Skip to Main Content
  • English 
  • Português 
  • Linde Worldwide
  • The Linde Group
  • About Linde in Portugal
  • Career
  • Glossary
  • Industrial Gases
    Portugal

  • Home
  • Industries
      • Automotive, Defence & Transport
        • Aerospace & Defence
        • Rail
        • Automotive
        • Shipbuilding
      • Construction and Infrastructure
        • Construction
        • Heavy Machinery
        • Offshore
      • Food & Beverages
        • Beverages
        • Dairy
        • Dry Foods & Bakery
        • Fish & Seafood
        • Fruit & Vegetables
        • Meat
        • Edible Oils & Fats
        • Prepared Foods
        • Agriculture & Greenhouses
        • Distribution
        • Wine
      • Steel & Metals
        • Aluminum
        • Foundry
        • Foundry
      • Glass
        • Container glass
        • Float- / solar glass
        • Fibre glass
        • Art & Tableware
        • Speciality glass
        • Window insulation
      • Rubber & Plastics
      • Power & Energy
        • Hydrogen Energy
        • Traditional
        • Biomass & biofuels
        • Solar Energy
      • Pulp & Paper
      • Electronics
        • Semiconductor
        • Display
        • Solar
        • LED
      • Hospitality & Leisure
        • Bars & Restaurants
        • Home
      • Health & Pharmaceuticals
        • Pharmaceuticals
        • Home Care
        • Hospital Care
      • Laboratories
      • Environment
      • Chemicals & Refining
        • Refinery & Petrochemistry
        • Fine & Specialty Chemicals
        • Base & Petrochemicals
        • Paint & Lacquer
      • Metal Fabrication
  • Processes
      • Additive Manufacturing Processes
        • Metal Powder Production and Handling
        • 3D Printing
        • R&D Additive Manufacturing
      • Analysis & Instrumentation
        • Traceability
      • Cleaning, Polishing & Grinding
        • Bleaching
        • Carbon Dioxide Pulp Wash
        • CRYOCLEAN® Snow Cleaning Solutions
      • Clinical Analysis & Diagnostics
      • Coating & Surface Treatment
        • Coating
        • Ultraviolet & Electron Beam curing
      • Controlled & Modified Atmospheres
        • Carbonation
        • Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS)
        • Enhancing Greenhouse Growth
        • Liquid Nitrogen Dosing
        • Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
        • Oxygenation in Aquaculture
      • Cutting, Joining & Heating
        • Cutting
        • Welding
        • Flame Heat Treatment for Fabrication
      • Freezing & Cooling
        • Cooling for Metal Fabrication
        • Cooling of Core Hoses
        • Cryogenic Condensation
        • Dross Cooling with Argon
        • Extrusion Cooling
        • Food Chilling & Freezing
        • Ground Freezing
        • Rapid Cooling
        • Reactor Cooling
      • Inerting, purging, sparging
        • Blanketing
        • Purging
        • Sparging
      • Leisure & Hospitality
      • Melting & Heating
        • Glass Forming & Processing
        • Glass Melting Applications
        • Heating for Metal Fabrication
      • Petrochemical Processing & Refining
        • Fluid Catalytic Cracking
        • Hydrogen Applications
      • Plastics & Rubber Processing
        • Tire Vulcanization
      • Process Chemistry
        • Acetylene for Chemical Synthesis
        • Hydrogen Applications for Chemical Production
        • Hydrogenation of Oil & Fat
        • Recovery of Volatile Organic Compounds
        • Stirring
      • Water Treatment
        • Water Treatment
  • Products & Supply
      • Supply
        • GENIE®
        • Cylinders
        • Drum Tanks
        • HyCO Plants
        • Bulk Supply
        • Onsite Solutions
        • Pipelines
        • Air Separation Plants
      • Atmospheric Gases
      • Balloon gases
      • Dry Ice
        • Dry Ice bulk
        • Harvest
      • Electronic Gases and Chemicals
        • On-Site Gas Generation
        • Gas Systems and Equipment
      • Food Grade Gases
      • LINDOFLAMM® flame solutions
      • Fumigants
      • Medical Gases
      • Industrial Gases
      • Helium
      • Chemicals
        • Product range
      • Pharmaceutical grade gases
      • Refrigerants
        • HFCs
        • HFOs
        • Natural Refrigerants
        • Leak Detection Gases
        • Environment and Legislation
      • Specialty gases and gas mixtures HIQ®
      • Equipment
        • Central Gas Supply Systems
        • Equipment specialty gases HIQ®
        • Welding and Safety Products
        • Food Freezing
        • Natural Gas Filling Station
        • Other Equipment
  • Services
      • Administrative Efficiency
        • Request e-Invoice
        • Track & Trace
      • Process Know-How
        • Application Engineering
        • Application Training
        • Industrial Service
        • Process Consulting
      • Quality & Safety
        • Safety Training
        • Gas certificates and analysis
      • Supply Reliability
        • Bulk Gas Supply
        • CRYO Service
        • Emergency and Express Deliveries
      • SIA – Integral Analysis Services
  • Safety & Quality
      • Our Commitment to SHEQ
        • Policies, Certificates & Standards
        • SHEQ Management Systems
      • Health & Safety
        • Health & Safety programme
        • Cylinder Safety
        • Cryogenic Liquid Safety
        • Equipment Safety
        • Safety Documents
        • Serious Accidents
      • Safety Services
      • Safety glossary
      • Gas risks
        • Flammable Gases
        • Inert Gases
        • Oxygen
      • Quality Management
        • Certification
        • HACCP
        • HiQ
        • Traceability
        • Risk & Danger Assessment Programmes
      • Environment
      • Product Stewardship
      • REACH
  • Contact & Support
      • Customer Service
        • Opening a Linde Account
        • Placing an order
        • Understanding your invoices
      • Point of Sales
      • Locations
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Contact
  • News & Media
      • Press Releases
      • Publications
      • Media Contacts
      • Customer References
        • EXAMPLE - Biomass Gasification Demo Plant in Finland
        • EXAMPLE - More Power in Scana’s Furnaces
      • Tools
        • Gas Calculator
        • Welding Gas Finder
        • CAS Listing
      • Downloads
        • Product data sheets
        • Safety data sheets
        • Safety advices
        • Transport instructions
      • Upcoming Events
        • Upcoming Events
  •  
  • Language
    • English
    • Português
  • Linde Worldwide
  • The Linde Group
  • About Linde in Portugal
  • Career
  • Glossary
  • Safety & Quality
  • Our Commitment to SHEQ
  • Health & Safety
  • Safety Services
  • Safety glossary
  • Gas risks
    • Flammable Gases
    • Inert Gases
    • Oxygen
  • Quality Management
  • Environment
  • Product Stewardship
  • REACH
  • Safety & Quality
  • Gas risks
  • Oxygen

