Inerting is a process of converting from flammable or reactive conditions into a safe, non-flammable or non-reactive state by adding an inert gas. The inerting process replaces the atmospheric air containing oxygen, or moisture, with an inert gas.
An inert gas does not interact directly with the compound or product. The gas most often used for this is nitrogen, but carbon dioxide or argon are also sometimes used.
Objectives of inerting:
- Increase product quality
- Boost safety
The different inerting processes are called blanketing, purging, sparging, stirring and stripping.