Liquid Nitrogen

Question: Liquid Nitrogen? I asked earlier about an extra credit deal at my school where we have to freeze a steel pipe with chemicals and shatter it. Thanks to all who answered my question and it seems to be liquid nitrogen is the answer. I would like to experiment first because i need the credit. So my new question is where do i buy liquid nitrogen from and how much is it?

Answer: I agree, it is a dangerous substance. You would need to take many precautions. That being said, you can check this site for info: http://www.williams.edu/physics/kforkey/liquid_nitrogen.htm

Question: liquid nitrogen? Where would I be able to buy liquid nitrogen and many other "fun" chemicals.

Answer: Many welding supple stores will sell compressed gases and liquid nitrogen.

Question: How did liquid nitrogen break only the bottom of the glass? There was an experiment. There was a glass cylinder tube placed in active liquid nitrogen. After sitting in the liquid nitrogen for a while, only the "top" of the glass tube broke. How did this happen?

Answer: see the Pearson's chi square test

Question: What is the difference between liquid nitrogen and nitrogen? What is the chemical and physical difference between liquid nitrogen and nitrogen? And how would one go about converting one to another?

Answer: Chemical difference ...None. Physical difference...A liquid separated from liquefied air at -196°C. Vaporises (Boils Off) to its natural gaseous state at this temperature and Atmospheric pressure. It soon gains the temperature of the atmosphere as a gas while the liquid stays at -196°C while boiling.. Very briefly, the Liquefaction of Air process requires the Compression and Cooling of Clean, dry air by a series of these processes until the air changes to liquid at its Critical Temperature and Pressure of -149°C and 35 atm. The liquid air is then Fractionally Distilled to separate Nitrogen at -196°C and Oxygen at -183°C, at atmospheric pressure. The other gases contained in the atmosphere can also be separated in this way as required.

Question: Where can I get liquid nitrogen, and what kind of facilities have them? What about how to contain the liquid? I need liquid nitrogen for a superconducting experiment that I might have to perform. What kind of places of them, since they're not easily accessible? Also, what kind of flasks or other types of container do I need to safely contain the liquid nitrogen?

Answer: Look in the Yellow Pages under Gas, Industrial, and that will get you started. An ordinary vacuum Thermos bottle will do adequately to hold the stuff; keep the bottle in another container so that if it spills or breaks, you don't have LN2 all over the place. Care is required in handling it; LN2 is about the third coldest substance there is, and will burn you if you touch it.

Question: How long should a liquid nitrogen applied wart take to scab up? Hi, Went to the doctors yesterdya. He repeatedly applied liquid nitrogen with q tips to a wart on my left finger. He said it should take 3 weeks to scab up and fall off? Does anyone have personal experience or knowledge of this? I know he is probably right but I just want other opinions.

Answer: Yes, your doctor is right. It usually takes 2-3 weeks. Be patient and do not scratch it.

Question: How would you convert a hydrogen refueling station to a liquid nitrogen refueling station? This scenario is in 100 years time and there are a lot of hydrogen refueling stations (for cars that run on fuel cells) and you have to convert these to liquid nitrogen refueling stations (for liquid nitrogen cars) because liquid nitrogen cars are "better" and the way to go. Is this even possible? Or would building an all new refueling station would be the best way? Any answers would be greatly appreciated =)

Answer: The change over from LH2 to LN2 is possible but running an automobile on LN2 is problematic since LN2 isn't used a s a fuel. On the other hand LH2 is dangerous and very combustible in its gaseous state. Storage is a problem because of it's volatility. Even launch complexes at Vandenberg and the Cape keep that stuff segregated from the rest of the fuels and oxidizers on the launch pads. This is something you should keep in mind when you design your filling stations. Now LN2 isn't nearly as dangerous as LH2 but it's not used as a fuel. It's inert, displaces oxygen (bad thing) and it's a cryogen but other than that it poses no danger. I just can't see it being used as a fuel. Anyway, burn off and/or remove all your LH2. Clean the storage tanks and have them either removed or refurbished to store LN2. Build an LN2 recharge station, emplace LN2 storage tanks, fill with LN2 and save the environment with your LN2 fueled automobiles.

