arc stability and penetration. Tell us the material, thickness and process and we will specify it rather than guess.

More on Argon gas for TIG and MIG welding, heat treatment and laboratory use →

Why does my CO₂ cylinder pressure gauge stay the same until it suddenly drops?

Because CO₂ is stored as a liquid. The gauge reads the vapour pressure above that liquid, which stays constant while any liquid remains, then falls away rapidly once the last of it has boiled off. **Weigh the cylinder** against the stamped tare weight to know what is left — the gauge will not tell you until it is nearly too late.

More on Carbon dioxide gas for welding, beverage, food and process use →

Why does the regulator freeze up during heavy MIG welding?

Withdrawing CO₂ quickly boils liquid inside the cylinder, and that absorbs a lot of heat. The regulator can drop below freezing and ice up, restricting flow. Reduce the withdrawal rate, use a larger cylinder, use a manifolded pair, or fit a heated regulator for sustained heavy use.

More on Carbon dioxide gas for welding, beverage, food and process use →

What is the difference between synthetic air and compressed atmospheric air?

Synthetic air is built from pure oxygen and pure nitrogen to a known composition. Compressed atmospheric air is whatever was in the room, squeezed — including its moisture, its hydrocarbons and any oil carried over from the compressor. For instrument calibration, laboratory work and anything where composition or cleanliness matters, only synthetic air gives you a defined product.

More on Synthetic air and compressed air in cylinders →

Should I buy cylinders of air instead of running a compressor?

Usually not. If you need volume for pneumatic tools, a compressor is far cheaper per cubic metre and cylinders make no economic sense. Cylinder air exists for the cases a compressor cannot serve: known composition, guaranteed cleanliness, portability, or a location with no power. Where compressed atmospheric air is required, a compressor is the correct answer and KIGL will say so.

More on Synthetic air and compressed air in cylinders →

How many components can you put in one mixture?

Up to ten. Most requirements are two or three — argon with CO₂, or a ternary welding blend — but process, research and instrument applications sometimes need considerably more, and we can build those. Send the full specification including the balance gas and we will confirm feasibility before you commit.

More on Multi-component gas mixtures — up to ten components, blended to ±5 % →

What does ±5 % tolerance actually mean?

Each component lands within five per cent of the concentration you specified. Ask for 20 % CO₂ and you receive between 19 % and 21 %. For welding, inerting, process and leak-test work that is comfortably tight enough — arc behaviour and process performance are not sensitive at that level.

More on Multi-component gas mixtures — up to ten components, blended to ±5 % →

Does KIGL manufacture helium?

No, and neither does anyone else in India. Helium is extracted from natural gas reserves with unusually high helium content, which India does not have at commercial scale — essentially all helium used here is imported. KIGL is a supplier. We would rather state that than imply a capability that does not exist anywhere in the country.

More on Helium gas supply — sourced, filled and delivered by KIGL →

Do you supply liquid helium for MRI scanners?

No. Liquid helium sits at −269 °C and requires specialised dewars with active boil-off management and a supply chain built specifically around it. That is a distinct business from cylinder gas supply and we do not operate in it. If you are maintaining an MRI magnet, you need a dedicated cryogenic helium supplier.

More on Helium gas supply — sourced, filled and delivered by KIGL →

When should I choose 99 % over industrial 98 %?

When the contamination in industrial grade is causing you a problem you can measure — a flame that will not hold, deposits on the work, or a downstream instrument drifting — but you do not need analytical-grade gas. KIGL specifies against the stated application and the fault observed, which is a sounder basis than the gas you have. That is a better basis for the decision than a number on a page.

More on High purity acetylene at 99 % — the grade between industrial and analytical →

What is the difference between this and ultra-high-purity acetylene?

Ultra-high-purity acetylene is 99.99 % and is dissolved in DMF rather than acetone, in dedicated cylinders that never see industrial service, with phosphine and hydrogen sulphide cut to single-digit ppm and a certificate of analysis for each batch. It is built for atomic absorption spectroscopy. If you are running an instrument, that is the grade you want.

