# Elements chemistry I guess

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elements-chemistry-i-guess/920621>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 15, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elements-chemistry-i-guess/920621 "2020-09-15T00:35:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elements-chemistry-i-guess/920621/41 "2020-09-16T21:24:58Z")

</div>

> [@am77494](#):
>
> in 2002, [Iceland produced 2,000 tons of hydrogen gas by electrolysis](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_Iceland#Hydrogen)

That would release 16,000 tons of O2 per year. While that may sound like a lot, world consumption of O2 is about [1,200,000 tons per _day_](https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1080&context=cbe_sdr).

The electrolysis output could be liquified, but it seems too small to be worthwhile. Large O2 production units make [5,000 tons per day](https://www.airliquide.com/magazine/customer-experience/worlds-largest-oxygen-production-unit).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elements-chemistry-i-guess/920621/42 "2020-09-17T03:18:34Z")

</div>

> [@Dr.Strangelove](#):
>
> The electrolysis output could be liquified, but it seems too small to be worthwhile.

You would need compressors to liquefy. Industrially gases are compressed/cooled to ambient/expanded to liquefy them. You can use a cryogenic fluid in a heat exchanger to liquefy Oxygen but if oxygen is at room pressure, it will be way ineffective.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2020, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elements-chemistry-i-guess/920621/43 "2020-09-17T11:35:02Z")

</div>

There was a company called Q-Drive making thermoacoustic chillers for small-scale oxygen liquefaction. I believe they sold themselves to Chart. And that IP was later bought by . . . someone else. I forget.

Anyway the point is there are applications where small-scale liquefaction is desirable, and there are products that serve that need. But it’s less efficient than massive ASUs, so only really desirable when transport or lots of storage are problematic.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2020, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elements-chemistry-i-guess/920621/44 "2020-09-18T16:15:02Z")

</div>

You can make liquid oxygen at home.

But even then, you are doing it with liquification, rather than compression.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elements-chemistry-i-guess/920621.md?page=2)