Nitrogen in my tires.
02-01-2008, 07:57 AM
#21
JK Enthusiast
I've always been told that if you keep up with your tire pressure then there is no advantage to Nitrogen. Its only really good for people who don't look at thier tires often or who live in extreme temp change climates and don't want to air up and down.
02-01-2008, 04:15 PM
#24
JK Super Freak
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Sorry guys, but you can't change the ideal gas law:
PV=nRT
As temperature increases, so does pressure. Nitrogen expands at a linear rate to temperature, like every other gas.
On the other hand, eliminating water from the air is the benefit. The phase change from liquid to gas makes a big difference. For example, a gram of water takes up approximately .001 liters of volume. That same gram of water would take up approximately 1.2 liters as water vapor. Since the volume of the tire can change very little, it increases the pressure in the tire. I would think a quality air dryer could have almost as much benefit as 95% nitrogen.
As for the oxygen and hydrogen in air becoming water, the molecules don't randomly mingle together and suddenly combine into water. It's a chemical reaction, and a dramatic one at that. The very low concentration (.5 PPM) of H2 in air would make this an extremely unlikely event, anyway.
Removing O2 can improve tire aging. (On the inside, anyway. UV and O3 do a heck of a job on the outside.)
There is no such thing as an "air molecule." Air is comprised of many substances, most of which is N2. The smaller molecules of other substances might permeate the rubber faster than N2, however.
I'm not sure I buy the "improved mileage" pitch. .243 MPG isn't even as much as difference as driving into a 10MPH wind versus not. Lighter gases would reduce the angular momentum of the tire/wheel setup. Water vapor is lighter than N2. (More power is needed to get a tire with higher angular momentum up to speed than one with less.)
Let's see, have I debunked and defused enough junk science yet?
PV=nRT
As temperature increases, so does pressure. Nitrogen expands at a linear rate to temperature, like every other gas.
On the other hand, eliminating water from the air is the benefit. The phase change from liquid to gas makes a big difference. For example, a gram of water takes up approximately .001 liters of volume. That same gram of water would take up approximately 1.2 liters as water vapor. Since the volume of the tire can change very little, it increases the pressure in the tire. I would think a quality air dryer could have almost as much benefit as 95% nitrogen.
As for the oxygen and hydrogen in air becoming water, the molecules don't randomly mingle together and suddenly combine into water. It's a chemical reaction, and a dramatic one at that. The very low concentration (.5 PPM) of H2 in air would make this an extremely unlikely event, anyway.
Removing O2 can improve tire aging. (On the inside, anyway. UV and O3 do a heck of a job on the outside.)
There is no such thing as an "air molecule." Air is comprised of many substances, most of which is N2. The smaller molecules of other substances might permeate the rubber faster than N2, however.
I'm not sure I buy the "improved mileage" pitch. .243 MPG isn't even as much as difference as driving into a 10MPH wind versus not. Lighter gases would reduce the angular momentum of the tire/wheel setup. Water vapor is lighter than N2. (More power is needed to get a tire with higher angular momentum up to speed than one with less.)
Let's see, have I debunked and defused enough junk science yet?
02-01-2008, 04:25 PM
#25
JK Super Freak
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Nitrogen inflation is FREE OF CHARGE if you buy your tires from a Costco Wholesale. The downside is, for 33"+ diameters...they ONLY carry BFGoodrich (no Mickey Thompsons, ProComps, Dick Cepeks, etc.).
Russ D.
Russ D.