More on High purity acetylene at 99 % — the grade between industrial and analytical →

Why is a hydrogen flame dangerous even though hydrogen burns cleanly?

Because you cannot see it. A hydrogen flame emits almost no visible light and in daylight is effectively invisible — people have walked into them. The traditional detection method is to advance a broom or a dry straw ahead of you, which will char on contact. Thermal imaging is the modern answer. Never assume a leak is not burning simply because you see no flame.

More on Hydrogen gas supply for industrial, laboratory and process use →

How easily does hydrogen ignite?

Extremely easily. Its minimum ignition energy is around a tenth that of most hydrocarbon gases, low enough that an ordinary static discharge from clothing is sufficient. Bonding and earthing are not precautionary here; they are the primary control.

More on Hydrogen gas supply for industrial, laboratory and process use →

Can industrial oxygen be used for patients in an emergency?

No. The difference is not only purity but the entire manufacturing, filling and documentation regime — dedicated cylinders, batch traceability, and controls appropriate to a medicine. Industrial cylinders may carry residues from previous service and have no batch record behind them. Substituting industrial oxygen for medical oxygen is unlawful and unsafe, including during a shortage.

More on Medical oxygen to Indian Pharmacopoeia standard, in cylinders →

Do you supply liquid medical oxygen for hospital pipeline systems?

No. KIGL supplies medical oxygen in cylinders only. Liquid medical oxygen requires a vacuum insulated evaporator and cryogenic bulk logistics, which we do not operate. For a manifold-fed pipeline we can supply cylinder banks; for a VIE installation you need a cryogenic bulk supplier. We would rather tell you that than take the order.

More on Medical oxygen to Indian Pharmacopoeia standard, in cylinders →

Why is nitrogen used for purging rather than compressed air?

Air is 21 % oxygen, so purging a flammable system with air can create exactly the explosive mixture you are trying to remove. Nitrogen is inert, displaces both oxygen and moisture, and leaves an atmosphere that will not support combustion. On acetylene equipment nitrogen purging is mandatory, never air.

More on Nitrogen gas to IS 1747, for purging, blanketing and inerting →

Is nitrogen dangerous if it is inert?

Yes — as an asphyxiant. Nitrogen is not toxic and gives no warning, which is precisely the danger. It displaces oxygen, and a nitrogen-filled vessel or pit can render someone unconscious in a breath or two with no smell or irritation to warn them. Confined-space entry after nitrogen purging requires oxygen monitoring without exception.

More on Nitrogen gas to IS 1747, for purging, blanketing and inerting →

Is nitrous oxide flammable?

No, but that is misleading in practice. N₂O does not burn, yet it decomposes at high temperature to release oxygen and will therefore support combustion vigorously — it behaves as an oxidiser. Materials that burn slowly in air burn fast in nitrous oxide. Treat it with the same caution as an oxygen cylinder: no oil, no grease, no ignition sources.

More on Nitrous oxide (N₂O) supply for medical and industrial use →

How do I tell how much is left in the cylinder?

By weight. N₂O is stored as a liquid, so the pressure gauge reads vapour pressure and stays roughly constant until the liquid is exhausted, then drops abruptly. Weigh the cylinder and compare against the tare weight stamped on it. Relying on the gauge is how a theatre runs out mid-procedure.

More on Nitrous oxide (N₂O) supply for medical and industrial use →

Why must oxygen equipment be kept completely free of oil and grease?

Oxygen does not burn, but it makes other things burn violently. Hydrocarbons such as oil and grease can ignite spontaneously in the presence of high-pressure oxygen — no spark is needed. This is the single most common cause of serious oxygen incidents. Never lubricate an oxygen regulator, never handle fittings with oily gloves, and never use PTFE tape unless it is rated for oxygen service.

More on Industrial oxygen gas to IS 309, in cylinders and cascades →

Is industrial oxygen the same as medical oxygen?

