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      Nitrous oxide
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      N2O

      Nitrous oxide

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      Nitrous oxide
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      N2O
      Nitrous oxide

      Physical Properties

      Under solid (grey), liquid (blue) and vapor states (white) along the equilibrium curves

      • General properties
      • Solid phase
      • Liquid Phase
      • Gas Phase
      (P)
      log(P)
      Download
      • Molecular weight
        44.013
        g/mol
      • Content in dry air
        0.33
        ppm
         0.33 ppm 3.3E-5 vol% 3.3E-7 vol/vol

      Critical Point

      • Temperature
        36.42
        °C
         97.556 °F 309.57 K
      • Pressure
        72.45
        bar
         7.245E6 pa 1050.798 lbf/in2 71.5026 Atm 7245 Kpa 5.4342E4 mmHg
      • Density
        451.88
        kg/m³
         28.2099 lb/ft³

      Triple Point

      • Temperature
        - 90.82
        °C
         - 131.476 °F 182.33 K
      • Pressure
        8.785E-1
        bar
         8.785E4 pa 12.7416 lbf/in2 8.6701E-1 Atm 87.85 Kpa 658.931 mmHg
      Pressure 1.013 bar
      • Melting point
        - 90.82
        °C
         - 131.476 °F 182.33 K
      • Latent heat of fusion (at melting point)
        148.57
        kJ/kg
         63.9165 Btu/lb 35.5091 kcal/kg
      • Solid density
        /
      Pressure 1.013 bar
      • Liquid density (at boiling point)
        1230.458
        kg/m³
         76.8148 lb/ft³
      • Boiling point
        - 88.47
        °C
         - 127.246 °F 184.68 K
      • Latent heat of vaporization (at boiling point)
        374.286
        kJ/kg
         161.022 Btu/lb 89.4565 kcal/kg
      Pressure1.013barTemperature
      • Compressibility factor Z
        9.928E-1
        9.9391E-1
        9.9453E-1
      • Cp/Cv ratio γ
        1.2933
        1.2853
        1.2804
      • Dynamic viscosity
        1.3631E-4
        Po
         13.631 µPa.s 1.3631E-5 PA.S 9.1596E-6 lb/ft/s
        1.436E-4
        Po
         14.36 µPa.s 1.436E-5 PA.S 9.6495E-6 lb/ft/s
        1.4841E-4
        Po
         14.841 µPa.s 1.4841E-5 PA.S 9.9727E-6 lb/ft/s
      • Gas density at boiling point
        2.981
        kg/m³
         1.861E-1 lb/ft³
        2.981
        kg/m³
         1.861E-1 lb/ft³
        2.981
        kg/m³
         1.861E-1 lb/ft³
      • Gas density
        1.9774
        kg/m³
         1.2344E-1 lb/ft³
        1.8724
        kg/m³
         1.1689E-1 lb/ft³
        1.8084
        kg/m³
         1.1289E-1 lb/ft³
      • Heat capacity at constant pressure Cp
        8.5873E-1
        kJ/(kg.K)
         2.0524E-1 BTU/lb∙°F 858.73 J/kg∙K 2.0524E-1 kcal/kg∙K
        8.7347E-1
        kJ/(kg.K)
         2.0876E-1 BTU/lb∙°F 873.47 J/kg∙K 2.0876E-1 kcal/kg∙K
        8.8312E-1
        kJ/(kg.K)
         2.1107E-1 BTU/lb∙°F 883.12 J/kg∙K 2.1107E-1 kcal/kg∙K
      • Heat capacity at constant volume Cv
        6.6398E-1
        kJ/(kg.K)
         1.587E-1 BTU/lb∙°F 663.98 J/kg∙K 1.587E-1 kcal/kg∙K
        6.7959E-1
        kJ/(kg.K)
         1.6243E-1 BTU/lb∙°F 679.59 J/kg∙K 1.6243E-1 kcal/kg∙K
        6.8972E-1
        kJ/(kg.K)
         1.6485E-1 BTU/lb∙°F 689.72 J/kg∙K 1.6485E-1 kcal/kg∙K
      • Liquid (at boiling point)/gas equivalent
        618.241
        mol/mol
        652.95
        mol/mol
        676.02
        mol/mol
      • Solubility in water
        /
        5.948E-1
        mol/mol
        4.367E-1
        mol/mol
      • Specific gravity
        1.53
        1.53
        1.53
      • Specific volume
        5.057E-1
        m³/kg
         8.1005 ft³/lb
        5.341E-1
        m³/kg
         8.5555 ft³/lb
        5.53E-1
        m³/kg
         8.8582 ft³/lb
      • Thermal conductivity
        16.464
        mW/m∙K
         9.5191E-3 Btu/ft/h/°F 1.4166E-1 cal/hour∙cm∙°C 3.935E-5 cal/s∙cm∙°C 1.6464E-2 W/(m∙K)
        17.651
        mW/m∙K
         1.0205E-2 Btu/ft/h/°F 1.5187E-1 cal/hour∙cm∙°C 4.2187E-5 cal/s∙cm∙°C 1.7651E-2 W/(m∙K)
        18.445
        mW/m∙K
         1.0664E-2 Btu/ft/h/°F 1.587E-1 cal/hour∙cm∙°C 4.4085E-5 cal/s∙cm∙°C 1.8445E-2 W/(m∙K)
      • Vapor pressure
        32.1176
        bar
         3.2118E6 pa 465.8262 lbf/in2 31.6976 Atm 3211.76 Kpa 2.409E4 mmHg
        45.9221
        bar
         4.5922E6 pa 666.0435 lbf/in2 45.3216 Atm 4592.21 Kpa 3.4445E4 mmHg
        57.2912
        bar
         5.7291E6 pa 830.9383 lbf/in2 56.542 Atm 5729.12 Kpa 4.2972E4 mmHg
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      N2O
      Nitrous oxide

