Why Nitrogen Is Used to Inflate Aircraft Tires — Understand the Importance of Nitrogen in the Aerospace Industry

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 15/04/2025 at 14:48

Updated on 15/04/2025 at 15:20

O nitrogênio é usado nos pneus das aeronaves por ser mais estável sob altas pressões e temperaturas extremas, garantindo maior segurança em pousos e decolagens.

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In Aviation, Every Detail Matters to Ensure Safety and Performance — Including the Gas Used in Tires. Nitrogen Is Preferred for Being Inert, Non-Flammable and Less Sensitive to Changes in Temperature and Pressure. These Characteristics Make the Gas Ideal for Withstanding the Extreme Conditions Faced During Landings and Takeoffs, as Well as Preventing Internal Oxidation of the Tires.

At Airports, It Is Common to See Planes Landing at High Speed and Touching the Ground with Great Force. Behind This Movement, There Is a Crucial Component: Aircraft Tires. But, Contrary to What One Might Imagine, They Are Not Inflated with Regular Air. The Chosen Gas Is Nitrogen. The Technical Decision Behind This Involves Safety, Efficiency, and Stability.

The Atmosphere Contains Moisture. When This Moisture Enters the Tires, It Can Cause Internal Problems.

Aircraft Tires Are Sealed, but If They Are Inflated with Regular Air, Moisture Will Be Introduced into the System. This Promotes Corrosion and Harms the Aircraft’s Performance.

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Advantages of Nitrogen

Nitrogen Is a Dry Gas. When Used to Inflate Tires, It Prevents the Entry of Moisture. This Absence of Water Inside the Tire Protects Against Corrosion.

Oxidation, Which Occurs When Metals Come into Contact with Moisture, Is Minimized with the Use of Pure Nitrogen.

Additionally, Nitrogen Offers an Important Advantage for Pressure Control. During Flight, Changes in Altitude and Temperature Can Cause Internal Variations.

The Water Vapor Present in Regular Air Can Freeze, Creating Undesirable Fluctuations in Pressure. With Nitrogen, Which Is Dry, This Risk Is Considerably Reduced.

The Pressure Inside the Tires Remains More Constant, Ensuring Safety During Landing and Takeoff.

Another Reason for Using Nitrogen Is That It Is a Non-Flammable Gas. Unlike Oxygen, Which Can Be Dry but Is Highly Flammable, Nitrogen Does Not Ignite When Exposed to Heat. In Case of Excessive Heating, This Drastically Reduces the Risk of Explosions.

Regulation in the United States

Since the Late 1980s, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Requires Commercial Aircraft to Use Only Nitrogen in Tires. The Regulation Was Created to Enhance Safety and Ensure the Best Possible Performance of Landing Systems.

Latest Relevant Information: Almost All Commercial Aircraft, Whether Narrow or Wide-Body, Follow This Standard. The Practice Has Become International Standard in Many Countries, Reinforcing the Role of Nitrogen as an Essential Component in Modern Aviation.

Why Nitrogen Is Used to Inflate Aircraft Tires — Understand the Importance of Nitrogen in the Aerospace Industry

Advantages of Nitrogen

Regulation in the United States

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Why Nitrogen Is Used to Inflate Aircraft Tires — Understand the Importance of Nitrogen in the Aerospace Industry

Advantages of Nitrogen

Regulation in the United States

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A British company has installed in the middle of the ocean the world’s first floating platform that generates electricity 24 hours a day from the temperature difference between the surface and the depths of the Atlantic, without relying on wind or sun.

Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has ceased to be a climatic phenomenon and has become a biological system that feeds on itself, with 8,000 kilometers in length, 37 million tons of algae, and scientists confirm that it is now permanent.

China is building an artificial island in the middle of the sea, covering 20 km², to construct the largest offshore airport in the world, the Dalian Jinzhouwan. This $4.3 billion project is anchored on more than 3,000 pillars embedded in the rock beneath the ocean and is scheduled to open in 2035.

A robot named Walter does the work of five bricklayers per hour and can save the construction industry, where the average age of professionals is 46 years and almost no one wants to learn the trade anymore, in the United Kingdom.

Engineers had to pour concrete mixed with tons of ice throughout entire nights in the Dubai desert to erect the Burj Khalifa; any carelessness could clog the pipes half a mile high.

The James Webb telescope spotted a planet 700 light-years from Earth with mornings full of sand clouds and nights with clear skies, the temperature difference between the two hemispheres reaches an impressive 170 degrees.

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