Why should I choose Nitrogen Tyre Inflation?

Why Nitrogen?

High purity nitrogen has been used for decades in Nascar, Formula One, the Tour de France, the US Military, and many other applications where safety, speed and economy are vital. Using nitrogen as an alternative to air provides enhanced handling, improved fuel efficiency, extended tyre life, and most importantly, increased safety for all car users.

Nitrogen has the ability to:

Reduce pressure loss

Nitrogen has a larger molecular structure than oxygen, so it migrates through the rubber tyre wall much more slowly, thereby reducing the speed of pressure loss.

Prevent unwanted pressure changes

Nitrogen is a dry gas which reduces energy build up inside the tyre on long journeys. This prevents unwanted pressure increases and uneven tyre wear.

Limit tyre and wheel rim wear

Nitrogen is a dry gas which means it doesn’t oxidise (causing rust) or react with materials it comes into contact with, such as the inner tyre wall and inner wheel rim.

Decrease fire hazard

Fire needs oxygen. Removing and replacing it with completely inert nitrogen reduces the potential for tyre fires in hazardous environments.

For the road user nitrogen inflation means:

Decreased fuel consumption

By reducing the migration of gas through a tyre it will stay inflated correctly for longer. This prevents extra rolling resistance on the engine and subsequent increase in fuel use.

Reduced tyre wear

Tyres that stay inflated to the correct pressure for longer will last for an extended period. If the correct amount of rubber is in contact with the road surface the tyre tread will wear at a much slower rate.

How does nitrogen inflation benefit the tyre service provider?

Raises business profile

Offering nitrogen as a service provides customers with additional benefits, keeping your business competitive.

Safety

Correct tyre inflation improves grip, maximises vehicle stability and ultimately road safety.

Increases customer retention

Offer free nitrogen top-ups for life once the customer has paid for a conversion and keep them coming back!

What are the advantages of using nitrogen over air?

Nitrogen does offer an advantage of its own over air. Air includes a small percentage of water which will corrode your wheels once it’s inside your tyres. Therefore, using pure nitrogen will remove moisture which may lead to corrosion and pressure change, meaning the pressure remains constant for longer periods of time.

Does Nitrogen need special tyres?

The short answer is no. Nitrogen can be used in any tyres, new or existing. The best results are obtained by purging the tyre of air and then replacing with Nitrogen, however it is still possible to top up tyres filled with Nitrogen with air if necessary.

What equipment do I need?

If you decide to try nitrogen, your tyres will need filling and purging several times in succession to completely remove air from your tyres, which can be time consuming. PCL’s Nitrogen Tyre Inflation equipment allows the operator to preset the pressure for a standard inflation top-up, or a purge and fill, so that they can get on with alternative work whilst tyres are inflating. You can also use Nitrogen with any of PCL’s tyre inflation (or compressed air) equipment. 

If you would like to find out more about PCL's Nitrogen Inflation solutions, you can contact our experts here.