If
you are one of the 85% of Americans who don't regularly check tire
pressure, you need nitrogen.
We take in nitrogen with every
breath. Air is composed of:
- 1% Water Vapor and Other Gases
– Escapes up to 250 times faster than Nitrogen
- 21% Oxygen – Escapes 3-4
times faster than Nitrogen
- 78% Nitrogen – The largest
molecule in
air, dry, non-flammable.
Because of their large size,
nitrogen molecules are the least permeable and stay in
your tire longer.
It's
not about the nitrogen. It's about reducing oxygen, water
vapor and other gases.
By reducing the percentage of
oxygen, water vapor and other gases in your tires from 22%
to 7% or lower, your tires will maintain proper pressure
longer than if you use “plain old air.” For example,
with 95% nitrogen in your tires, they retain optimal
pressure three to four times longer.
Proper
tire pressure is a big deal.
Maintain it with nitrogen, and you'll see
these three primary benefits:
- Increased Fuel
Efficiency – Correct tire pressure keeps
the manufacturer's recommended “contact patch” on
the road. This lessens the rolling resistance and
maximizes fuel efficiency.
- Longer Tire Life
– When it comes in contact with other materials,
oxygen causes oxidation. Oxidation can make rubber
brittle and cause it to lose tensile strength. In
addition, at high temperatures and pressures, oxygen
reacts and damages inner tire liners and belt
packages; nitrogen does not.
- Increased Safety
– Under-inflated tires cause 90% of blowouts.
Nitrogen provides more reliable pressure for reduced
blowout potential. Read
On...
Other
benefits:
- Improved TPMS
Performance – If you have a new car, you
likely are plagued by a flashing light telling you
your tire pressure is low. For example, one woman's
light was going off every four to five weeks. After
inflating with nitrogen, her light didn't reappear for
53 weeks!
- More Predictable
Pressure Fluctuation – NASCAR teams use
nitrogen so they can more accurately predict tire
pressure fluctuation. Regular
compressed air can fluctuate considerably when water
vapor is present. Read
On...
- Longer Rim Life
– Rim rust caused by condensation from water vapor
and other gases can get caught in valves and create
slow leaks in tires. Nitrogen is completely dry, so it
eliminates the potential for condensation.
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Why
not eliminate all oxygen and water vapor?
What's right for me – 95% or 98%?
Numerous studies have
proven that nitrogen in tires reduces the volume
of gases that escape more quickly and cause
damaging oxidation. However, research also has
shown that nitrogen purity beyond a certain point
does not provide additional benefits. In fact,
with a nitrogen purity above 93.4%? in passenger
tires, oxygen actually begins to migrate back into
the tire. You can get all the benefits of nitrogen
with a purity level between 93-98%.
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- Bridgestone/Firestone
researchers say that 93-95% nitrogen is all you
need.
- According to Ford
Motor Co., there is no difference between 96%
and 99% nitrogen purity.
Who
Else Is Using Nitrogen?
- NASCAR -
NASCAR teams use nitrogen because it allows them to
more accurately predict tire pressure fluctuation.
Nitrogen fluctuates with temperature change, but it
does so less than when water vapor is present. Read
On... In addition, higher nitrogen levels
eliminate the explosive properties of oxygen (oxygen
loses its explosive properties at around 9% or less) Read
On... NASCAR uses bottled nitrogen for
portability. The bottles are delivered to the track by
Praxair.
- Commercial Airlines
– The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires
nitrogen in all commercial aircraft tires to eliminate
the potential for water vapor (inherent in normal
compressed air) from freezing at high altitudes. In
addition, aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing use
nitrogen membranes in their On-Board Inert Gas
Generation Systems (OBIGGS) to "top" fuel
tanks with nitrogen - an inert gas that does not
support combustion.
- U.S. Government
– NASA and the U.S. military use nitrogen for many
of the same reasons it used in commercial aircraft.
- Food Processors and
Packagers – Oxygen hastens both the
chemical breakdown and microbial spoilage of many
foods. Think meat, potato chips, cookies, etc. To help
preserve foods longer, processors and packagers often
use modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and controlled
atmosphere packaging (CAP) that replaces some or all
of the oxygen in the air inside the
package with nitrogen.
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