Cradle to Gate
Identity ID
4aa5747b-adf6-4cbf-959c-d277013c072e
Materials
Associated ID
b587a863-52fe-4161-80cf-ba185176ecc0
Included activities starts
Included activities ends
Description
Oxygen produced through air separation is an important industrial and medical gas. In industry, it is widely used in steel manufacturing, chemical synthesis, environmental protection, and other fields. In medicine, pure oxygen is used to support respiration and therapy. The data inventory is formed by merging data from multiple sources. Energy and material consumption, as well as by-product and emission data, are disaggregated according to the Product Category Rules (PCR) for "Air Separation Gases" published by the China Iron and Steel Association EPD Platform.
Activity Description
Air, after compression and pretreatment, is separated into oxygen, nitrogen, and argon through cryogenic distillation in an air separation unit, encompassing data on energy and material consumption, as well as by-products, waste, and emissions associated with the air separation process.
Process Description
Oxygen produced through air separation is an important industrial and medical gas. In industry, it is widely used in steel manufacturing, chemical synthesis, environmental protection, and other fields. In medicine, pure oxygen is used to support respiration and for therapeutic purposes.
Time period
2021
2026
Geography
China
Macroeconomic value
Business-as-Usual
Data validation
Yes
Technology
Current Technology
Technology comment
Air is compressed and pre-treated to remove moisture, carbon dioxide, and other impurities. The compressed air is then cooled to a temperature close to its liquefaction point, where the different components in the air liquefy at different temperatures due to their distinct boiling points. Through a multi-stage distillation process in a fractionating column, nitrogen and oxygen are effectively separated. Nitrogen, which liquefies at a higher temperature, tends to rise up the column before oxygen. After a series of fractionation steps, high-purity nitrogen can be obtained.