Question: Why does liquid nitrogen blow apart a bottle faster in the air than in a barrel? In my physics class Friday my teacher put liquid nitrogen in two 2-liter pop bottles. He put one bottle in a plastic barrel and he hung the other the other from the bleachers on a string. The bottle hanging in the air blew apart 2 minutes sooner than the one in the barrel. Why?

Answer: Because the plastic barrel provided some insulation. The one in the open air heated up faster, raising the pressure faster.

Question: How many liquid nitrogen treatments do you need before my HPV wart goes away? I have discovered several warts on my vagina and went to the clinic. I decided on receiving the liquid nitrogen treatment. To date, I have had two treatments and they are still here. I am going to weekly... What are your thoughts?

Answer: Sometimes it takes several treatments for visible warts to regress. If your insurance will approve Aldara....I would probably consider this prescription med since it is a treatment that you can use at home and works with your immune system to help clear visible warts. Aldara can cause some side affects….just use the cream sparingly and use some like diaper rash cream to protect the skin around the warts.

Question: Can i preserve flowers using liquid nitrogen? i have these flowers that my boyfreind gave to me that are beautiful. I want to save them but i cant afford to buy silica n i dont want to dry them i want them to look the way they looki right now. i was wondering if i caould freeze wm using liquid nitrogen or lik that Warts compound W stuff... would that work?

Answer: hi. that must be one beautiful bouquet of flowers! the silica will dry them, yes. and that is the only way to preserve them (short of hanging them to dry) where they will look half decent (depending on what type of flowers, ofcourse... some aren't suitable for even silica) . liquid nitrogen will (obviously) freeze them but you'd have to leave them submerged for as long as you want them to be just like that. that's one of the beauty of fresh flowers: they are delicate and special and alive for a short time. your memories are the lasting part of this. remember them in your mind and through photos. enjoy.

Question: Why does liquid nitrogen make things that it is applied to break? What is in the liquid nitrogen that causes this to happen, or what is the science behind this? I have been wondering about this for a while, and I would therefore like to ask the community if they know the answer? Best answer will be given to the person who gives me the most complete, thoughtful, and scientific answer. Thanks in advance for the help!

Answer: I dont know the content but I do know it freezes well below average and makes things brittle

Question: What would make liquid nitrogen boil if you can not put it in any cantainer? I heard that it would not be possible, but i kept hearing that you could by a father's teacher. I would think Titanium could do it but liquid nitrogen just freezes whatever it touches.

Answer: Well, liquid nitrogen is mighty cold so it could cause the material of a container to contract suddenly and perhaps break but something like stainless steel could take the change in stride. All it takes for liquid nitrogen to boil is to be near enough to a source of thermal energy (like something hotter than the boiling point of the nitrogen) that it can absorb enough energy to change phase - boil. You could toss the liquid nitrogen into the air of a warm room and it would boil by absorbing energy from the air itself.

Question: What could I use to hold liquid nitrogen? I'm using this for a science project that requires me to fill a small "hole" with liquid nitrogen. I was wondering if wood would be ok, or a plastic of some sort. I dont need a tank, just an easily ascertainable material that will hold the liquid nitrogen. Any information would be useful!

Answer: A vacuum flask is the way to go.

Question: What happens when liquid nitrogen is heated? Let's say you were doing an experiment with a coke can and a bunsen burner. You take the coke can (empty all of the coke) and fill it with about 20-30 mL of liquid nitrogen. Then you tie this coke can to a stand above a flame (at a constant temperature). What would happen? Would the can freeze then melt because of the flame? Or would something explode? Or would the flame be put out? Or something else that I didn't even think of?

