Nitrogen Gas to Inflate Car Tires
To be or not to be' has always been the question attached to the much debatable topic of inflating
car tires using Nitrogen gas. Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-toxic gas that forms
about 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere. While there are few people who believe that using nitrogen
gas to inflate car tires is beneficial, there are others who believe that has many disadvantages.
Though nitrogen gas has been widely used in the tires of racing cars, aircraft and heavy commercial
vehicles, its use in the normal passenger cars is a relatively new concept. Read on to find the pros
and cons of inflating the car tires with nitrogen.
Pros and Cons of Nitrogen Gas for Inflating Car Tires
Pros

Nitrogen reduces the running temperature of the tire. The moisture content of nitrogen leads to a
cooler running tire, which is advantageous when the car is operating at its maximum load and
speed capacity.
 Nitrogen in tires improves the ride quality. That gas is very slightly lighter than air and thus,
benefits the tires in terms of un-sprung weight.
 It is assumed that Nitrogen increases tire life. It reduces the operating temperature during times
of load and speed and thus, enhances the life of a tire.
 It is believed that nitrogen keeps tire pressures more constant. The gas is assumed to provide
more stable pressure range in connection to the tire temperature. However, again, the factor is
applicable in times of heavy load/high-speed conditions.
 Tires are susceptible to loss of pressure as a result of being porous in nature. Due to its chemical
structure, Nitrogen leak out slowly as compared to compressed air. Therefore, it slows the rate of
pressure loss.
 Oxygen reacts with the tire and rim materials causing oxidation or the rust formation in the metal
parts. Nitrogen, being an inert gas, does not react with the tire and rim materials.
Cons



Inflating tires with Nitrogen is quite costly. The cost generally comes to somewhere around $5 to
$10 per tire for a passenger car.
Filling tires with nitrogen requires more maintenance as compared to compressed gas.
The availability factor is the biggest disadvantage of inflating tires with nitrogen, as the gas is not
readily available. It is usually found only with specialist tire dealers.
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