Use of Nitrogen to inflate tyres is becoming a common practice these days. But does it really have any advantage over old regular air? Let us look at some basic differences between regular air and Nitrogen and how their respective use may affect your tyres.

Well from a scientific point of view regular air is 78% Nitrogen, about 21% Oxygen and the rest consists of various other gases and water vapour. So when you use Nitrogen to inflate tyres, you are essentially increasing its concentration from 78% to almost 95-96%.

Does it help? Here are some benefits of using Nitrogen to inflate your vehicle tyres:

• Stable Tyre pressure over longer periods of time
  Nitrogen is less likely to permeate through tyre rubber which means the tyre pressure will remain stable over long term. Presence of water vapour and oxygen regular air can affect tyre pressure due to temperature changes. With Nitrogen it is minimal.
• Longer Tyre Life
  A properly inflated tyre gives you more mileage both in terms of fuel efficiency and number of kilometres a tyres last. Since Nitrogen filled tyre does not lose pressure as quickly and also prevents tyres from heating you expect a longer tyre life.
• Prevents Tire Aging and Wheel Corrosion
  Oxygen causes oxidation. It can make rubber brittle over a period of time. Also, the water vapour and oxygen can accelerate wheel corrosion.

Whether inflated with air or nitrogen, regular tire inflation pressure maintenance remains critical and necessary. Use of nitrogen alone is not a replacement for regular tire inflation pressure maintenance. With Nitrogen inflation becoming increasingly accessible both in terms of availability and cost, it is worth inflating your tyres with Nitrogen.

If you have any questions regarding tyre pressure or inflating tyres with Nitrogen, write to us in the comments sections below.