Liquid nitrogen is produced at large-scale industrial air separation plants where atmospheric air is filtered, compressed, and cooled through a multi-stage liquefaction process. Because nitrogen makes up approximately 78 per cent of air, it is one of the most cost-effective cryogenic fluids available. The production process involves cooling compressed air to extremely low temperatures until the nitrogen condenses into its liquid state, typically at around -195.8°C, before being stored in bulk insulated tanks for distribution.
In the UK, liquid nitrogen is supplied to laboratories, IVF clinics, and NHS fertility units via two main routes. The first is bulk tanker delivery, where a cryogenic road tanker tops up a fixed bulk storage installation on-site, suited to high-volume users who require continuous supply without frequent deliveries. The second is cylinder or dewar delivery, where pre-filled vacuum-insulated vessels are delivered directly to the laboratory, exchanged or refilled on a scheduled basis. This is the most common supply model for small to medium IVF units and research laboratories.
The choice of supply method has a direct impact on operational risk. Laboratories relying on scheduled deliveries need sufficient dewar storage capacity to carry them through weekends, public holidays, and any supply delays. A dewar that holds 35 litres with an evaporation rate of 0.2 litres per day provides a very different safety margin to one that holds 10 litres with the same evaporation rate, and this calculation should sit at the heart of every lab’s LN2 supply planning.
Cryolab supplies vacuum-insulated storage vessels suited to both high-volume and small-scale laboratory environments across the UK. View the range at cryolab.co.uk/product-category/storage-vessels/.
