hydrogen in tires

[Pete Masterson]

From Wikipedia:

Nitrogen is a nonmetal, with an electronegativity of 3.0. It has five
electrons in its outer shell and is therefore trivalent in most
compounds. The triple bond in molecular nitrogen (N2) is the
strongest in nature. The resulting difficulty of converting (N2) into
other compounds, and the ease (and associated high energy release) of
converting nitrogen compounds into elemental N2, have dominated the
role of nitrogen in both nature and human economic activities. [In
other words, many nitrogen compounds are quite explosive, but
elemental nitrogen is quite stable.]

Nitrogen gas has a wide variety of applications, including serving as
an inert replacement for air where oxidation is undesirable;
To preserve the freshness of packaged or bulk foods (by delaying
rancidity and other forms of oxidative damage)
On top of liquid explosives for safety
The production of electronic parts such as transistors, diodes, and
integrated circuits
Dried and pressurized, as a dielectric gas for high voltage equipment
The manufacture of stainless steel
Use in military aircraft fuel systems to reduce fire hazard, see
inerting system
Filling automotive and aircraft tires[1] due to its inertness and
lack of moisture or oxidative qualities, as opposed to air, though
this is not necessary for consumer automobiles.[2]
Nitrogen molecules are less likely to escape from the inside of a
tire compared to the traditional air mixture used. Air consists
mostly of nitrogen and oxygen. Nitrogen molecules have a larger
effective diameter than oxygen molecules and therefore diffuse
through porous substances more slowly.[3]
A further example of its versatility is its use as a preferred
alternative to carbon dioxide to pressurize kegs of some beers,
particularly thicker stouts and Scottish and English ales, due to the
smaller bubbles it produces, which make the dispensed beer smoother
and headier. A modern application of a pressure sensitive nitrogen
capsule known commonly as a "widget" now allows nitrogen charged
beers to be packaged in cans and bottles.
====
You can read the complete article at <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Nitrogen_gas>
Elemental Nitrogen is "almost" inert as it does not give up it's N2
molecular form easily. Under pressures in an engine, nitrogen-oxides
can form and other chemical processes can "fix" nitrogen in a
biologically useful form. In tires, it would essentially be
considered inert.

Since hydrogen is quite a small molecule, it would escape from tires
much more readily than nitrogen. Probably wouldn't make a great
filler for tires. Hydrogen is also quite explosive under certain
circumstances.

When I purchased a compressor (to keep up my tire pressures), I also
purchased a filter attachment. It seems to remove a fair amount of
the water from the compressed air before it goes into the tire.

Pete Masterson
aeonix1@...
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42'
El Sobrante, CA




On Jan 9, 2007, at 6:23 PM, Don Bradner wrote:

> Nitrogen is not an inert gas. I haven't done the research to learn
> its relative corrosiveness compared with oxygen, but it is corrosive.
>
> On 1/10/2007 at 12:57 AM Gardner Yeaw wrote:
>
>> There are at least two advantages to nitrogen.
>
>> Second, nitrogen is an inert gas, that is to say it does not
>> react chemicaly with anything. Oxygen, as you know, reacts with most
>> everything. So filling with nitrogen will prevent oxidation of the
>> inner tire as well as the rim.



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