INDUSTRIAL & MEDICAL OXYGEN

Subject: Science & tech

Context: Consumption of medical oxygen doubled in five days in Gujarat.

Concept:

Medical Oxygen

Medical oxygen is the oxygen which we use to treat patients. We use it to maintain enough oxygen level in our blood.
Oxygen therapy is the use of oxygen as a medical treatment. We can use it to treat low blood oxygen levels, carbon monoxide toxicity, cluster headaches, etc.
This oxygen provides a basis for virtually all modern anaesthetic techniques, restores tissue oxygen tension by increasing the oxygen availability, aids resuscitation, aids cardiovascular stability, etc.
However, there are some side effects as well. Furthermore, high concentrations can cause toxicity.

Industrial Oxygen

Industrial oxygen is focused on uses in industrial plants including combustion, oxidation, cutting and chemical reactions. The industrial oxygen purity levels are not appropriate for human use and there could be impurities from dirty equipment or industrial storage that could make people ill.

Followings are the uses of oxygen in industry:

Multi-industry uses gas welding, gas cutting, oxygen scarfing, flame cleaning, flame straightening, etc.
Metals manufacturing uses: steel production
Petroleum industry: coal gasification, manufacture of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, synthesis gas, etc.
Glass and ceramics: conversion of air-fuel combustion systems into oxy-fuel combustion systems for high efficiency and reduction of NOx emissions.
Pulp and paper manufacturing: oxygen as a bleaching chemical.

Difference between Medical Oxygen and Industrial Oxygen

Medical oxygen is the oxygen that we use to treat patients. We use oxygen to maintain enough oxygen level in our blood.
Industrial oxygen is the oxygen which we use for industrial purposes. We use oxygen in industries mainly for combustion and gasification processes.