A relatively scarce gas, argon is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and nontoxic.

It forms no known chemical

compound; thus it is extremely inert.

Representing only 0.93 percent of the earth's atmosphere, argon is utilized in a variety of applications. In
the manufacture of lighting devices, it is used to fill lamp bulbs and to produce colors in display tubes for
lighted signs. In the field of electronics, argon provides an inert atmosphere for the production of
semiconductors. Some metal welding and cutting applications are required to have an inert gas shield,
and argon gas often is used to fill this requirement. Also it is used as a blanket in the productin of many
reactive materials, including titanium an zirconium. It is often used to provide a protective shield for the
growing of silicon and germanium crystals.

Argon is manufactured in oxygen-nitrogen plants by means of fractional distillation after the liquefaction
of air as described above, in the cryogenic air separation process. In the distillation process where air is
separated into oxygen and nitrogen, a stream of gas is withdrawn from the low-pressure column to enter
the crude argon column. The argon content of the gas, initially 10 percent, is increased to 95 percent by
subjecting the gas to several stages of distillation. This "crude" argon is further purified to yield the final
pure argon product. Figure 2 shows a typical air separation process flow diagram.

For economic reasons argon often is shipped as a liquid. Liquid argon commonly is transported in liquid
cylinders, cryogenic trailers, and portable tanks. Argon can be shipped in high-pressure gas cylinders and
high-pressure cylinder trailers.