Nitrogen
nonmetal · Group 15 · Period 2
Atomic properties
Market data
Raw material sources & pricing
| Production Method | Purity Range | Production Cost | Scale | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cryogenic Air Separation | 99.999%+ | $20-40/ton | 200-10,000 tons/day | Lowest cost for large scale, co-produces O₂ and Ar |
| Pressure Swing Adsorption | 95-99.995% | $40-80/ton | 5-60,000 scfh | Good for medium scale, quick startup |
| Membrane Separation | 95-99.5% | $60-120/ton | Small-medium | Simple operation, lower purity |
| On-site Generation | 95-99.999% | $0.13-0.18/L (liquid) | Variable | Eliminates transport costs |
Atmospheric Air - Primary Raw Material
Current Market Price: Free (atmospheric air) Composition of Dry Air: Nitrogen (N₂): 78.08% - Primary product Oxygen (O₂): 20.95% - Co-product Argon (Ar): 0.93% - Co-product Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): 0.04% - Must be removed Other noble gases: <0.01% - Optional recovery 2025 Production Methods: Cryogenic Air Separation: 65% of global production Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA): 25% of production Membrane Separation: 10% of production Production Method Purity Range Production Cost Scale Notes Cryogenic Air Separation 99.999%+ $20-40/ton 200-10,000 tons/day Lowest cost for large scale, co-produces O₂ and Ar Pressure Swing Adsorption 95-99.995% $40-80/ton 5-60,000 scfh Good for medium scale, quick startup Membrane Separation 95-99.5% $60-120/ton Small-medium Simple operation, lower purity On-site Ge
⚠️ Ammonia Production Integration
Nitrogen for Ammonia Synthesis: LARGEST INDUSTRIAL USE Haber-Bosch Process: N₂ + 3H₂ → 2NH₃ Requirements: 99.5%+ purity nitrogen at 150-300 bar Status: Most ammonia plants have integrated air separation units producing nitrogen at $15-25/ton internally. The ammonia market consumes approximately 80% of industrially separated nitrogen globally. Note: Nitrogen fertilizer prices ($550-780/MT for ammonia) are driven primarily by natural gas costs for hydrogen production, not nitrogen separation costs.
Production cost analysis
| Cost Component | $/ton Nitrogen | % of Total Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy (Electricity) | $8-15 | 40-50% | Main cost driver, 150-350 kWh/ton |
| Capital Depreciation | $5-10 | 20-25% | ASU capex ~$200/ton O₂ capacity |
| Labor & Maintenance | $3-6 | 15-20% | Highly automated plants |
| Other Operating Costs | $4-9 | 15-20% | Molecular sieves, filters, water |
| Total Production Cost | $20-40 | 100% | Compare to selling price: $20-120/ton |
Energy consumption breakdown
| Process Stage | Energy Consumption | % of Total Energy | Energy Type | Key Operations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Compression | 0.10-0.20 kWh/kg | 60-65% | Electricity | Multi-stage compression to 5-6 bar |
| Pre-purification | 0.02-0.04 kWh/kg | 10-12% | Electricity/Heat | CO₂, H₂O removal via molecular sieves |
| Main Heat Exchange | 0.01-0.03 kWh/kg | 8-10% | Refrigeration | Cooling to -172°C |
| Distillation Column | 0.02-0.04 kWh/kg | 10-12% | Refrigeration | Separation at -196°C (N₂) vs -183°C (O₂) |
| Product Compression/Liquefaction | 0.01-0.04 kWh/kg | 5-8% | Electricity | Optional, for liquid or high-pressure gas |
Cryogenic Process Energy Details
Feed Air Filtration: 1-2% - Dust removal Main Air Compressor: 50-55% - To 5-6 bar Aftercooling: 3-4% - Temperature reduction Molecular Sieve Adsorbers: 8-10% - CO₂/H₂O removal Cold Box Operation: 15-18% - Cryogenic separation Expansion Turbine: Energy recovery reduces net consumption
PSA Process Energy Details
Feed Compression: 70-75% - Higher pressure needed Valve Operation: 5-8% - Automated switching Regeneration: 10-12% - Depressurization energy Product Compression: 5-10% - To delivery pressure Control Systems: 2-3% - Process automation
Commercial forms & specifications
| Product Form | Chemical Formula | Molecular Weight | Typical Purity | Price Range (USD) | Main Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compressed Gas (Cylinders) | N₂ | 28.014 g/mol | 99.5-99.999% | $80-300/cylinder | Labs, welding, small users |
| Bulk Gas (Pipeline) | N₂ | 28.014 g/mol | 99.5-99.99% | $20-40/ton | Large industrial users |
| Liquid Nitrogen (Bulk) | N₂ | 28.014 g/mol | 99.5-99.999% | $0.70-1.33/L | Cryogenics, food freezing |
| Liquid Nitrogen (On-site) | N₂ | 28.014 g/mol | 99.5-99.99% | $0.13-0.18/L | Laboratories, medical |
| Ammonia (Anhydrous) | NH₃ | 17.031 g/mol | 99.5-99.95% | $550-780/ton | Fertilizers, chemicals |
