The sofa by the flickering fireplace is a particularly beautiful aspect of the cold season. After all, what better time to retreat to this cozy piece of furniture than when it's frosty and snowy? But without gas winter enjoyment wouldn't be half as perfect.
Precious metal
The fact that it is cold outside makes the cozy warmth of the living room and the cheerful blaze of the fire twice as cozy. The table fireplace owes its smooth surfaces not least to the nitrogen used in the heat treatment of the steel sheets. Specific gas mixtures were used to cut and weld the individual parts, as well as in the manufacture of the candlestick and the aluminum wheel on which the Junior does its rounds. When sheet brass is welded into a trumpet, argon protects the precious material. To process the even more precious silver - or gold and platinum - of the finger jewelry, goldsmiths prefer to use pure hydrogen as a fuel gas.
Light and warmth
To keep the heat inside for as long as possible the space between high-quality insulating glass panes is filled with argon or krypton. An inert gas mixture protects the filament in the halogen lamp; LED lights are produced using ultra-high purity gases such as ammonia and nitrous oxide as well as silane mixtures. High temperatures are required for the production of ceramic cups and crystal glass vases. Thanks to the supply of pure oxygen the kilns require less heating gas, which also significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions.
Taste and beauty
The steaming cocoa also tastes so delicious because the powder is packaged under a protective gas that preserves the aromas. This task is performed in the wine tank by the inert argon: it covers the liquid like a blanket, keeps the oxygen out and preserves the fine notes of the grape juice. Mixing and stirring cookie dough generates heat, which would encourage the growth of microorganisms. To prevent this the dough is cooled with dry ice during industrial production. The cinnamon flavor of Christmas cookies is so intense because the cold grinding of the cinnamon bark uses cryogenic nitrogen to protect the essential oils. In the greenhouse a targeted supply of CO2 makes the roses grow even more beautifully.
Eco upholstery and smart soldering
Foam cushions, such as those in sofas, used to be foamed with chlorofluorocarbons. However, released CFCs destroy the ozone layer and were, therefore, banned. Today the process remains environmentally neutral thanks to the use of carbon dioxide, which is obtained from the exhaust air of industrial processes. In order to avoid having to wait forever for the wax to cool down when pouring candles, it is cooled with cryogenic nitrogen. The same gas displaces the oxygen when soldering the circuit board of the smartphone and ensures oxide-free and, therefore, reliable connections. Oxygen, on the other hand, is used in the environmentally friendly bleaching of paper for books and handkerchiefs, as well as in the treatment of the tap water in which the roses are placed.
For more than 125 years, Messer, the today’s world's largest privately owned company for industrial gases, medical gases, specialty gases, and gases for electronics, committed to its guiding principles of safety, focus on customers and employees, responsibility for our society, sustainability, trust, and respect. Messer's Gases for Life and patented gas applications are essential for environmental protection, climate protection, decarbonization, and innovation.
