Nitrogen

Nitrogen can control the atmosphere inside autoclaves and hot isostatic presses (HIP) to prevent combustion of organic materials used to laminate glass products and other materials, such as cardboard used for product spacers. In the glass forming process, it can prevent detrimental reactions, such as the formation of glass defects, and help protect the chambers/equipment where glass is formed. For example, in the tin bath of a float glass manufacturing process, inerting is achieved using blends of nitrogen and hydrogen to purge and capture any oxygen that is present above the bath.

By taking advantage of the differences in the expansion coefficients of different materials, liquid nitrogen can delaminate or liberate materials from items that would otherwise be difficult to separate, such as polymers used for glass laminations. Then, those materials can be recycled.