Liquid nitrogen is an invaluable material for a variety of uses in numerous industries, from medical cryogenics to automotive cooling trays. However, converting liquid nitrogen to cubic feet can be confusing. One gallon (3.785 liters) of liquid nitrogen is equal to a volume of 93.11 cubic feet (SCF) of nitrogen gas.
Nitrogen (N) is a natural gas that occurs in and is extracted from the atmosphere, and it’s converted to a liquid for common applications. Liquid nitrogen is used primarily for cooling in medical and commercial processes.
When purchasing liquid nitrogen, it is essential to know how much is required for specific applications in terms of volume. Nitrogen is available in specific quantities, commonly measured in the following units as a gas, liquid or by weight in various parts of the world:
One gallon (gal) of liquid nitrogen is expressed in cubic feet (SCF) as 93.11SCF. An example calculation for converting 1 gallon of liquid nitrogen to cubic feet would be:
| Gas | Liquid | Weight | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input | Cubic Feet scf |
Cubic Meters Nm3 |
Gallons gal |
Liters l |
Pounds lbs |
Kilograms kg |
| 1 SCF gas | 1.0 | 0.02628 | 0.01074 | 0.04065 | 0.07245 | 0.03286 |
| 1 Nm3 gas | 38.04 | 1.0 | 0.4080 | 1.5443 | 2.757 | 1.2506 |
| 1-gallon liquid | 93.11 | 2.447 | 1.0 | 3.785 | 6.745 | 3.06 |
| 1-liter liquid | 24.60 | 0.6464 | 0.2642 | 1.0 | 1.782 | 0.8083 |
| 1 pound | 13.803 | 0.3627 | 0.1481 | 0.5606 | 1.0 | 0.4536 |
| 1 kilogram | 30.42 | 0.7996 | 0.3262 | 1.2349 | 2.205 | 1.0 |
| 1 short ton | 27,605 | 725.4 | 296.2 | 1121 | 2,000 | 907.2 |
Correctly calculating the amount of nitrogen required for the specific application is critical to ensuring the desired outcome. It is also essential to avoid waste, which negatively affects profitability.
Two common calculation errors when converting liquid nitrogen volumes are:
To avoid these errors, check if you need nitrogen in gas or liquid form for the required applications. Remember that:
It is crucial to correctly convert liquid nitrogen to gaseous nitrogen and vice versa. Liquid nitrogen can instantly freeze items, so incorrect calculations can cause processes such as cryotherapy, cryopreservation or cooling systems to not work as they should. Additionally, you might limit your profitability by getting the wrong amounts and purchasing too much or too little nitrogen.
When carrying out measurements or conversions related to nitrogen, be sure to apply to appropriate units for whether the nitrogen is in a gaseous or liquid state.
