It is a key element in the production of nitrogen in any PSA plant. The PSA process provides an in-house, independent supply of nitrogen at low cost for inerting storage tanks, pipes and tankers, processing and storing perishable food and beverages, metal heat treatment, processing plastics and fibers, microchip production and many other applications.

The amount of gas adsorbed by activated carbon depends on temperature, gas pressure, gas composition, and adsorption rate. Pressure swing adsorption utilizes cyclic pressurization and decompression steps to adsorb more gas at high pressure and then release it when the pressure decreases. PSA does not require thermal energy, and the desorption-adsorption conditions can be adjusted by switching between pressurization and decompression. This allows the PSA to operate with a shorter cycle time. The following diagram illustrates a typical PSA system. The pressurized feed gas is directed into A, one of the two adsorption vessels with CMS. At high pressure, while the preferentially adsorbed gas components remain in the CMS bed, the other components pass through the container to produce the purified product gas. When container A reaches its adsorption capacity, the feed gas is directed into vessel B and vessel A is depressurized. The adsorbed elements are thus released and the CMS is ready for another cycle. The circulation between the two vessels makes it possible to produce the purified gas continuously.