| Urea | CO(NH₂)₂ | 60.06 g/mol | 46% N content | $350-450/ton | Fertilizer, DEF, chemicals |
| Ammonium Nitrate | NH₄NO₃ | 80.043 g/mol | 34% N content | $300-400/ton | Fertilizer, explosives |
| Ammonium Sulfate | (NH₄)₂SO₄ | 132.14 g/mol | 21% N content | $150-250/ton | Fertilizer |
| Nitric Acid | HNO₃ | 63.013 g/mol | 52-68% | $200-350/ton | Chemicals, explosives |
| Ultra-High Purity N₂ | N₂ | 28.014 g/mol | 99.9999% | $300-800/thousand ft³ | Electronics, semiconductors |
| Food Grade N₂ | N₂ | 28.014 g/mol | 99.9% | $100-200/thousand ft³ | Food packaging, preservation |
| Medical Grade N₂ | N₂ | 28.014 g/mol | 99.5% USP | $150-300/thousand ft³ | Cryosurgery, preservation |
Suppliers by country
🇫🇷 France
| Company | Product Forms | Specialties |
|---|---|---|
| Air Liquide | Bulk gas/liquid, cylinders, on-site generation, ultra-high purity | World's 2nd largest, 600+ ASUs globally, hydrogen/nitrogen integration |
🇬🇧 UK/🇮🇪 Ireland
| Company | Product Forms | Specialties |
|---|---|---|
| Linde plc | All forms, pipeline networks, on-site plants, specialty gases | World's largest industrial gas company, 4,000+ plants built |
🇺🇸 United States
| Company | Product Forms | Specialties |
|---|---|---|
| Air Products | Bulk gas/liquid, on-site, pipeline, high-purity | 1,200+ plants built, LNG integration, hydrogen expertise |
| Airgas (Air Liquide) | Cylinders, bulk, microbulk, specialty mixtures | Largest U.S. packaged gas distributor |
| Matheson | Specialty gases, ultra-high purity, gas equipment | Electronics industry focus, specialty mixtures |
🇩🇪 Germany
| Company | Product Forms | Specialties |
|---|---|---|
| Messer Group | Bulk, cylinders, on-site, specialty gases | Family-owned, strong in Europe and Asia |
🇯🇵 Japan
| Company | Product Forms | Specialties |
|---|---|---|
| Taiyo Nippon Sanso | All forms, electronics gases, on-site | Asia-Pacific leader, semiconductor focus |
| Sumitomo Seika | PSA systems, high-purity nitrogen | PSA technology leader |
🇦🇪 UAE / Middle East
| Company | Product Forms | Specialties |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf Cryo | Bulk gas/liquid, cylinders, on-site | Middle East's largest independent producer |
| Emirates Industrial Gases | Industrial gases, medical gases | Regional supplier, petrochemical focus |
🇲🇾 Malaysia
| Company | Product Forms | Specialties |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Industrial Gas | Bulk, cylinders, on-site plants | Southeast Asia regional leader |
🇮🇳 India
| Company | Product Forms | Specialties |
|---|---|---|
| INOX Air Products | Bulk, cylinders, on-site, cryogenic equipment | Joint venture with Air Products |
| MVS Engineering | PSA nitrogen generators, on-site systems | Small-medium scale nitrogen generation |
Market demand by product form
| Application Sector | Global Consumption | % of Total | Key Uses | Growth Rate (CAGR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammonia/Fertilizers | 200M MT/year | 80% | Haber-Bosch process for NH₃ | 3.5% |
| Chemicals & Petrochemicals | 25M MT/year | 10% | Inerting, blanketing, purging | 4.2% |
| Electronics | 10M MT/year | 4% | Semiconductor manufacturing | 6.8% |
| Food & Beverage | 7.5M MT/year | 3% | Freezing, packaging, preservation | 5.5% |
| Metal Production | 5M MT/year | 2% | Heat treatment, annealing | 3.8% |
| Healthcare | 2.5M MT/year | 1% | Cryosurgery, sample preservation | 7.2% |
Market trends
On-site Generation Growth: 15% annual increase in nitrogen generator installations, driven by cost savings of 50-80% vs delivered gas Green Ammonia: $50 billion investment in renewable energy-powered ammonia plants requiring efficient nitrogen separation Electronics Demand: 6.8% CAGR driven by semiconductor fab expansions requiring ultra-high purity nitrogen LNG Integration: Cold energy recovery from LNG regasification reducing nitrogen production costs by 25-30% Food Industry Growth: Increased demand for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) using nitrogen Hydrogen Economy: Nitrogen required for ammonia as hydrogen carrier (17.6% H₂ by weight) Supply Chain Resilience: Shift to distributed production model with smaller, modular ASUs
Moles per kilogram
| Product Form | Formula | MW (g/mol) | Moles/kg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen Gas | N₂ | 28.014 | 35.69 |
| Ammonia | NH₃ | 17.031 | 58.73 |
| Urea | CO(NH₂)₂ | 60.06 | 16.65 |
| Ammonium Nitrate | NH₄NO₃ | 80.043 | 12.49 |
| Ammonium Sulfate | (NH₄)₂SO₄ | 132.14 | 7.57 |
| Nitric Acid | HNO₃ | 63.013 | 15.87 |
References
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