One of the daily routine to keep the tyres intact is to keep a check on the proper inflation of tyres. Tyres are inflated with the air. But, have you ever wondered the air which is being used for the inflation of tyres can be potentially harmful? What actually makes this air harmful? And is there any other alternative for this air through which we can inflate our car’s tyres properly inflated? In order to answer these queries, we have come up with this article.
In Pakistan, the air is the only option to inflate the tyres but that’s not the whole thing. Nitrogen gas is a very good alternative against the simple air to be used in tyres.
The Composition of Air and Nitrogen in the atmosphere:
When we talk about air, most people would only think of oxygen. However, if we read the composition of air than Oxygen only make up 20.95% of air, while Nitrogen makes 78.09%, Argon 0.93%, Carbon dioxide 0.04% of the air. Apart from these, there are some other gases as well. About 1% of the water vapors are also present in the air. We can see that nitrogen makes up most of the composition of the air but still this 78% of the nitrogen is not good enough for the inflation of tyres. So, what’s the secret benefits of the nitrogen gas over the simple air. Let us have a look at it.
No Oxidation:
Oxygen is important for the survival of human beings and is equally important for all the living organisms present on the earth. It’s actually the water vapors and oxygen which make the difference in the air. Just as oxygen is important, it is also lethal for many other processes due to oxidation. The best example of oxidation is the “corrosion or rust” which we can witness on metals. This oxygen is thus bad for the stell and the rubber of the tyres. So, if we use oxygen in tyres, it can accumulate in the tyres and allow the oxidation to take place with the help of water vapors present leading to the wear and tear of tyre in the longer run. The part of tyre which is affected more due to oxidation is the steel, and it may go unnoticed until corrosion takes over the steel. While, if we talk about the nitrogen gas, it is an inert gas i.e it cannot react with water which makes it free from oxidation process thus it can be used as an alternative to oxygen.
Read Also: Nitrogen Filled Tires: Advantages and Drawbacks
.Fewer chances of Tyre Blow-out:
As mentioned above, nitrogen gas does not carry out the oxidation process thus it is quite useful in the terms of safety of both passengers and driver. Oxidation cause corrosion of tyres, thus making them brittle over the years, and thus it increases the chances of the blow-out of tyres which can lead to a fatal accident.
Maintained Tyre pressure:
You might have noticed that with time the pressure in the tyres start to decrease that’s why tyres need to be inflated properly. But have you wondered what is the cause of this decrease in pressure? One might think it’s due to puncture or leakage of air. But, again, the answer lies in the usage of oxygen in the air. Oxygen is smaller than nitrogen gas. Therefore, due to its smaller size, the oxygen tends to seep from the strands of the tyres and we lose about 2-4 PSI of air pressure each month. Hence, nitrogen gas is considered as the best alternative, for this problem because of its greater size than oxygen. Nitrogen molecules cannot penetrate through the rubber tyres thus, there is no chance of losing even 1 PSI of gas unless until there is leakage from outside. Due to this property of nitrogen, you can easily save the tyre pressure of your vehicle.
Less Pressure change:
We have discussed above the property of nitrogen, it is greater in size than oxygen and thus less penetrating power. Due to this, the nitrogen gas is being used in the tyres of racing cars. But this is not the only reason, experience and study showed that with the increase in temperature, nitrogen in the tyres exhibits less change in pressure. Thus, this remarkable property makes the nitrogen beneficial and predictable than the simple air.
Increased Life-Span of tyres:
Since nitrogen helps in maintaining the pressure in the tyres, it increases the life-span of the tyres by reducing the rate of wear and tear of tyres. If the tyres are not properly inflated, or under-inflated, they face more damage because the surface of tyre is more exposed to the road which leads to greater friction and thus wears and tear.
Better Fuel-consumption:
As we all know, the prices of fuel are increasing day by day and everyone is concerned about it since everyone owns a vehicle be it motorbike or car. Even if we talk about local transport, the fare increases with the increase in fuel price. But, I am sure most of us neglect the tyre pressure while considering the fuel consumption by a vehicle. Yes, tyre pressure plays an important role, for it’ll decide how much distance your vehicle will cover in a tank. If the tyres are under-inflated, they’ll generate more friction and heat, thus making the engine to work more and produce more power thus the fuel consumption will automatically increase.
Environmental friendly:
Nitrogen is an inert gas and is greener for the environment. If we take a look at all the aforementioned points, we can conclude this property of nitrogen. Less fuel will be consumed by the vehicles if we achieve better fuel consumption, which will lead to less emission of gases in the environment. Air pollution will be controlled in this way as well. Also, the life-span of tyres can increase with the use of nitrogen, thus it not only reduces the manufacturing and shipment cost but the industrial waste will also decrease, hence help in saving the environment and the fuel consumption.
We can say that nitrogen can be the future. Even though it is expensive to fill the nitrogen in the tyres as compared to the simpler air, but considering the above factors, we cannot deny the fact that it has less adverse effects than the simpler air. But, again let’s see till when the nitrogen would replace the simpler air, for this step won’t be achieved overnight but will take time.
Folks, that’s all from our side. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
