Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide (also known as “laughing gas”) is commonly used as a general anesthetic in both medical and dental surgeries. To be effective as an anesthetic, nitrous oxide must be inhaled in relatively high concentrations mixed with air or oxygen. Nitrous oxide may be classified as a medical gas in some geographies and managed according to the relevant regulations.

Nitrous oxide is used:

• in the production of fiber optics.
• as oxidizing component in the production of rocket fuels.
• as an oxidizer in some types of analytical instruments.
• as an oxygen enrichment medium for high-performance internal combustion engines (drag racing).
• in calibration mixtures for environmental control.
• as an oxygen source in the chemical vapor deposition of silicon oxynitride layers.

Nitrous oxide may be used as an aerosol/propellant in various fields:

• for whipped cream (because it improves the foaming characteristics of the cream), syrups, concentrates of coffee, chocolate and various flavors, sauces for grilled meats, vinaigrette, etc.
• in pharmaceutical sprays
• in cosmetics (perfumes, eau de cologne, hair spray, etc.)
• in household products, paints and varnishes, insecticides
• in aerosols for use at low temperatures, such as deicers, engine starting boosters, etc.

Nitrous oxide serves in industry as a leak detector for vacuum and pressurized enclosures, buried piping, etc.

The nitrous oxide-acetylene flame is employed in the laboratory for the analysis of refractory elements such as aluminum, vanadium, titanium and calcium oxides, by flame emission spectrometry. The use of this flame also permits determination of a certain number of trace metals by atomic absorption spectrometry.