# Costco inflates tires with N2 (Nitrogen). How do they concentrate nitrogen? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [May 1, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831 "2024-05-01T22:14:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/1 "2024-05-01T22:14:45Z")
Anyone know! Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 10:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/2 "2024-05-01T22:15:54Z")
Nitrogen concentrator machine, here are some: [nitrogen concentrator machine - Search (bing.com)](https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=171&q=nitrogen+concentrator+machine&cvid=699f720ed208443eb11d883e9745356f&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggBEAAYQDIGCAAQRRg5MgYIARAAGEAyBggCEAAYQDIGCAMQABhAMgYIBBAAGEAyBggFEAAYQDIGCAYQABhAMgYIBxAAGEAyBggIEAAYQDIICAkQ6QcY_FXSAQg5NTk5ajBqMagCALACAA&FORM=ANNAB1&PC=DCTS) Fine if it’s free. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/f/6/f6f57b0f2a78634f49ba7243b370a209bc00c79c.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 10:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/3 "2024-05-01T22:22:28Z")
Most important of all is “who cares?” We have a couple of tire/wheel experts around and I’ll be happy to hear their thoughts, but mostly I’ve always thought of it as just another revenue stream option for big tire retailers. > **[Should You Use Nitrogen in Your Car Tires? - Consumer Reports](https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/tire-buying-maintenance/should-you-use-nitrogen-in-car-tires-a6260003694/)** > > Consumer Reports uses tests and research to explain the benefits of using nitrogen in car tires and advises whether it is worth putting nitrogen in your car or truck. Of note: "_Testing conducted independently by Consumer Reports and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that the benefits are more theoretical than practical._ _First off, dry air is 78 percent nitrogen_" Personally, I’d rather better drivers ed stuff in the U.S. along with basic things like “how and when to check your tire pressures.” Wishful thinking, I know. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 10:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/4 "2024-05-01T22:31:00Z")
Nitrogen is a different molecule from the others in the air, so there are several methods to separate it. - If it has a different boiling point, cool & compress air to liquid form, then distill the N2. - It has a different weight, so taking advantage of that would work, centrifuge, racing all the molecules through a long pipe, etc. Similar to how uranium 235 was separated from the other isotopes in the 1940’s. - It probably diffuses faster or slower than the other molecules through certain membranes. ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/5 "2024-05-01T22:35:21Z")
Good lord, who really ( besides you) cares. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 10:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/6 "2024-05-01T22:38:54Z")
Bridgestone is the worlds largest automotive tire maker, if it was worth it, then all Firestone retail stores/shops would sell it… No, the end does not justify the means for normal driving, racing maybe, but for normal drivers, not worth it… IIRC, Nitrogen will also leak faster if you pick up a nail or whatever… ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/7 "2024-05-01T22:44:15Z")
Simple corporate economics. Nitrogen tire fills presumably attracts more customers to buy tires at Costco, so it makes sense for Costco to offer it as long as the cost of the nitrogen is less than the extra profit from the customer increase. ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 11:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/8 "2024-05-01T23:19:40Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > _Simple corporate economics. Nitrogen tire fills presumably attracts more customers to buy tires at Costco, so it makes sense for Costco to offer it as long as the cost of the nitrogen is less than the extra profit from the customer increase._ I fill themergencyehicles’ tires with strictly **78.08%** nitrogen. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/9 "2024-05-01T23:24:25Z")
this tendency towards common sense of yours …hmmmm … … lol ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 12:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/10 "2024-05-02T00:00:49Z")
Yes, but what if he told you he exchanges the air in his tires every 3000 miles and leaves the stem valve out overnight to make sure every last molecule of air gets out before refilling them? 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 1:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/11 "2024-05-02T01:41:23Z")
> [@TwinTurbo](#): > > _Yes, but what if he told you he exchanges the air in his tires every 3000 miles and leaves the stem valve out overnight to make sure every last molecule of air gets out before refilling them?_ Done according to tire revolutions. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 1:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/12 "2024-05-02T01:55:45Z")
Racers use nitrogen because it is dry with no moisture. Dry air or N2 makes the pressure increase with increasing tire temps more predictable. And N2 filled pressure bottles are easy to source and cheap. They could use argon or other inert gas and get the same results at a higher cost. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 2:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/13 "2024-05-02T02:01:12Z")
Does it do anything to prevent deterioration of the rubber due to age on the inside? Modern tires are lacking some protective additives that made old ties last decades before cracking. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 2:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/14 "2024-05-02T02:04:20Z")
Proponents claim it prevents oxidation of the rubber with no proof to back it up that I have ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 2:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/15 "2024-05-02T02:05:42Z")
Tires age from the outside (UV, ozone), not the inside. And I saw plenty of dry rotted tire back in the '70s. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 2:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/16 "2024-05-02T02:34:54Z")
I doubt that they do any of those things. Buying gaseous nitrogen in bottles is likely how they do it. I doubt that they buy liquid nitrogen. It can be very dangerous, too dangerous I think, to use in an auto shop. ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Gift](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/robert-gift/32/356_2.png) [@Robert-Gift](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robert-Gift)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/17 "2024-05-02T02:56:36Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > _I doubt that they do any of those things. Buying gaseous nitrogen in bottles is likely how they do it. I doubt that they buy liquid nitrogen. It can be very dangerous, too dangerous I think, to use in an auto shop._ When I was a student engineer in aerospace, I would bring home a thermos bottle of LN2. Girlfriend and I would mix cream skimmed from raw cows milk with sugar, vanilla and touch of almond extract. We would carefuly pour in the liquid nitrogen while stirring and in one minute - **ice cream!** (Atmospheric N2 is **78.084** %) ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 3:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/18 "2024-05-02T03:27:57Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > Buying gaseous nitrogen in bottles is likely how they do it. No, see my link and photo. They don’t need pure N2, just mostly N2, so there’s equipment that will provide it. Looks like they typically use membrane separation. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 4:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/19 "2024-05-02T04:44:03Z")
Below is the machine I have used for 15 years. Connect shop air hose for air supply, controls are battery powered, recharge once a month, very low operating cost. Filtering isn’t very fast, there is a 60-gallon reservoir tank on the back of the machine. Connect hoses to all four tires, set the pressure and walk away, tires are purged, inflated, purged again and inflated to the selected pressure. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/8/f/8f9d8f883d9edb31555cd1f9f90f5c9f0d3bffa2.jpeg) A shop I worked at in the past had a liquefied nitrogen tank, refilled once each week, I believe it was refilled by the same truck that services bars and restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 4:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831/20 "2024-05-02T04:52:11Z")
How many people have tried to get coffee out of that thing??.. 🤣 I can just see some old timers trying to figure it out, when not in use… Must be pretty big to have a 60 gallon tank on it, my air compressor has a 60 gallon tank and it is pretty big, I guess it is much bigger then it looks in the picture… [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/costco-inflates-tires-with-n2-nitrogen-how-do-they-concentrate-nitrogen/194831.md?page=2)