On-site nitrogen generators produce nitrogen from compressed air using either membrane separation or pressure swing adsorption (PSA). The right choice depends on the purity, flow and operating economics your process needs.
How they differ
- Membrane modules separate nitrogen through hollow fibres
- PSA beds adsorb oxygen to leave nitrogen
- Membrane suits moderate purity up to about 99.5 percent
- PSA reaches high purity up to 99.999 percent
Cost and energy
Membrane generators are compact and simple, with low capital and maintenance cost, but lower efficiency at high purity. PSA delivers high purity economically at larger flows, with two beds and more valves requiring periodic service.
Choosing
Specify your required purity, pressure and flow first. For laser cutting, blanketing and tyre inflation, membrane is often sufficient. For food packaging, electronics and laboratory use demanding high purity, PSA is usually the better fit.