Neon
(information)
Here’s a structured breakdown of **global neon uses by sector**, based on approximate consumption shares. This follows the same style as the charts we’ve done for fluorine, oxygen, and nitrogen: --- ### 📊 Global Neon Uses by Sector #### **1–5: Lighting & Signage (~70–75%)** 1. **Neon Signs / Advertising** – Illuminated commercial signage. 2. **Neon Lamps & Indicators** – Low-power lighting for panels and displays. 3. **Plasma Tubes / Glow Tubes** – Educational, decorative, and specialty lighting. 4. **Artistic & Architectural Lighting** – Neon for design and aesthetic purposes. 5. **High-Voltage Indicators** – Small neon bulbs for electrical panels. --- #### **6–10: Lasers & Electronics (~15–20%)** 6. **He-Ne Lasers** – Scientific, medical, and industrial laser applications. 7. **Vacuum Tubes / Electron Tubes** – Neon as a filling gas for specialized devices. 8. **Electronics Testing / High-Voltage Tubes** – Glow discharge tubes for voltage testing. 9. **Particle Detectors** – Neon in gas-filled detectors for physics experiments. 10. **Television / Plasma Displays** – Specialty neon applications in electronics. --- #### **11–15: Cryogenics & Refrigeration (~5–10%)** 11. **Cryogenic Refrigerants** – Extremely low-temperature cooling applications. 12. **Superconducting Devices** – Neon used for cooling superconductors. 13. **Low-Temperature Refrigeration** – Niche industrial and laboratory applications. 14. **High-Pressure Gas Mixtures** – Specialty industrial processes. 15. **Scientific Research** – Spectroscopy and laboratory experiments. --- #### **16–20: Miscellaneous / Specialty (~5%)** 16. **Medical Lasers** – Low-power He-Ne lasers in therapies and diagnostics. 17. **Noble Gas Blending** – Mixed with other gases for specialty lighting effects. 18. **Calibration Standards / Metrology** – Neon isotope lines for spectroscopy calibration. 19. **High-Voltage Switchgear** – Protective devices using neon-filled tubes. 20. **Other Experimental Uses** – Miscellaneous research and niche industrial applications. --- 💡 **Summary of Approximate Shares by Sector** | Sector | % of Global Neon Use | | -------------------------- | -------------------- | | Lighting & Signage | 70–75% | | Lasers & Electronics | 15–20% | | Cryogenics & Refrigeration | 5–10% | | Miscellaneous / Specialty | 5% | --- I can also make an **actual pie chart visualizing neon uses by sector**, so you can see the proportions at a glance, similar to what we did for boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and fluorine. Do you want me to create that chart?Known Methods of Extraction
Perfect 👍 — let’s treat **Neon** as a standalone element, same style. Neon is a **noble gas**, and it’s **not chemically bound in compounds**. It only exists in **trace amounts in the atmosphere (≈18 ppm by volume)** and is extracted **physically, not chemically**. That means almost all methods are variants of **air separation**. Here are the **20 most common methods of extracting Neon (Ne)**: --- # **20 Most Common Methods of Extracting Neon** ### **A. Industrial Air Separation (Primary Source)** 1. **Cryogenic Fractional Distillation of Air** – The main method; neon is concentrated when air is liquefied and separated by boiling points. 2. **Double Fractional Distillation (Two-Stage)** – First remove N₂ and O₂, then separate neon from argon/helium mixtures. 3. **Rectification in Low-Temperature Columns** – Specialized columns separate neon-rich fractions from liquid oxygen. 4. **Neon Recovery from Liquid Oxygen Storage Tanks** – Commercial plants often skim neon-rich gas from LOX tanks. 5. **Air Separation with Heat Exchangers** – Optimized cooling cycles increase neon yield. 6. **Integrated Neon Recovery Units in Oxygen Plants** – Large O₂/N₂ plants add a side process to capture neon. --- ### **B. Alternative Air Separation Approaches** 7. **Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) for Neon-Enriched Fractions** – Used for pre-concentration before cryogenic separation. 8. **Vacuum Swing Adsorption (VSA)** – Same concept, using vacuum cycles. 9. **Membrane Separation (Pre-Enrichment)** – Rare, but membranes can slightly enrich neon before liquefaction. 10. **Helium-Neon Co-Separation** – Neon often comes out with helium, then separated by further distillation. 11. **Zeolite Adsorption at Cryogenic Temperatures** – Neon adsorbs differently than O₂/N₂, aiding separation. 12. **Activated Carbon Adsorption** – Occasionally used in lab-scale pre-separation. --- ### **C. Byproduct Recovery** 13. **Neon Extraction from Liquid Argon Streams** – Neon often accumulates in argon byproducts and can be distilled off. 14. **Recovery During Oxygen Liquefaction for Steelmaking** – Industrial LOX production yields small neon streams. 15. **Collection from Neon-Helium Mixtures (Natural Gas Processing)** – Some natural gases contain traces of helium + neon. 16. **Side-Draws from Large-Scale LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) Plants** – Rare, but LNG processes can concentrate neon. --- ### **D. Laboratory & Experimental Techniques** 17. **Fractional Evaporation from Cryogenic Mixtures** – Simple lab method to enrich neon. 18. **Low-Temperature Gas Chromatography** – Rarely used, but can separate noble gases including neon. 19. **Getter-Freezing (Deep Cold Traps)** – Neon remains uncondensed while other gases are frozen out (lab-scale). 20. **Mass Spectrometry Separation (Isotope Work)** – Ultra-trace extraction of neon isotopes, not industrial, but important in research. --- ✅ **Summary:** * **Almost all commercial neon** comes from **cryogenic fractional distillation of air** (methods 1–6). * **Secondary/byproduct methods** (13–16) are practical in certain industries (steelmaking, LNG, natural gas). * **Laboratory methods** (17–20) are niche, research-focused. * **Global fact:** Less than **0.0018% of air** is neon, so production is costly and tied to oxygen plants. --- Would you like me to continue with **Argon** next (since it’s another noble gas but far more abundant, with more industrial methods)?
