Nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is an inert, dry, non-flammable gas that's used by NASCAR racers, the aircraft industry, the U.S. military, Formula One racers and others to inflate tires. So why do the tires on a truck or the family sedan have "plain old air" in them?
Well, it's probably because the owners didn't know about nitrogen and the benefits of using it instead of "plain old air". And frankly, it hasn't been readily available at local tire stores because there hasn't been a way to produce or provide nitrogen to the average user.
Nitrogen is all around us. The air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and the rest is small amounts of other gasses. When it comes to tires, oxygen is the culprit. Nitrogen in tires instead of "plain old air" maximizes the vehicle's handling, fuel efficiency and tire life through better tire pressure retention, improved fuel economy and cooler running tire temperatures.
What immediate benefits can be expected from Nitrogen filled tires?
Better Maintenance of Tire Air Pressure
Because of the larger molecular size of Nitrogen, it migrates through a tire 3 to 4 times slower than oxygen.
Lower Fuel Consumption
Better tire air pressures improve rolling resistance and reduce the risk of running tires under-inflated.
Is having Nitrogen in my tires dangerous?
Absolutely not. Nitrogen is an inert gas, which means that it does not support combustion.
What are the long-term benefits of Nitrogen filled tires?
Extended Tire Life
With tires maintaining better pressure, tire life can be significantly extended.
Oxidation is Eliminated
With Nitrogen, there is no more oxidation of inner liners, belt packages, valve stem hardware or air pressure monitoring devices.
Improved Retreadability
Nitrogen doesn't cause tire rubber to break down as quickly as regular air and with the elimination of oxidation, Nitrogen filled truck tires have often had 4 or more retread lives.
Stronger casings = more retreads.
No More Rim Rust
Nitrogen is completely dry. Condensation is eliminated.
On the Road Reliability
Decreased tire failures reduce costly down time.
What if one of my tires is low and I'm not close to a service center that has nitrogen?
It won't harm your tires to "top them off" with regular air if necessary... but the more air you put in, the less benefit you'll get from the remaining Nitrogen in your tire. It is important to get your tire re-filled with Nitrogen when possible.
Is Nitrogen harmful to the environment?
No, Nitrogen is a natural inert gas that makes up 78% of the air we breathe.
Oxygen vs Nitrogen Comparison
| Nitrogen | Compressed Air |
| Dry and Clean | Oily and wet |
| Remains stable at any temperature | Highly reactive element at high temperatures/pressures |
| Eliminates condensation which prevents rim rust | Creates moisture in the rim leading to rim rust |
| Slows migration to only 2psi loss over 6 months | Fast migration, 2psi is lost each month |
Benefits of nitrogen...
- Better tire pressure retention - nitrogen migrates through a tire 3 to 4 times slower than oxygen. It may take 6 months to lose 2 psi with nitrogen compared to less than a month with oxygen.
- Improved fuel economy - a result of having the proper air pressure which lessens the rolling resistance. Under-inflated tires have a greater rolling resistance.
- Cooler running tires - tires inflated with nitrogen run cooler than tires inflated with regular air.
- Removal of oxidation - oxygen is a highly reactive element at high temperatures and pressures. Replacing the oxygen with nitrogen helps eliminate the oxidation that damages inner liners and belt packages.
- Improved retreadability - eliminating oxidation also improves the retreadability due to more flexibility in the tire casing. Less tire aging and tire cord rust could very well increase the number of retreadable casings and also increase the number of times a casing can be retreaded.
- Elimination of rim rust - since nitrogen is completely dry, condensation is eliminated which in turn eliminates rim rust.