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
Nitrous oxide is used as gas propellant for aerosols packaging.
FoodNitrous oxide is a combustive for the flame in atomic absorption spectrophotometry. It is used in calibration gas mixtures for petrochemical industry, environmental emission monitoring, industrial hygiene monitors and trace impurity analyzers.
Laboratories & Research CentersNitrous oxide is a combustive for engine of scale models.
Nitrous oxide is used as gas propellant for aerosols packaging.
Pharma & BiotechIn semiconductor and display manufacturing, nitrous oxide can be the oxygen source for Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) of silicon oxynitride (doped or undoped) or silicon dioxide.
Electronic componentsNitrous Oxide is used in anesthesia or in analgesia (50% N2O/50% O2)
Hospital careInformation to safely use this molecule
Sweet
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
The gas was first synthesized by English natural philosopher and chemist Joseph Priestley in 1772, who called it "phlogisticated nitrous air". On Earth, it occurs naturally in soil and oceans. It is produced by the combustion of organic or fossils matters, particularly in industry. The massive use of nitrogen-based chemical fertilizers has contributed to increase the level of nitrous oxide found in soil. At normal temperature and pressure, nitrous oxide is a colorless, odorless gas. Dissolved in water, it tastes slightly sweet. Because of its chemical formula, it is a source of oxygen that may be useful in electronics, for depositions in the gaseous phase and as an oxidant to improve gas-fueled engines performance.