Are You An OLED Display Manufacturer? Why PureAire Monitoring Systems May Be Your Next Partner

OLED -- organic LED -- is a top desired feature in smartphones, yet manufacturers do not have the production capacity needed to meet industry demands. Since OLED devices have stronger contrast, a faster response time, a better quality, and a lower cost, there are many reasons for consumers as well as manufacturers to embrace this trend. To build capacity needed to product OLED screens for smartphones without sacrificing employee safety, semiconductor plants need two devices: An oxygen analyzer and an oxygen monitor. 

OLED Manufacturing and its Risks 

A good display is one of the strongest motivators to purchase a device, such as a television or a smartphone. The superior quality the OLED devices deliver will be a major driver for consumers, if these screens can make it onto a wide array of device types.

Next-generation OLED screens can even curve or roll up, like a newspaper. Kateeva is a company worth noting, as they are advancing OLED displays with over 200 million raised since 2008, using their YIELDjet FLEX printing tools. Two years after its debut, Kateeva’s YIELDjet FLEX tool is the undisputed leader in the industry. Kateeva’s President & COO was named “Inventor of the Year” for 2016 by the Silicon Valley Intellectual Property Law Association.

At present, only a handful of smartphone screens come with an organic LED. Apple hopes to ship all iPhones with OLEDs by 2018, but some doubt that facilities will have enough production to meet demands. At present, there is only one producer, Samsung, who is on board to provide the OLED screens. 

Efficient OLEDs are made using either an inkjet printing process or a process known as organic vapor phase deposition (OVPD). In the OVPD process, an inert gas (usually nitrogen or N₂) is used as a "carrier gas" to transport the organics onto a substrate, where they can condense. Nitrogen is a popular choice because it is inexpensive, efficient, and reliable.

Nitrogen can be generated on-demand using a generator that distils air into its component parts. An oxygen analyzer can help ensure the purity of the nitrogen gas created by measuring trace amounts of oxygen in ppm. By using nitrogen as the carrier gas, manufacturers can reduce the cost associated with making OLED screens and decrease the time to production.

How an Oxygen Deficiency Monitor Protects OLED Employee Safety

Inert gases including N₂ do not react with other substances. If the N₂ used as a carrier gas were to seep out from the generator or from supply lines, it would start to deplete oxygen present in the atmosphere. Since nitrogen gas has no odor or color, staff would be unable to tell that a leak had occurred without something like an oxygen deficient monitor in place. 

Within minutes of a leak, room oxygen levels would fall to below the minimum acceptable levels for oxygen. When this happens, anyone in the room would begin to experience respiratory symptoms, including mental confusion, loss of consciousness, and asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen. Accidents involving oxygen depletion are usually fast, serious, and frequently fatal. 

An oxygen monitor is a low-cost, effective way to monitor levels of oxygen anywhere that inert gases such as nitrogen are used. A wall-mounted oxygen monitor tracks oxygen levels on a continual basis and sounds a loud alert should oxygen fall below the 19.5 percent oxygen threshold earmarked by OSHA, a threshold that provides employees ample time to evacuate before succumbing to symptoms of oxygen deficiency.
By installing an oxygen deficiency monitor anywhere nitrogen gases are used or nitrogen generators exist, manufacturers can safeguard their staff while taking advantage of efficiencies that allow cheaper manufacturing of OLEDs. 

PureAire offers an oxygen deficiency monitors with a zirconium sensor, which is capable of withstanding 10 years of continued use. Because these sensors are long-lasting, they offer a good value compared to other types of sensors on the market. By installing an oxygen monitor to safeguard staff and an oxygen analyzer to protect the purity of the nitrogen gas, manufacturers can build capacity needed to meet the demand for OLED screens.   


PureAire's sensors are reliable, effective, and easy to set up. Once installed, they require no calibration to work. These monitors work in temperature extremes and remain reliable even when adverse weather affects barometric pressure. Learn more about oxygen monitors and analyzers from PureAire at www.pureairemonitoring.com. 

A Nitrogen Culinary Experience and How to Remain Safe with Use of Oxygen Monitors

As modernist cuisine has become more popular, restaurant and home chefs alike are turning to liquid nitrogen to create spheres, gels, foams, and even ice cream. While liquid nitrogen can be safely used in a range of culinary applications, there are important safety risks to be aware of when working with this substance. 

The Hidden Dangers of Liquid Nitrogen in the Kitchen

Nitrogen can help chefs freeze alcohol, which doesn't freeze under freezer temperatures. Nitrogen also creates a very rich ice cream, since it makes superfine ice crystals. By using liquid nitrogen to freeze foods, chefs can keep more flavor in the food and preserve higher amounts of the food's nutrients.

It's important to note that nitrogen is used only to alter the state of food. The nitrogen itself is not consumed.
While it is no wonder that nitrogen has become so popular in the kitchen, the substance can pose a health hazard.  

Liquid nitrogen is extremely cold. If the substance were to spill on your clothing or get in your eyes, it could cause severe burns. Thus, many culinary workers wear an extra layer of clothing (such as an apron) to prevent nitrogen from causing skin burns. Special gloves protect the hands, and safety goggles prevent the eyes from nitrogen burns.

While many are aware of the burn danger from liquid nitrogen, there is a more insidious hazard. When liquid nitrogen meets the air, it starts to evaporate and turns into nitrogen gas. Nitrogen gas is a known oxygen displacer, so the more gas that escapes, the less oxygen the air has. Quickly, nitrogen gas can deplete the air to low enough levels of oxygen that respiratory problems and death via asphyxiation are cause for concern. While you may see the smoke or fog from liquid nitrogen, actual nitrogen gas has no color or odor. Thus, if you miss the fog of liquid nitrogen, you may not know the atmosphere is oxygen deficient until it is too late. 

The human brain requires a continual supply of oxygen to work properly. Without this steady oxygen supply, the brain begins to shut down. Confusion and mental fog occur, along with symptoms of respiratory distress, including nausea and vomiting. Due to the severity of these symptoms, an individual in an oxygen-deficient environment has little chance of rescuing themselves before dying. 

How an Oxygen Monitor Protects Safety 

If you plan to use liquid nitrogen, take the necessary precautions to protect skin and eyes from burns. Then take the extra step to install an oxygen deficiency monitor or oxygen analyzer. 

The oxygen deficiency monitor mounts on the wall in the area where nitrogen is stored and used. The device constantly checks the levels of oxygen in the air. As long as the air is safe to breathe, the monitor remains silent yet alert. If liquid nitrogen evaporates and begins displacing oxygen, the O₂ monitor tracks the falling levels. Should oxygen drop such that the air is no longer safe to breathe, the O₂ monitor will flash a visual and audio alert telling staff to get out of the kitchen. 

The monitors are designed to alert when oxygen levels fall below the limits set by OSHA of 19.5 percent. When oxygen levels are between 19.5 and 15 percent, symptoms of oxygen deficiency begin to occur. Health hazards arise when levels fall below 6 percent. So, the analyzer gives staff enough time to safely evacuate and avoid a health risk. 

If you want to use nitrogen in the kitchen, while reducing the safety risks for your kitchen staff, invest in an oxygen monitor. Oxygen monitors from PureAire come with hardy zirconium oxide sensors, which require no maintenance and have a 10-year life span. They are an effective, efficient way to circumvent nitrogen's hidden dangers. See PureAire's line of oxygen monitors and oxygen analyzers at www.pureairemonitoring.com