The Significance of Nitrous Oxide for Mankind

The Significance of Nitrous Oxide for Mankind N20 or nitrous oxide colorless, odorless gas commonly produced through a range of different industrial and natural processes History of Nitrous Oxide It was founded by Joseph Priestley in 1722 Humphrey Davy discovered it had various euphoric effects; making people laugh excessively if released in large amounts Robert Goddard mentioned the prospect of nitrous oxide as oxidizer for rockets that run on fuel which was patented in 1914 Uses of Nitrous Oxide Surgery and Dentistry for its anesthetics and analgesić properties Can relieve pain Provokes a loss of sensation when inhaled Highly insoluble in blood and other tissues Used in rocket and internal combustion engines as an oxidizing agent by providing increases in the power output Advantages of Nitrous Oxide as an Oxidizer in Rocket Motors When placed at room temperature, it resides in a completely non-toxic state and is very stable It exudes a significantly decreased level of toxicity Used in several top of the line gas systems for its very high density and very little pressure during storage Explored further as various top level companies such as Space Ships One and others have adopted this gas as the primary oxidizer in their rockets With the help of several different plastics, nitrous oxide has now become popular as an oxidizer in different kinds of rockets, ranging from rookie designs to professional large scale rockets Nitrous oxide fuel blend has a very low freezing point and it becomes an important property because space fuel is usually stored at very low temperatures. It becomes a nitrous oxide fuel when it is mixed with hydrocarbon fuel and stored together Nitrous Oxide in Cooking Nitrous oxide cartridges can be used in the cream whipper Various different aerosol sprays used for cooking are also made from nitrous oxide Capability of being compressed into liquid gas means that it can yield large amounts of expanded gas Stopping the growth of bacteria in food products Its cryogenic and evaporative cooling properties is used for preservative processes in the kitchen Inert gas used in filling the empty air in snacks, chips etc to displace bacteria within the chip bag Environmental Effects of Nitrous Oxide 310 times superior to 9% of the emission associated with greenhouse gases capacity carbon dioxide in absorbing energy Accounted a total of 4% of all the greenhouse gases that were emitted to the atmosphere (2010) An estimate of 10 million tons of nitrous oxide is released into the atmosphere yearly 1/3 of the emissions from across the world come from synthetic activities (the use of synthetic fertilizers, manure, combustion from fossil fuel and other activities) 2/3 of the gas is released to the atmosphe processes where soil bacteria is commonly responsible for emitting the gas to the atmosphere through natural Global Farm Animal production including growing feed crops accounts for 65% of global N20 emissions Can persist in the atmosphere for up to 150 years. With its concentration in the atmosphere now 16% larger than in 1750 Nitrous Chemistry Nitrous Oxide Molecule 2 Nitrogen Atoms 1 Oxygen Atom When and if the temperature reaches 36.5°C / 97.7 °F, its liquid form can no longer be attained. It will be at 1069 pounds per square inch, become gaseous and will develop into a detonation risk To siphon liquid nitrous oxide, it is essential to keep the temperature below 36.5°C /97.7 °F in the interest of safety To maintain its liquid state, its vapour pressure must be 760 pounds per square inch at a temperature of 21.1°C/ 70°F Upon release, its pressure will soon drop to the pressure of the atmosphere which is 14.7 pounds per square inch from its 760 psi working pressure www.nitrousrocket.co.uk References: www.explora-science.net www.humanesociety.org/ossets/pdfs/farm/hsusfactsheet-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-animal-agriculture.pdf il l||li||