Oxygen

Features

Chemicals	Oxygen can be used as a chemical reactant and in combustion systems. Benefits over air include increased reaction rates, yield improvements, reduced capital cost of new plants and reduced air emissions.
Food	Oxygen can be used in fermentation to maintain an aerobic state.
Fish farms	Higher levels of dissolved oxygen, resulting from the use of oxygen instead of air, allow more fish to be grown and remain healthy in a given volume of water.
Lasers	Oxygen can be used as an assist gas for the cutting of mild steel and stainless steel.
Medical	Breathing oxygen instead of air allows greater oxygenation of the blood stream in situations of impaired breathing action and lung function.
Metals	Oxygen enrichment is frequently employed in iron, copper and lead blast furnaces, iron melting foundry cupolas and rock or slag-melting cupolas to increase productivity and reduce the specific coke consumption.
Water treatment	Oxygen can be used in place of air in the activated sludge process to maintain a higher population of micro-organisms. Using oxygen injected through a side stream instead of using a mechanical aerator eliminates surface agitation, reducing odour. Injecting oxygen into pumped sewer mains maintains the sewage in an aerobic state, preventing formation of hydrogen sulphide.