Liquid Oxygen (LOX) is a light blue liquid by the liquefaction of oxygen at low temperature. It is an extremely important substance in the industrial, aerospace, and medical fields with various unique physical and chemical properties. 

Main characteristics of liquid oxygen

The characteristics of liquid oxygen produced by air separation plant are the foundation of all its applications.

A: Physical properties: Boiling point -183 ℃, density of about 1.14 g/cm³ , more than 800 times the density of gaseous oxygen; The expansion ratio is as high as 860:1, which means that 1 liter of liquid oxygen can be vaporized into about 860 liters of gaseous oxygen. This makes liquid oxygen the most economical and efficient way to store and transport large amounts of oxygen by cryogenic storage tanks, cryogenic mobile tank, semi-trailer or ISO tanks.

This extremely low temperature makes it a strong low-temperature liquid. Contact with the skin can cause severe frostbite.  Any substance in contact with it will quickly freeze to brittleness.

B: Strong oxidizing chemical properties, liquid oxygen itself does not burn, but strongly support combustion; Contact with organic matter, grease, lubricants, etc. may cause explosions.

The main uses of liquid oxygen

Specific Application Fields and Uses

A: The aerospace industry, as an oxidizer for rocket propellants, is often used in combination with liquid hydrogen or kerosene to generate enormous thrust.

B: Used in the medical field for centralized oxygen supply systems in hospitals, providing high-purity oxygen to support respiratory therapy, emergency treatment, and surgery.

C: Aquaculture rapidly increases dissolved oxygen in water, improves water quality, and increases aquaculture density and survival rate.

D: Industrial applications are used in steel smelting, metal cutting and welding, and chemical manufacturing to improve combustion efficiency and product quality.

E: For scientific research purposes, it can be used as a low-temperature coolant or in the low-temperature environment required to produce superconducting magnets.

Safety precautions

Due to the strong oxidizing and low-temperature properties of liquid oxygen, its storage, transportation, and use must strictly comply with safety regulations:

Leak prevention: All equipment and pipelines must maintain good sealing to prevent liquid oxygen leakage or air from entering the system and causing ice blockage.Oil and grease prohibition: Any components in contact with liquid oxygen must be thoroughly cleaned of oil and grease, as they can undergo violent reactions or even explosions in liquid oxygen.Personal protection: Operators must wear anti freezing protective equipment (face mask, low-temperature gloves, protective clothing) to prevent direct contact between skin and liquid oxygen.Ventilation: The storage and use areas must maintain good ventilation to prevent the accumulation of gaseous oxygen, which can create an oxygen rich environment and increase the risk of fire.

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