What is Krypton Gas?
Krypton (Kr) is a rare gas belonging to Group 18 (noble gases) of the periodic table, which forms relatively few chemical compounds. Krypton gas is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, occurring in trace amounts in the atmosphere.
Industry Applications for Krypton
As a noble gas, krypton is used in a wide variety of applications that take advantage of its low ionization energy and high atomic mass.
Window Insulation
Krypton is extensively used for window insulation. It insulates better than argon or air when placed between the panes of double or triple-pane windows. Krypton provides lower U-factors (higher R-values) with the same window design. Additionally, it allows for high-performance designs with thin spacings between panes.
Lighting Applications
Krypton’s physical and chemical properties make it useful in various lighting applications. It is used in incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, and high-intensity discharge lamps.
Excimer Lasers
Krypton is a component of excimer laser mixes to produce certain wavelengths. It is a required component in the gas mixes used to produce 222 nm (KrCl) and 248 nm (KrF) UV light.
Sputter Deposition
Krypton is used in sputter deposition, a type of physical vapor deposition. It offers advantages when depositing coatings with higher molecular weights. Although more expensive than argon, krypton provides a higher yield and better quality coatings when used with heavier atoms. It is often used for sputter coating heavier coatings such as titanium.
Space Propulsion
Krypton is used as a propellant for satellites and other spacecraft. It is a preferred propellant for electric propulsion systems. Thrusters ionize and expel krypton using electrical or magnetic fields at high velocities, providing in-space propulsion that is much more efficient than conventional chemical propulsion. These high velocities mean that a small amount of propellant goes a long way.
Semiconductor Production
Krypton is utilized in the production of semiconductors for annealing, etching, and lithography applications. It acts as both a surface disruption agent and a plasma modulator, influencing plasma composition through secondary ionization. Historically, argon was used for these purposes due to its lower cost and availability. However, krypton provides additional capabilities for selectively influencing ions present in the plasma.
Moisture level guaranteed only when EFC Gases & Advanced Materials prepares the cylinders.
All concentrations are on a mol/mol basis unless otherwise stated. Product sold on the basis of total impurities. Individual impurities may vary slightly.