      Liquid / Gas Volumes

      Calculate a liquid or gas volume or a mass

      Liquid Phase

      At boiling point at 1.013 bar

      m3(Volume)
      kg(Mass)

      Gas Phase

      in standard conditions (1,013 bar, 15°C)

      m3(Volume)
      kg(Mass)
      Retour
      N2O
      Nitrous oxide

      Applications

      Examples of uses of this molecule in Industry and Healthcare

      Food

      Nitrous oxide is used as gas propellant for aerosols packaging.

      Food

      Laboratories & Research Centers

      Nitrous 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 Centers

      Other

      Nitrous oxide is a combustive for engine of scale models.

      Pharma & Biotech

      Nitrous oxide is used as gas propellant for aerosols packaging.

      Pharma & Biotech

      Electronic components

      In 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 components

      Hospital care

      Nitrous Oxide is used in anesthesia or in analgesia (50% N2O/50% O2)

      Hospital care
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      N2O
      Nitrous oxide

      Safety & Compatibility

      Information to safely use this molecule

      • Major hazards
      • Material compatibility
      Safety
      • GHS03
        Oxidising
      • GHS04
        Gas under pressure

      Threshold of toxicity

      • VME
        /
      • VLE
        /
      • ILV-8h
        /
      • ILV 15mn
        /
      • TLV-TWA (USA)
        50
        ppm
         50 ppm 5.E-3 vol% 5.E-5 vol/vol
      • TLV-STEL (USA)
        /

      Odor

      Sweet

      Metals

      • Aluminium
        Satisfactory
      • Brass
        Satisfactory
      • Monel
        Satisfactory
      • Copper
        Satisfactory
      • Ferritic Steel
        Satisfactory
      • Stainless steel
        Satisfactory
      • Zinc
        Satisfactory
      • Titanium
        No data

      Plastics

      • Polytetrafluoroethylene
        Satisfactory
      • Polychlorotrifluoroethylene
        Satisfactory
      • Polyvinylidene fluoride
        Acceptable
        risk of explosion and fire
      • Polyvinyl chloride
        Not recommended
        risk of explosion and fire
      • Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene
        Satisfactory
      • Polycarbonate
        No data
      • Polyamide
        Satisfactory
      • Polypropylene
        Not recommended
        risk of explosion and fire

      Elastomers

      • Buthyl (isobutene- isoprene) rubber
        Not recommended
        significant swelling, risk of explosion and fire
      • Nitrile rubber NBR
        Not recommended
        significant swelling, risk of explosion and fire
      • Chloroprene
        Not recommended
        significant swelling, risk of explosion and fire
      • Silicone
        Satisfactory
      • Perfluoroelastomers
        No data
      • Fluoroelastomers
        Not recommended
        significant swelling
      • Neoprene
        Satisfactory
      • Polyurethane
        Satisfactory
      • Ethylene-Propylene
        Acceptable
        significant swelling, risk of explosion and fire

      Lubricants

      • Hydrocarbon based lubricant
        Not recommended
        risk of explosion and fire
      • Fluorocarbon based lubricant
        Satisfactory

      Materials compatibility

      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.

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      N2O
      Nitrous oxide

      Learn More

      General information

      More 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.