Nitrogen is collected primarily through a process called fractional distillation of liquid air. This method involves liquefying air and then separating the nitrogen from other gases based on their different boiling points.
Fractional Distillation Explained
Here's a simplified explanation of how nitrogen is collected using fractional distillation:
- Cooling: Air is cooled to extremely low temperatures until it becomes liquid.
- Isolation: The liquid air is then isolated.
- Separation: The liquid air is heated gradually. Nitrogen has a lower boiling point than oxygen and argon, so it vaporizes first.
- Collection: The gaseous nitrogen is then collected and can be used for various industrial processes. As the reference says, "At the correct low temperature, the nitrogen becomes liquid and can then be extracted and harvested for industrial processes."
In essence, the process transforms gaseous nitrogen into liquid form by cooling it to extremely low temperatures. This liquid nitrogen is then extracted and collected for various applications.