No, and they must not be substituted. Medical oxygen is manufactured, filled and documented under pharmaceutical controls with traceability appropriate to a medicine. Industrial oxygen is not, regardless of the purity figure on the analysis. Use [medical oxygen](/medical-oxygen-gas) for any patient application.

More on Industrial oxygen gas to IS 309, in cylinders and cascades →

Why DMF instead of acetone for high-purity acetylene?

DMF has a much lower vapour pressure than acetone, so far less solvent leaves the cylinder with the gas. In atomic absorption spectroscopy, solvent carry-over shows up directly as baseline noise and drift. DMF also permits a higher gas-to-solvent ratio, giving more usable gas per cylinder at a steadier delivery.

More on Ultra-high-purity acetylene — 99.99 %, dissolved in DMF, for atomic absorption spectroscopy →

Why do phosphine and hydrogen sulphide matter so much in AAS?

They disturb the flame and contribute background signal, which is exactly what degrades detection limits at trace concentrations. Industrial acetylene can carry phosphine in the hundreds of ppm; ours is held below 10 ppm. For trace metals work that difference determines whether a result is usable.

More on Ultra-high-purity acetylene — 99.99 %, dissolved in DMF, for atomic absorption spectroscopy →

Plant and equipment 22

Why can there be no copper in an acetylene line?

Acetylene reacts with copper to form copper acetylides, which are explosive and shock-sensitive. This rules out copper pipe, copper fittings and high-copper brasses anywhere in contact with the gas. It is the single most commonly violated rule in acetylene reticulation, because brass fittings are the default in every other pipe-fitting job on site.

More on Acetylene pipelines — low pressure, no copper, arrestors at both ends →

Why does an acetylene line run at such low pressure?

Because acetylene decomposes explosively under pressure without needing any oxidant at all. It is not a fuel that becomes dangerous when it meets air — it is a molecule that comes apart on its own if compressed. Every part of an acetylene system, from the generator to the pipeline, is designed around keeping it below that threshold.

More on Acetylene pipelines — low pressure, no copper, arrestors at both ends →

What does an acetylene gas plant cost to run per cubic metre?

Running cost is dominated by calcium carbide, which typically accounts for the large majority of the cost per cubic metre. Carbide yield is therefore the number that matters: a plant that extracts more gas per kilogram of carbide, and loses less to venting and incomplete reaction, wins on economics regardless of its capital cost. Ask any supplier for measured yield under load, not a nameplate figure.

More on Acetylene gas plants — designed, built and commissioned in India since 1947 →

How much space does an acetylene plant need?

Layout is driven by the safety code rather than the equipment footprint. IS 14814 governs separation distances, ventilation and ignition-source exclusion, and in practice the exclusion zone around the generator sizes the building. KIGL prepares a site layout against your plot before quoting.

More on Acetylene gas plants — designed, built and commissioned in India since 1947 →

What makes a plant "continuous duty" rather than just larger?

Capacity is the headline; duty is the engineering. A plant specified for continuous generation is built around the assumption that it will not be stopped for routine attention — carbide charging, sludge handling and maintenance access are arranged so the plant keeps running. Buying a large plant and running it continuously without that specification is how plants end up standing idle for the wrong reasons.

More on KIGL-DA-100 acetylene gas plant — built for continuous operation →

Is this the plant for a commercial gas filling business?

It is the size we would discuss for one, yes. Filling cylinders commercially is a different undertaking from generating gas for your own use: it brings cylinder ownership, testing and requalification, filling records, and its own licensing. We do all of that ourselves across three stations, so we can tell you what the plant is and is not the hard part of.

More on KIGL-DA-100 acetylene gas plant — built for continuous operation →

At what consumption does making acetylene beat buying it?

It depends on your cylinder price, your carbide price and how much of your current spend is cylinder rental and freight rather than gas. Those last two are where most of the saving actually sits, and they are the numbers buyers most often leave out. Send us twelve months of gas invoices and we will work it through with you — including telling you if the answer is that you should keep buying cylinders.