Answer: The Nitrogen in the coke can would simply get hotter and then boil off, it already boils at roomt tempture. It just would happen faster. Although if it was in an enlosed space, there is a change that the flame would go out as oxygen is needed.

Question: Why is the liquid nitrogen found in the hospitals not under pressure? If nitrogen needs to be brought down to a really low temperature and put under high pressure for it to become liquid, why is the liquid nitrogen found in the hospitals is not under pressure.. It is just in an insulated container...

Answer: liquid nitrogen in an open dewar is under atmospheric pressure. the temperature is very low, this keeps it as a liquid

Question: Can liquid nitrogen be used as a cleaning device? because in the 8th grade, this one teacher brought in liquid nitrogen and poured some on the floor...it picked up dirt and left the floor with a shiny gleam. What if this is a future cleaning tool...or will it be? well i guess thats true (Answer number one)

Answer: I though liquid nitrogen beaded when it hits any hard surface? It evapourates really really fast too. If it touches your skin it burns because it's so cold. Because if the danger in handling it, I can't see how it could be commercialized.

Question: Whats the difference between liquid nitrogen and dried ice? and where can you buy liquid nitrogen?

Answer: Dry ice is carbon dioxide and is -78.5 degrees C, and -109.3 degrees F. Liquid nitrogen is -196 degrees C, and -321 degrees F. If you buy liquid nitrogen, you will need a special container to store it in, because it evaporates very rapidly. Both can cause extremely serious burns and you need gloves and tongs to even handle them. Purchases can be made at an industrial and medical gasses plant or distributor. Check the internet, or yellow pages. Incidentially, the medications that "freeze" warts in the drug store are not liquid nitrogen. They are a mixture of gasses that are under high pressure, and drop their temperature tremendously when the pressure is released and they "boil" off. This causes anything they are in contact with to freeze. Be very careful with any of this stuff! It is as dangerous as an open flame, when touched with bare skin.

Question: What is the use of liquid nitrogen? Where can I buy liquid nitrogen? And also how do I handle liquid nitrogen? Do I need a rubber glove? And last what are the dangers of liquid nitrogen?

Answer: it is SUPER cold 77 Kelvin. it is not for non-trained people to handle. It is used to make pure N2 gas - for inert enviroments like chemical industry. Air Liquide, Praxair, Air Products are sources --------- I am going to be brutally honest here. Safety is job one in Chemistry. There are a LOT of safety and storage and handling issues and probably permitting issues to get anything more than a dewar. Just reading an MSDS will not cut it. Unless you have had the training and equipment this is not something to just go out and buy; IMHO.

Question: What is a safer substitute for liquid nitrogen? I have a project for school and I need a safer substitute for liquid nitrogen because my dad doesn't like me using that kind of stuff. I can't use dry ice either because of my dad so is there any other thing that can replace liquid nitrogen? Thanks! :)

Answer: You can use a can of butane or probably even an aerosol duster can tipped upside down With dry ice, you can put a piece in a bath of rubbing alcohol or acetone, and it will get around -100°F. Tell your dad that dry ice is extremely safe. You would have to be incredibly stupid to injure yourself with it. Sure, it's cold, and yes it can give you frostbite if you press your skin onto dry ice for more than a few seconds. I have gotten dry ice many, many times since I learned that I lived close to a dry ice store in 6th grade. The only thing you should NOT do is put the dry ice in a air-tight sealed container such as a closed water bottle. This can cause tremendous pressure to build up. Also, NEVER put dry ice in your mouth, because it can slide down your throat. You can lick it, which is quite fun, but don't put it in your mouth.

Question: What would happen if you poured liquid nitrogen on someone? This is just a hypothetical question, no harm intended. What would be the instant reaction and long term results of pouring liquid nitrogen on a live and conscious human being?

Answer: you could easily end up giving them severe frostbite in which the skin would fall apart and blister, close to a 3rd degree burn. .. If the internet isnt gross enough.... please google "liquid nitrogen burns"