Difference between revisions of "Argon"
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| − | '''Argon''' is the third most abundant element in the martian [[atmosphere]], 1.6%.<ref>[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/marsfact.html NASA ''Mars Fact Sheet'']</ref> It is an oderless, colorless [[nobel gas]]. Like the other | + | '''Argon,''' ''[[Elements on Mars|periodic table Ar]]''''',''' is the third most abundant element in the martian [[atmosphere]], 1.6%.<ref>[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/marsfact.html NASA ''Mars Fact Sheet'']</ref> It is an oderless, colorless [[nobel gas|noble gas]]. Like the other noble gasses, it is chemically inert. As such, it has many uses in industry. Argon is easily produced [[In-situ resource utilization|in-situ]] from the martian atmosphere by cooling to condense out carbon dioxide and [[distillation]] to separate out the nitrogen. For use as a buffer gas in a colony atmosphere, the nitrogen need not be separated. Mixed nitrogen and argon can be added to oxygen to dilute it to 20% mole fraction oxygen, the concentration of the standard Earth atmosphere. The substitution of nitrogen by argon for a breathable atmosphere seems straightforward. |
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| + | ==Uses== | ||
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| + | *As an [[Air|atmospheric filler]] produced alongside nitrogen | ||
| + | *As an inert gas in certain industrial processes | ||
| + | *As [[propellant]] for [[Ion thruster|electrical space propulsion]] | ||
==Reference== | ==Reference== | ||
| − | <references/> | + | <references /> |
Latest revision as of 11:34, 30 August 2021
| Ar | 18 |
| Argon | |
Abundance: 1.6% (atmosphere)
Argon, periodic table Ar, is the third most abundant element in the martian atmosphere, 1.6%.[1] It is an oderless, colorless noble gas. Like the other noble gasses, it is chemically inert. As such, it has many uses in industry. Argon is easily produced in-situ from the martian atmosphere by cooling to condense out carbon dioxide and distillation to separate out the nitrogen. For use as a buffer gas in a colony atmosphere, the nitrogen need not be separated. Mixed nitrogen and argon can be added to oxygen to dilute it to 20% mole fraction oxygen, the concentration of the standard Earth atmosphere. The substitution of nitrogen by argon for a breathable atmosphere seems straightforward.
Uses
- As an atmospheric filler produced alongside nitrogen
- As an inert gas in certain industrial processes
- As propellant for electrical space propulsion
Reference
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