• Welcome to The Truck Stop! We see you haven't REGISTERED yet.

    Your truck knowledge is missing!
    • Registration is FREE , all we need is your birthday and email. (We don't share ANY data with ANYONE)
    • We have tons of knowledge here for your diesel truck!
    • Post your own topics and reply to existing threads to help others out!
    • NO ADS! The site is fully functional and ad free!
    CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

    Problems registering? Click here to contact us!

    Already registered, but need a PASSWORD RESET? CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD!

Nitrogen V Oxygen

Sunshine

Sunshine

Northern Lights
Messages
504
Reaction score
1
Location
Oslo-Norway
What do you think..does anybody use it this way..?:confused:


Compressed air is your tire’s worst enemy. Air is about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other. Nitrogen is inert, non combustible and non corrosive. Oxygen, on the other hand, is immensely destructive to rubber and other tire materials. As soon as a tire is manufactured and exposed to air, the effects of “oxidation” begin to deteriorate the rubber. Over time it loses its elasticity and strength, just like an old rubber band you’ve probably found around your home. This same process occurs in tires inflated with air as the oxygen attacks the rubber molecules, working from the inside out, until the oxygen, and its destructive properties, permeates the tire structure and ultimately the tread. (source: www.nitrafill.com)
 
I believe the aircraft industry uses nitrogen in all of its tires. if it is good for them at up to 300mph, and abuse their tires take, got to be good for ours. nitrogen being one less atomically, would the permeability of auto tires lead to quicker pressure loss?
 
I couldn't resist this thread. The only reason that Nitrogen is used in most applications is because it is inert (doesn't react).The biggest reason: You don't have the big temperature / pressure variations you have with oxygen.
 
Slim Shady said:
I couldn't resist this thread. The only reason that Nitrogen is used in most applications is because it is inert (doesn't react).The biggest reason: You don't have the big temperature / pressure variations you have with oxygen.
Click to expand...

Yep.. i was thinking about the weather...Here
 
As mentioned before Don`t ask me how i did it..

My son that works for Trelleborg Sub Sea, says that O3(ozone i oxygen) kills the double layer in rubber, (like my wife) you have to use an anti-ageing mix to compensate this..Rubber is built up of two components, butyl that is airtight & SBR(styrenbutadienrubber) wearable, "should i have posted this". so when they test the ageing of rubber at high temps they fill the container with nitrogen ..

Ooops...It to late..:eek:
 
I heard that nitrogen molecules are rather large, and they do not permeate through the tire as bad as regular compressed air.
 
Canadian Tire also installs new tires with Nitrogen fill...

More reasons: Normal compressed air contains a percentage of small-molecule gasses (about 1% Argon) which escapes by permeating the tire... also, the CO2 in the compressed air can combine with water vapour to produce Carbonic Acid, also hard on tires.

But the guys at Canadian Tire told me it's because Nitrogen reacts less to temperature changes.:icon_bs:

HAH... it is to laugh. Given that testing reveals that tires lose, on average, 1.3 psi per 12 month period (using compressed air), why not just check your tires once a month and save the expense?

Nevertheless, I had them fill my wife's tires with Nitrogen because she wanted the trendy green valve stem caps. Only cost $7 per tire. Sheesh.:mad2::mad2:
 
dirtfarmer629 said:
How bout the myth going around that it will give u a little better fuel millage has that got any truth to it?
Click to expand...

A myth. That is unless you do not bother to check your tire pressure for months at a time. It is a stretch but I suppose if the air leaks out faster than the nitrogen fill then underinflated tires could affect your fuel mileage in a negative way.
 
But the guys at Canadian Tire told me it's because Nitrogen reacts less to temperature changes.
Click to expand...
Actually, TRUE... That's THE reason they use them on the heavy aircraft.

How bout the myth going around that it will give u a little better fuel millage has that got any truth to it?
Click to expand...
I've read, and been told this same thing. Doesn't make sense to me. Since Nitrogen doesn't react to temp change like air does it seems to me that you would get worse fuel mileage with nitrogen. With air, as you drive your air pressure goes up - the tire gets harder, the rolling resistance goes down.
 
The real advantage to nitrogen over atmosphere is, by excluding oxygen and humidity, the inner-side of the rims won't oxidize, a problem with recreational vehicles that are parked for long periods, particularly in locales where the temps vary significantly between day\nite\day, like in the southern\western regions - the humidity in atmosphere condenses as temps cross the dewpoint, and anything metallic\aluminum\copper will begin to oxidize at the various nicks\scratches accumulated due to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (also from Igor and Dopey, the ham-fisted tire-men) - practically, in professional shop-air systems, most humidity is boiled outta the air during the compression process, requiring drain-taps on the bottom of the air tanks - but, add air from one of those cheapo 12v mini-compressors and you're exacerbating the problem - that includes those 75cent air compressors found at most stations, now - wheels on vehicles that are driven daily are somewhat less prone to oxidation, because the air is quickly heated above the dewpoint as the tires begin rolling and the humidity is reabsorbed

So, if ya gots the money, go for it, won't hurt anything - at least, not until you start adding atmosphere from one of those mini-compressors - far as greater economy, subtract the initial cost plus the cost of maintaining nitrogen-pressure from your fuel bill, and regularly check your tires for correct air pressures commensurate with your driving style - correct pressures adjusted for the load give the spec'ed footprint for best fuel and tire-tread economy

BTW, nitrogen is used in aircraft tires on aluminum\magnesium wheels to prevent oxidation, and because of the very high pressures and temperatures involved
 
Last edited:
Here's my take on it: the tire is installed on the rim with a volume of air in it. Not pressurized air, but a quantity of air nonetheless. It is pressurized to some degree to seat the bead, then allowed to become unpressurized again. But, there is still a quantity of air in it. You can't remove that, without sucking the tire flat with negative pressure, creating a zero pressure. So, whatever the quantity of air remains in the tire prior to nitrogen inflation is shop air which has 21% oxygen. I've heard an estimate of ten percent but I don't know if that's anywhere near accurate. Regardless, when you add nitrogen to the existing air in the tire, you are not getting 100% nitrogen. You are getting more than 78% nitrogen, but less than 100%. So you're paying quite a few bucks for an exchange from 21% oxygen to somewhere less than 21% oxygen.

Not worth it by any stretch of the imagination in my book, I can understand it's use in super-duper high performance applications such as aircraft tires, but for me driving down the road, I'll spend that money on a steak and lobster, and check my tire pressure a couple times.
 
Likely true, as the large 'whuff' of air used to seat the beads is usually shop air - tho, in a professional tire shop touting the use of nitrogen, I would hope they'd use nitrogen for the whuffing
 
My son,s truck came with N inflated tires .The reason given was that the inflation sensors are sensitive down to 3 lb changes,so if filled with ordinary air the sensors would set off the" check air " thru normal tire heating/cooling.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top