Practically there is not any difference between Nitrogen and Argon if use them for the scope to purge air or oxygen out from a closed space. Both are efficiently nonreactive but Argon is less reactive than Nitrogen. Nevertheless Nitrogen is much cheaper than Argon, for this economical aspect it is preferred in such applications. Purging air with Argon is faster due to the higher Argon mass (40) compared to the mass of air (28.9), while mass of Nitrogen is insignificantly lower (28) than air’s mass, therefore for large volumes purging with Nitrogen would require longer time to be efficient. Both gases can be used to create inert atmosphere, to remove water, oxygen and avoid fogging and corrosion, also to create anaerobic environment in fermentation processes.
It is not clear in your question, which process/operation you want use. I doubt it much matters which is used; seems like the more important issue. Both gases have been used in flushing food packaging for quite some years. Argon has the advantage of flushing out the initial air more efficiently on high speed filling lines. As eyepiece or binocular manufacturing, where these gases are used, is not a high speed operation, that is not relevant here.For Purging purpose both gases are suitable.
Argon is the most common gas in the atmosphere besides Nitrogen and Oxygen. Argon is a noble gas (like helium) which means that it is completely inert. Argon will not readily react with any other substance. ... Since it is such a small percentage of the atmosphere Argon is many times more expensive than Nitrogen,But Nitrogen is not a Noble Gas. One advantage of argon is its heavy weight. Argon has a density of 0.1 lb/ft3 and nitrogen is 0.07 lb/ft3 or about 40% heavier per cubic foot than Nitrogen.
Argon is particularly important for the metal industry, being used as an inert gas shield in arc welding and cutting. Other uses include non-reactive blanket in the manufacture of titanium and other reactive elements and as a protective atmosphere for growing silicon and germanium crystals.
Nitrogen gases can also be used to preserve sperm, egg, nerves, blood, stem cells, and various other biological specimens.
The presence of absorption lines of Argon in the visible wavelength range can be a serious problem for spectroscopic applications....
For the other applications, I agree with the 2 previous answers Argon can be used in most of the cases. The only obstacle is the price of this gas... compared to dry and pure nitrogen (99.99%) without water and oxygen...
The presence of absorption lines of Argon in the visible wavelength range can be a serious problem for spectroscopic applications....
For the other applications, I agree with the 2 previous answers Argon can be used in most of the cases. The only obstacle is the price of this gas... compared to dry and pure nitrogen (99.99%) without water and oxygen...