First of all, What is Nitrogen?
Nitrogen is an inert, dry gas. It’s non-combustible, non-flammable, and non-corrosive. In other words, Nitrogen is as safe as air when used in a tire.
Benefits: when a tire’s inflation pressure is stablized at the manufacturer’s operating specification.
- Vehicle handling
- Fuel efficiency
- Tire life
I will give details of these benefits.
The Nitrogen which added into Tire is N2. The main part of the air we breathe. The air we breathe is made up of:
78% Nitrogen
21% Oxygen
The rest 1% are other gasses in very small amounts.
Why use Nitrogen? What’s the problem with “plain old air”?
“Plain old air” contains Oxygen which has smaller molesules than Nitrogen. For this reason, Oxygen escapes from a tire 3 to 4 times faster than Nitrogen!
Air also contains moisture. The moisture in air will expand and contract with ambient temperature changes and when the tire heats up from normal operation. This results in fluctuation tire inflation pressures. ( When step on brake, the tire may be heated fast)
The Nitrogen used to inflate tires is absolutely dry. The dry nature of Nitrogen helps eliminate fluctuating tire inflation pressures.
Vehicle Handling:
By maintaining proper inflation pressure in your tires, your vehicle will handle the way it was designed to. When tires are over or under inflated the part of the tire that makes contact with the road changes size. You want to keep the entire available contact patch of the tire on the road.
Fuel Efficiency:
When tires are inflated properly you have less rolling resistance, which will maximize miles per gallon.
Tire Life:
When your tires are properly inflated, not under-inflated, not over-inflated, your tires make even contact with the road. Your tires will prematurely wear on the shoulders if they are under-inflated and they will prematurely wear in the middle if they are over-inflated.
The picture above shown the situations of different inflation level. Left, under-inflated; Center, over-inflated; Right, properly inflated.
Compared with “plain old air”, Nitrogen can help you save 1/5 gas. And Nitrogen lower the noise come from the ground on the road.
