Tyler O'Brien | 7 minutes | 09/03/2026

What Is Methane Used For?

Methane is used for generating electricity, heating buildings, firing industrial furnaces, fueling fleets and ships, and serving as the feedstock for hydrogen, ammonia fertilizer, methanol, and synthetic materials. It reaches nearly all of those uses as natural gas, which is mostly methane. WestAir supplies methane across California and Arizona. How Is Methane Used to Generate …

Tyler O'Brien | 8 minutes | 09/01/2026

Where Does Methane Come From?

Methane comes from two processes: microbes breaking down organic matter where there is no oxygen, and heat and pressure working on organic matter buried underground. The first produces what geologists call biogenic methane, the second thermogenic. WestAir supplies methane across California and Arizona. How Does Methane Form Deep Underground? Thermogenic methane forms when buried organic …

Lawrence Haynes | 8 minutes | 09/01/2026

Is Propane Flammable?

Yes, propane is flammable—but only in certain situations.  It burns as a vapor, never as a liquid. Even then, it only ignites when the vapor mixes with air inside a narrow band of concentrations.  Every practical decision about storing, moving, and monitoring propane comes back to keeping your building’s air outside that band. What Is …

Tyler O'Brien | 6 minutes | 08/29/2026

Is Methane a Greenhouse Gas?

Methane is a greenhouse gas, and pound for pound it traps much more outgoing heat than carbon dioxide does. How much more depends on the number of years you measure across, which is why the multiplier attached to methane changes from one report to the next. Why Is Methane a Greenhouse Gas? Methane traps heat …

Lawrence Haynes | 7 minutes | 08/28/2026

What Is Methane?

Methane is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas made of one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms, written CH₄. It’s the simplest hydrocarbon, the first member of the alkane family, and the main component of natural gas. The four hydrogens sit at the corners of a tetrahedron around the carbon, which makes the molecule symmetrical …

Tyler O'Brien | 5 minutes | 07/29/2026

What Is Industrial Grade CO2?

Industrial grade CO₂ is carbon dioxide gas produced and purified to meet specific quality standards for use in manufacturing, processing, and general industrial applications. It’s one of several purity grades of CO₂ on the market, and it’s the workhorse version that shows up in everything from welding operations to water treatment plants. If you’re sourcing …

Tyler O'Brien | 5 minutes | 07/23/2026

What Gases Are Used in Semiconductor Manufacturing?

Nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, silane, ammonia, and various fluorinated compounds are used in semiconductor manufacturing. Each one plays a specific role in building the microscopic circuits that power everything from smartphones to industrial equipment. What Bulk Gases Are Used in Chip Fabrication? Bulk gases form the backbone of any fab’s daily operations. Nitrogen tops the list, …

Lawrence Haynes | 7 minutes | 07/22/2026

What Is Sulfur Hexafluoride Used For?

Sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆) is used mostly as an electrical insulating gas, with smaller roles in eye surgery, ultrasound imaging, semiconductor etching, and leak tracing. Roughly 80% of all SF₆ produced goes to the electric power industry. WestAir supplies sulfur hexafluoride across California and Arizona. What Properties Make Sulfur Hexafluoride Useful? Nearly every SF₆ application comes …

Nick Vasco | 5 minutes | 07/22/2026

What Is Liquid CO2 Used For?

Explore the diverse applications of liquid CO2, from food production to chemical manufacturing. Learn how this versatile substance powers various sectors.

Lawrence Haynes | 8 minutes | 07/22/2026

What Is Neon Used For?

Neon is used in signs and lighting, high-voltage indicators, cryogenic refrigeration, deep-sea diving equipment, laser systems, semiconductor manufacturing, and emerging technologies like quantum computing and aerospace. Most people hear “neon” and picture a buzzing bar sign. Fair enough. That’s the famous one. But neon does so much more than that.  WestAir supplies neon across California …

Tyler O'Brien | 4 minutes | 07/20/2026

What Is Medical Grade CO2?

Medical grade CO₂ is carbon dioxide gas that’s been purified to meet USP (United States Pharmacopeia) standards for use in clinical and healthcare settings. It’s held to a much tighter purity spec than the CO₂ used in industrial applications, and that difference matters more than many people realize. If you’re sourcing gas for a hospital, …

Lawrence Haynes | 3 minutes | 07/16/2026

Is Krypton Rare?

Yes, krypton is rare. It makes up about 1.14 parts per million of air by volume, or roughly one krypton atom for every million molecules of air around it. That works out to 0.0001% of the atmosphere. It isn’t the rarest gas on Earth, though. Xenon is scarcer, at about 0.087 parts per million, which …