More on KIGL-DA-25 acetylene gas plant — the smallest plant worth owning →

What does a plant this size need in terms of space and people?

An acetylene plant is a licensed installation, not a machine you put in a corner. It needs a compliant building, separation distances, a PESO licence, trained operators and a maintenance regime. The plant is often the smaller part of the project. We would rather set that expectation now than after you have bought one.

More on KIGL-DA-25 acetylene gas plant — the smallest plant worth owning →

What compressor does the KIGL-DA-50 use?

The DA-50 configuration runs an Ingersoll Rand 15 T2 — a two-stage reciprocating acetylene compressor. We hold the clearances, torque figures and maintenance intervals for it, because we maintain them in our own filling works as well as at customer sites. That matters when you need a part or a setting at short notice.

More on KIGL-DA-50 acetylene gas plant — the workhorse of the range →

The compressor is knocking. What is it?

In our experience on this machine, knocking is the piston head, the connecting rod, or the gudgeon pin bush — in roughly that order of likelihood. It is very rarely the crankshaft, which is where people tend to jump first and where the expensive misdiagnosis lives. Stop the machine and call us before you strip it.

More on KIGL-DA-50 acetylene gas plant — the workhorse of the range →

Do you have an MSDS for your flashback arrestors?

No, and none is required. A safety data sheet describes a chemical substance or mixture. A flashback arrestor is an article — a manufactured device — so it falls outside the scope of GHS safety data sheets. What you need for your safety file is the technical datasheet and the declaration of conformity to EN ISO 5175-1, both of which we supply. If a purchasing system is demanding an "MSDS" for arrestors, send us the request and we will provide the correct documentation in a form your auditor will accept.

More on Flashback arrestors for acetylene, oxygen and fuel-gas systems →

Where should flashback arrestors be fitted?

For the highest level of protection, fit them at both ends: at the regulator outlet and at the torch inlet, on both the fuel gas and the oxygen lines. The regulator unit protects the cylinder; the torch unit protects the hose. Fitting only one leaves a length of hose unprotected.

More on Flashback arrestors for acetylene, oxygen and fuel-gas systems →

Why put in a pipeline instead of moving cylinders?

Because moving cylinders is where the injuries and the losses are. A reticulated system takes the cylinder handling off the shop floor, keeps the cascade in one properly designed and ventilated place, cuts the number of part-used cylinders sitting around, and makes it far harder for someone to connect the wrong gas because the outlet at the bench only carries one.

More on Industrial gas pipelines — reticulated supply to every point of use →

Can one pipeline carry different gases?

Never in the same pipe, and the two lines are not built the same way. Acetylene must have no copper anywhere in contact with the gas; oxygen must be degreased to a standard and kept free of any hydrocarbon. Those are opposite disciplines, and a contractor who treats them as one job is the risk you are trying to design out.

More on Industrial gas pipelines — reticulated supply to every point of use →

Is a medical gas pipeline just pipework?

No, and treating it as pipework is how hospitals get into trouble. It is a regulated installation carrying a licensed drug directly to patients, with zone isolation, alarms, purity and pressure requirements at the outlet, and a documentation trail that an inspector will ask to see. A general plumbing contractor is not the right party to install one.

More on Medical gas pipeline systems — from the manifold to the bedside →

What does commissioning actually involve?

Far more than pressure testing. The system has to be proved for cross-connection, purity at every outlet, flow and pressure under simulated peak demand, correct alarm operation and correct zone isolation. Cross-connection testing is the one that matters most — an oxygen outlet delivering the wrong gas is the failure mode the whole design exists to prevent.

More on Medical gas pipeline systems — from the manifold to the bedside →

Oxygen does not burn — why is an oxygen line a fire risk?

Because oxygen does not burn, it makes everything else burn, and it does so at a violence with no everyday equivalent. In a high-pressure oxygen system, hydrocarbon contamination can ignite from the heat of compression alone — no spark, no external flame. Once started, the fire consumes the metal of the fitting itself.

More on Industrial oxygen pipelines — where cleanliness is the whole design →

What does "oxygen-clean" actually mean?

