Argon is the third most abundant gas in the Earth’s atmosphere and is produced on an industrial scale through air separation unit (ASU) processes. Typically, a cryogenic distillation process is used, delivering an argon product with impurities below 10 parts per million (ppm).
Typically, it is used in industrial applications, many of which take advantage of its inert nature. This makes it ideal for important uses in the metalworking industry, where it provides an inert atmosphere for arc welding and cutting.
Metal processing in iron and steel plants makes up the majority of industrial argon usage, and it is not unusual for an ASU to be located in or near steel plants, supplying argon (and also oxygen and nitrogen) through large-diameter pipes.
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