Under solid (grey), liquid (blue) and vapor states (white) along the equilibrium curves
Critical Point
Triple Point
Calculate a liquid or gas volume or a mass
At boiling point at 1.013 bar
in standard conditions (1,013 bar, 15°C)
Examples of uses of this molecule in Industry and Healthcare
Argon is used during welding and heat treatment operations as well as a protective atmosphere.
AeronauticsArgon is used pure or in mixtures for arc, plasma and laser welding. Argon protects welds against air as well as reduces fume emissions for most arc welding processes. Argon is used to inflate car airbags.
AutomotiveArgon is used to inert wine to prevent oxidation during winemaking.
BeverageArgon is used to protect liquid metal from reactions with compounds present in ambient air, such as oxygen. It is also used for the same reasons in many welding processes.
Metal fabricationArgon allows to extend food shelf life with modified atmosphere.
FoodArgon avoids corrosion of the tungsten filament in light bulb and consequently blackening of the bulb by atmosphere inerting. Argon is used to increase thermal isolation performance of double glazing windows.
GlassMedical device: liquid argon is used for cryoablation in surgery; ie the tissues are destroyed through intense cold. Argon is also used in argon plasma coagulation (APC), a medical endoscopic procedure used primarily to control bleeding.
Hospital careArgon is used for analysis and quality control for industry and hospital: plasma gas for plasma emission spectrometry, blanket gas in graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, carrier gas in gas chromatography for various detectors. In mixture with methane, argon is used in Geiger counter and in X-ray fluorescence detector as quenching gas.
Laboratories & Research CentersArgon is used for stirring and inerting purposes in steelmaking and during the Argon Oxygen Decarburisation (AOD) operation for stainless steel.
MetalArgon is used to carry reactive molecules to the reaction area, protect semiconductors against impurities, provide an inert atmosphere to grow crystals of silicon and germanium. Argon also intervenes under ionic state for sputtering, ion implantation, annealing and etching processes in semiconductor or high performance material manufacturing. It eases the creation of a ionic state inside the reaction area. It is also used to bring a molecules mix to a given mixture ratio.
Electronic componentsInformation to safely use this molecule
none
Recommendations : Air Liquide has gathered data on the compatibility of gases with materials to assist you in evaluating which materials to use for a gas system. Although the information has been compiled from what Air Liquide believes are reliable sources (International Standards: Compatibility of cylinder and valve materials with gas content; Part 1- Metallic materials: ISO11114-1 (March 2012), Part 2 - Non-metallic materials: ISO11114-2 (April 2013), it must be used with extreme caution and engineering judgement. No raw data such as these can cover all conditions of concentration, temperature, humidity, impurities and aeration. It is therefore recommended that this table is only used to identify possible materials for applications at high pressure and ambient temperature. Extensive investigation and testing under the specific conditions of use need to be carried out to validate a material selection for a given application. Contact the regional Air Liquide team for expertise service.
General information
Argon was discovered in 1894 by Sir William Ramsay and Lord John Rayleigh. The name argon comes from the Greek "αργόν" (argos) meaning "the lazy one" in reference to its chemical inactivity. Argon exists only in the atmosphere. Air contains about 0.9 % of argon, a neutral and colorless gas. Argon is highly used in industrial applications due to its high level of chemical inertness. Argon is produced through air cryogenic distillation.