That every component in contact with the gas has been degreased to a specification and kept free of hydrocarbon since. It is not a description of how the pipe looks. A visually spotless fitting handled with oily gloves is not oxygen-clean, and nothing about its appearance will tell you.

More on Industrial oxygen pipelines — where cleanliness is the whole design →

How is a PSA nitrogen plant different from a PSA oxygen plant?

Different adsorbent and a different mechanism. A [PSA oxygen plant](/psa-oxygen-plant) uses a zeolite sieve that adsorbs nitrogen by capacity, letting oxygen through. A PSA nitrogen plant uses a **carbon molecular sieve** that separates by *rate*: oxygen molecules diffuse into the sieve micropores faster than nitrogen does, so oxygen is held and nitrogen passes through as product. Same pressure-swing cycle, opposite product, different science.

More on PSA nitrogen plants — on-site nitrogen generation from compressed air →

What purity can a PSA nitrogen plant reach?

Considerably higher than a PSA oxygen plant — nitrogen generators routinely run from around 95 % up to very high purity. Unlike oxygen, there is no argon ceiling limiting the product, so the purity you get is a design choice rather than a physical wall.

More on PSA nitrogen plants — on-site nitrogen generation from compressed air →

Why does a PSA plant produce 93–95 % oxygen rather than 99 %?

Because the molecular sieve separates nitrogen from oxygen but cannot separate argon from oxygen — argon and oxygen have very similar molecular characteristics for this purpose. Air is about 0.93 % argon, and essentially all of it stays with the product. That sets a practical ceiling in the mid-nineties. Reaching 99 %+ requires cryogenic separation, which is a fundamentally different and far larger plant.

More on PSA oxygen plants — on-site oxygen generation →

Is 93 % oxygen acceptable for medical use?

"Oxygen 93 %" is a recognised pharmacopoeial grade in its own right, distinct from the 99 %+ monograph, and it is the basis on which oxygen concentrators and hospital PSA plants operate. Whether a given installation satisfies Indian regulatory requirements depends on the plant, its validation and the licence held — confirm this for your specific case rather than assuming.

More on PSA oxygen plants — on-site oxygen generation →

Safety 16

Is acetylene heavier or lighter than air?

Slightly lighter — relative vapour density is about 0.91. It does not reliably rise and disperse, though, so it can still accumulate in poorly ventilated spaces. Ventilation must be at high level and adequate; do not assume a leak will clear itself.

More on Acetylene, dissolved →

Can acetylene explode without oxygen?

Yes. This is what makes acetylene different from other fuel gases. Under pressure, heat or shock it can decompose exothermically into carbon and hydrogen with no oxidant present. That is why it is dissolved in a solvent inside a porous mass, and why a hot cylinder is an emergency.

More on Acetylene, dissolved →

Why is argon more dangerous in a confined space than nitrogen?

Because it is heavier. Nitrogen is close to the density of air and mixes; argon is about 1.38 times heavier, so it sinks into pits, trenches, tank bottoms and vessel interiors and **stays there**, sometimes for hours after work has stopped. An argon-filled pit looks exactly like an empty one, and ventilation at high level does nothing to clear it.

More on Argon, compressed →

Will an argon atmosphere give any warning?

None. No smell, no irritation, and no feeling of breathlessness — the urge to breathe responds to carbon dioxide build-up, not oxygen shortage. Collapse can occur within a breath or two, with no sensation that anything is wrong.

More on Argon, compressed →

Why is carbon dioxide more dangerous than nitrogen or argon?

Nitrogen and argon are simple asphyxiants — they harm you only by displacing oxygen. Carbon dioxide is physiologically active in its own right. It affects respiration from roughly 2 % in air, and becomes life-threatening well before oxygen has fallen to a dangerous level. An atmosphere can therefore have adequate oxygen and still be fatal.

More on Carbon dioxide →

What happens to a CO₂ cylinder in Indian summer heat?

