When Organomation surveyed 78 laboratory professionals across the United States about their nitrogen usage patterns, one finding stood out: despite widespread adoption of newer supply methods, 59% of labs still depend on traditional gas cylinders for their daily nitrogen needs. While cylinders remain familiar and seemingly straightforward, this reliance comes at a growing cost, and not just financially.
Supply and availability emerged as the second most common frustration among all survey respondents, with 42 labs ranking it among their top three concerns. For laboratories using gas cylinders specifically, supply and availability ranked as the #2 concern at 17%, trailing only high costs. As nitrogen demand continues to climb—96% of surveyed labs expect their usage to either increase or remain steady over the next three years—these supply chain vulnerabilities are becoming impossible to ignore.
The frustrations documented in Organomation's survey aren't theoretical concerns. They reflect a broader pattern of supply chain disruptions affecting laboratories nationwide.
Consider the experience at University of Southern California, where a nationwide CO2 shortage created delivery delays starting in December 2024. Or the global helium shortage that left labs waiting 2-3 months for orders to be fulfilled. At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, an equipment failure at a regional liquid nitrogen production plant in reduced deliveries to 75% of normal capacity for two weeks, forcing the institution to implement conservation measures and develop contingency plans.
On-site nitrogen generation fundamentally transforms the laboratory gas supply model from external dependence to internal control. Rather than relying on delivery schedules, supplier inventory, and transportation logistics, laboratories produce their own nitrogen on-demand from ambient air using either Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) or membrane separation technology.
This shift delivers multiple operational advantages:
Continuous supply availability: Generators produce nitrogen 24/7 as needed, eliminating the risk of running out mid-analysis. No more anxiously monitoring gauge pressures or scheduling contingency deliveries.
Consistent purity levels: Cylinder purity can vary from batch to batch and even from the beginning to end of a single cylinder—industry best practice recommends leaving the final 10% unused due to potential moisture and hydrocarbon contamination. Generators deliver consistent purity (typically 95-99.999%) throughout the gas stream.
Workflow integration: Temple University's McKenzie Environmental Engineering Research Group, which concentrates PFAS sample extracts for mass spectrometry, made the transition to nitrogen generation specifically to combat rising costs and eliminate logistical headaches of cylinder replacements. With compact design and plug-and-play functionality, the NITRO-GEN generator seamlessly integrated into their workflow while ensuring 24/7 supply availability.
Safety improvements: Eliminating the need to move heavy cylinders (which can weigh over 150 pounds when full) reduces physical injury risks to hands, feet, and lower back. High-pressure cylinder hazards—typically around 2,200 psi—are replaced by low-pressure generation systems that pose minimal safety concerns.
Return on investment: Typical ROI periods for laboratory nitrogen generators range from 12-18 months. After payback, the generator effectively provides nitrogen for only the cost of electricity and minimal upkeep, while cylinder supply maintains constant costs with no return.
The convergence of rising nitrogen demand, global supply chain instability, and increasing regulatory compliance requirements creates an environment where cylinder dependence represents growing strategic risk. What worked reliably for decades—ordering cylinders on a predictable schedule and managing inventory—no longer provides the operational certainty that modern analytical workflows demand.
Academic research institutions cannot afford extended project delays because graduate students couldn't run reactions during a two-week nitrogen shortage. Environmental testing laboratories cannot explain to regulatory agencies or clients that sample analysis was delayed because the cylinder delivery truck didn't arrive on schedule.
On-site nitrogen generation addresses these vulnerabilities while simultaneously delivering substantial economic advantages. The 65-75% cost savings over cylinder supply creates budget capacity that can be redirected toward instrumentation, researcher salaries, or expanded analytical capabilities. The operational reliability ensures that nitrogen supply becomes a solved problem rather than an ongoing management concern.
For laboratories still relying on the 60% majority using traditional cylinders, the question isn't whether to transition to on-site generation—it's whether to make that transition proactively or wait until supply disruptions force the decision during a crisis.
Ready to explore how on-site nitrogen generation could transform your laboratory's operations? Organomation's NITRO-GEN nitrogen generators deliver laboratory-grade nitrogen on-demand, eliminating supply uncertainty while reducing costs by up to 75%. Use our Nitrogen Generator Savings Calculator to see your lab's potential savings, or contact our applications specialists to discuss your specific workflow requirements.