Oxygen Understanding oxygen to eliminate risks in oxygen-enriched environments

Air, nitrogen dioxide and oxygen are common oxidisers. If for example oxygen is not handled correctly, the surrounding atmosphere can become enriched with oxygen. The information here details the dangers of enrichment and the simple measures required to use oxygen safely.

 

Atmospheric gases are non-toxic. If their concentrations change, however, they can have an impact on life and combustion processes (especially in the case of oxygen). A sufficient amount of oxygen must be present in breathable atmospheres.

Oxygen itself is not flammable, but it does support combustion. Nitrogen and argon, however, inhibit combustion. Any changes in the concentration of these gases cannot be detected by human senses. If they are not handled correctly, accidents may occur.

In order to be stored as liquids, these gases have to be cooled to extremely low temperatures (less than -180 0C at atmospheric pressure). In this state, they can rapidly cause cold burns and make certain materials brittle, which in turn may lead to structural failure.

  • Fire hazards from oxygen enrichment
    Oxygen reacts with most elements. The initiation, speed, vigour and extent of these reactions depend on a number of factors including:

    • The concentration, temperature and pressure of reactants

    • Ignition energy and the mode of ignition.

  • Combustibility of materials
    The risk of fire increases considerably when the concentration of oxygen in an atmosphere rises, even if it is just by a few percent. Sparks that under normal conditions would be harmless can cause fires in oxygen enriched atmospheres, and materials that would not normally burn in air - including fireproof materials - may burn vigorously or even spontaneously.

  • Hydrocarbon oil and grease
    Oil and grease are particularly hazardous in the presence of pure oxygen as they can ignite spontaneously and burn with explosive violence. They should never be used to lubricate oxygen or enriched-air equipment (special lubricants which are compatible with oxygen can be used under certain conditions).

  • Smoking
    Many combustion accidents are triggered when cigarettes are lit in oxygen-enriched atmospheres. The risks of smoking in oxygen-enriched atmospheres or places where oxygen enrichment may occur are extremely high. Smoking must be forbidden in all such areas. 

    • You Tube
    • Terms of Use
    • Legal Notice
    • Data protection
    • Cookie Policy
    • General Terms and Conditions
  • © The Linde Group 2019

To enhance your user experience and to deliver our online services, this website uses cookies for reasons of functionality, comfort and statistics. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.
You can find out more on our data protection information.
You must check the "I accept cookies from Linde Sites" box to accept.
More