This matters more here than in temperate countries. CO₂ has a critical temperature of about 31 °C. Above that there is no liquid phase at all, and cylinder pressure rises steeply with further heating. A cylinder left in direct sun on a hot day can exceed its critical temperature easily. Store CO₂ in shade and never allow cylinders to become hot.

More on Carbon dioxide →

Why does helium need different precautions from argon?

Because it goes the other way. Argon is about 1.38 times heavier than air and sinks into pits; helium is roughly a seventh the density of air and **rises**. The same room needs the opposite response — ventilate at high level, monitor at head height and above, and treat ceiling voids, roof spaces and the tops of tall vessels as the danger zone rather than the floor.

More on Helium, compressed →

Is the voice change a reliable warning?

It is a warning, not a safeguard. Helium carries sound faster than air, so speech rises in pitch in a helium-rich atmosphere — and unlike most asphyxiants that gives you something you can actually notice. But it tells you the atmosphere is already contaminated, and it says nothing about how much oxygen is left. Treat it as a reason to leave, not a reason to measure.

More on Helium, compressed →

What makes hydrogen more dangerous than other fuel gases?

Two things together. The flammable range runs from **4 % to 75 %** in air, so almost any leak that mixes at all produces an ignitable atmosphere — where most fuel gases give you a narrow window, hydrogen gives you nearly the whole span. And it ignites on very little energy, so static from clothing or an ungrounded fitting is enough.

More on Hydrogen, compressed →

Is it true you cannot see a hydrogen flame?

Effectively, yes, in daylight. Hydrogen burns to water vapour with almost no soot, so there is nothing incandescent to make the flame visible — it is pale blue and washes out completely in sunlight. There have been serious burn injuries to people who walked into a hydrogen flame they had no way of seeing. Where a leak is suspected, a broom straw or thermal camera held ahead of you is the traditional and still correct answer.

More on Hydrogen, compressed →

If nitrogen is 78 % of the air I breathe, how can it be dangerous?

Because the danger is not the nitrogen — it is the absence of oxygen. Air is safe because the other 21 % is oxygen. An atmosphere of pure nitrogen contains none, and a person entering it can lose consciousness in one or two breaths. This is the single most misunderstood industrial gas hazard.

More on Nitrogen, compressed →

Will I feel breathless before I collapse?

No, and this is what makes nitrogen lethal. The urge to breathe is triggered by rising carbon dioxide in the blood, not by falling oxygen. In a nitrogen atmosphere you continue to exhale CO₂ normally, so no alarm is raised physiologically. People lose consciousness without any warning sensation at all.

More on Nitrogen, compressed →

Why is an oxidiser dangerous if it will not burn itself?

Because fire needs an oxidant, not necessarily air. Nitrous oxide supplies one. In a nitrous oxide atmosphere, materials that are difficult to ignite in air catch readily and burn far more fiercely, and oil or grease on a fitting can ignite from the heat of compression alone when a valve is opened quickly. The gas is not the fuel; it is what lets everything else become one.

More on Nitrous oxide →

What happens above 650 °C?

It decomposes exothermically into oxygen and nitrogen — it releases heat and produces free oxygen. This is the property that makes a nitrous oxide fire so difficult: once decomposition starts it feeds itself, and **cutting off the air supply does not stop it**. A cylinder involved in a fire must be cooled from a protected position or the area evacuated.

More on Nitrous oxide →

Can oxygen itself catch fire?

No. Oxygen does not burn — it makes other things burn. That distinction misleads people into underestimating it. An oxygen-enriched atmosphere causes materials that are normally difficult to ignite to burn fiercely and fast, and it lowers the energy needed to start them.

More on Oxygen, compressed →

Why can oil and grease ignite on contact with oxygen?

Hydrocarbons are highly reactive with concentrated oxygen. Under pressure, the heat generated by rapid compression of oxygen in a fitting can be enough to ignite an oil film with no external spark at all. This is the most common cause of serious oxygen incidents, and it is entirely preventable by keeping the system clean.

More on Oxygen, compressed →