Gas Purity & How to Get it Right

Gas purity is the degree to which a gas is free of contaminants and is fundamental to the use and distribution of industrial gases. From purified oxygen in healthcare facilities to nitrogen used for food packaging and preservation, achieving the correct level of gas purity is essential for guaranteeing product and process safety, consistency, and reliability.

Understanding the various facets of gas purity, including purity degrees, specific applications, delivery methods, and potential contaminants, is key. Ignoring these considerations can lead to significant consequences, including additional steps, inefficiencies, and even compromised product quality.

This blog post provides an overview of why understanding the nuances of gas purity and choosing the right gas supplier is vital to your industry’s success.

The Consequence of Impure Gas

The distinction between gas purity and gas quality is essential to understanding cost. Purity measures the concentration of a specific gas by detailing the amount of other trace gases present. Conversely, quality refers to the overall level of contaminants found within a gas.

For instance, an oxygen concentration that is too high for patients could be harmful. In contrast, industries such as food packaging often prioritize high gas quality over purity, as regulatory bodies like the FDA permit a specified low level of contaminants.

When impure gas is used in non-healthcare industries, additional costly steps are still required to correct the issue. These costs can be financial but are more commonly associated with additional filtration, reprocessing or packaging, and extensive delays, among others.

The ultimate costs of using incorrect or impure gas are significant: a high risk of failure, lost time, and wasted money.

Choosing the Right Approach for Success

Preventing the high costs associated with impure gas is crucial for smooth and successful operations. Partnering with a reliable gas supplier is a common strategy to avoid these consequences, offering numerous preemptive advantages. Below are some other reasons to partner with a gas supplier:

• Efficiency: An efficient partner possesses the necessary technical knowledge to ensure the correct purity and quality for your specific application from the beginning and consistently mitigating the risk of costly errors.
• Reliability: This means consistent delivery and product specifications, ensuring your operations are never compromised by unexpected variations or shortages.
• Predictability: A trustworthy supplier can help you anticipate future gas needs, enabling better budgeting and inventory management and avoiding last-minute premium costs.
• Loyalty: A commitment to long-term partnerships provides tailored solutions and support as your needs evolve, reinforcing the supplier’s role as a true collaborator in your success.

Deciding to partner with a gas supplier requires further research and understanding to help you choose the best partner for your company’s needs and regulatory requirements. A thorough vetting process must go beyond simple pricing to evaluate a prospective partner’s quality control protocols, logistical reliability, safety record, and proven expertise within your specific industry.

Understanding Customer Needs vs. Just Filling Orders

Different partnerships offer different approaches to gas fulfillment and needs. Below are three pieces of criteria to evaluate what type of relationship your company needs to be successful:

• Assessing process requirements: A strong partnership begins with a thorough evaluation of your company’s unique gas consumption patterns, operational scale, and safety protocols. This step ensures the fulfillment approach is well aligned with your actual production needs and minimizes waste.
• Recommending purity levels tailored to application: Industrial processes often have unique gas purity requirements. A trusted partner will review requests for nonstandard purity levels, providing insight based on experience with similar industries while maintaining full confidentiality. This helps ensure your process operates efficiently without unnecessary refinement.
• Supporting troubleshooting and optimization: Beyond simple delivery, a collaborative relationship includes ongoing technical support. This involves assisting with troubleshooting system issues and advising on future-proofing your gas infrastructure.

Meanwhile, an order-only approach leaves more room for error. This approach requires companies to monitor their own requirements and troubleshoot their own shifts without support.

Final Notes

Understanding the critical role of gas purity is non-negotiable for industries relying on compressed gases. Impure gases, even in trace amounts, can have devastating effects on sensitive processes, leading to product defects, equipment malfunction, and costly downtime. 

By prioritizing a proactive approach and selecting a trusted, high-quality gas supplier, you establish a crucial line of defense against these risks. Don’t wait for contamination to cause a significant problem; secure your long-term success and maintain peak performance with certified pure gas, every time.

You can consistently rely on UIG for the delivery of pure, quality gases. As an industry leader in gas supply and consultation, we offer tailored solutions and proactive support, backed by a deep understanding of our customers’ needs. Contact UIG for a consultation to guarantee you are using the correct gas for your specific application.