How Is Gas Added to Carbonated Beverages?
How Is Gas Added To Carbonated Beverages
How is gas added to carbonated beverages?
The carbonated soft drinks market was a $372.10 billion industry in 2023 and is expected to grow with a 3.28% CAGR until 2027. When viewed in relation to population figures, the per-person revenues of carbonated beverages amount to $48.44. This implies that the average person consumes 24.51 liters of carbonated soft drinks annually.
Dive into our nexAir KnowHow™ for carbonated beverages. We’ll review why carbon dioxide is added to drinks and the carbonization process.
Why is carbon dioxide added to beverages?
Carbonation is the reason why champagne bottles make a distinct popping sound when you open them and why soda cans fizz when you shake them. But these sensory experiences aren’t the reasons why carbon dioxide is added to beverages.
Why do beverage manufacturers add carbon dioxide to drinks?
- Cost: Carbon dioxide is a readily available gas, making it cost-efficient in drink production. The few options that can act as substitutes often cost more.
- Food Safety: No other gas additive is as safe for beverages as carbon dioxide. Methane is flammable while other gases can be toxic when ingested.
- Preservation: Oxygen is an additive that can speed up spoilage, whereas carbon dioxide is effective in keeping drinks consumable for longer.
- Solubility: It’s important to note that not all common gases mix well with liquids. In contrast, carbon dioxide is highly soluble in water. In fact, it dissolves so naturally in water that the fizz it creates is loved by many.
No other common gas is as safe, commonly available, and cost-effective as carbon dioxide is for the industrial-scale production of beverages. So, it’s no surprise that carbonated drinks remain available and in demand in the global market.
What is the carbonization process like?
The process of adding carbon dioxide to beverages is fairly simple. The common gas is forcefully dissolved into the liquid using pressure — this is how mass-produced soda, sparkling water, as well as some beer and sparkling alcoholic drinks, are made.
Essentially, carbon dioxide is pumped into a bottle or can which is held under pressure until it’s sealed. The carbon dioxide remains relatively stable inside the container unless the beverage is shaken up or opened — this is when it fizzes and tiny bubbles form.
On a related note, there are two other ways that natural carbonation occurs:
- There are mineral springs that actually produce naturally carbonated water.
- Carbon dioxide can be a byproduct of fermentation and naturally cause carbonation.
Learn More About Carbonization at nexAir
Want to know more about the carbonization of beverages and other ways carbon dioxide is used in the food and beverage industry? In an effort to help the industry Forge Forward, nexAir provides a library of knowledge, products, and techniques that we have developed and fine-tuned for over 80 years.
As a trusted supplier of carbon dioxide and other premium gases in the Southeast, you can count on us to help you move toward a safe, sustainable, and successful future. Contact us today for more information!
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Manufacturing downtime costs American companies billions annually. When production lines halt due to gas supply issues, every minute translates to lost revenue, missed deadlines, and frustrated customers. At nexAir, we've spent decades developing solutions that keep manufacturing operations running smoothly.
The Hidden Costs of Gas-Related Downtime
When manufacturers calculate downtime costs, they typically focus on labor and lost production. However, gas supply disruptions create cascading effects that multiply these losses:
- Production rescheduling that disrupts carefully optimized sequences
- Rush shipping fees to meet customer deadlines despite delays
- Quality inconsistencies when processes restart after interruptions
- Overtime costs to catch up after unplanned stoppages
- Reputation damage when delivery commitments are missed
For a typical mid-sized manufacturer, each hour of downtime represents $5,000-$10,000 in direct and indirect costs. Our analysis shows that gas-related issues cause 7-12% of total manufacturing downtime - a substantial opportunity for improvement.
From Reactive to Proactive: The Supply Continuum
Most facilities follow a predictable pattern in their gas management evolution:
Stage 1: Reactive Management At this stage, facilities order gas when they notice supplies running low or, worse, after running out. Emergencies are common, and disruptions are accepted as "part of doing business." One automotive parts supplier operating this way experienced 14 production interruptions in a single quarter.
Stage 2: Calendar-Based Management Facilities advance to scheduled deliveries based on estimated usage. While better than the reactive approach, this method still results in either excess inventory (tying up capital and space) or shortages when usage spikes occur. A plastics manufacturer following this model maintained 40% more cylinder inventory than necessary while still experiencing occasional stockouts.
Stage 3: Consumption-Based Management Our telemetry systems monitor actual gas consumption, automatically triggering orders based on usage patterns rather than calendar dates. This approach virtually eliminates both stockouts and excess inventory.
Stage 4: Integrated Supply Management The most advanced approach connects gas management directly to production planning systems. Upcoming production requirements automatically adjust supply parameters, ensuring resources are precisely aligned with needs. A medical device manufacturer using this approach reports zero gas-related downtime for 27 consecutive months while operating with minimal inventory buffers.
Our expert KnowHow™ in industrial gas applications allows us to guide customers through this evolution at a pace that makes sense for their operations.
Customizing Solutions for Maximum Uptime
Manufacturing environments vary dramatically in their gas requirements and operational constraints. We've developed flexible approaches that address these differences:
- For high-volume, consistent usage operations, our bulk systems eliminate the cylinder handling that frequently causes supply disruptions. Bulk installations include telemetry monitoring and automated ordering to prevent outages.
- For variable-demand environments, our microbulk delivery systems provide the benefits of bulk supply with lower volume commitments. These systems reduce handling requirements while maintaining the flexibility needed for changing production schedules.
- For specialized applications requiring multiple gas types, our gas management programs combine cylinder tracking, usage monitoring, and automated replenishment. This comprehensive approach ensures that specialty gases are always available when needed, regardless of how infrequently they might be used.
- For multi-site operations, our enterprise supply programs coordinate deliveries and optimize inventory across locations. By treating the organization's gas requirements holistically, we minimize both stockouts and excess inventory across the network.
This consultative approach ensures that manufacturers receive solutions aligned with their specific operational patterns rather than generic "one-size-fits-all" systems.
Beyond Traditional Supply: Integrated Services for Total Reliability
Maximum uptime requires more than just reliable gas delivery. Our integrated services address the full spectrum of gas-related reliability factors:
Equipment maintenance programs that prevent system failures before they impact production Technical gas specialists who resolve application issues that could otherwise cause production problems Safety training that prevents accidents leading to downtime events Emergency response capabilities that minimize impacts when unexpected events occur Supply chain redundancy that ensures continuity despite regional disruptions
These services complement our supply solutions to form a comprehensive reliability strategy. By addressing both everyday operations and exceptional circumstances, we help manufacturers Forge Forward with confidence that gas-related disruptions won't derail their production targets.
Measuring Success: The Results That Matter
The ultimate measure of any downtime reduction strategy is its impact on production metrics. Our manufacturing customers consistently report significant improvements after implementing our comprehensive gas management solutions:
Downtime reductions of 85-95% for gas-related issues Inventory cost decreases of 20-30% through optimized supply management Administrative time savings of 5-10 hours weekly through automated ordering and tracking Production schedule adherence improvements of 3-7% due to improved supply reliability
These performance gains translate directly to bottom-line benefits that typically deliver ROI within months rather than years. More importantly, they allow manufacturers to confidently make delivery commitments, knowing that gas supply issues won't compromise their ability to perform.
Don't let gas supply issues impact your productivity. Contact us today to explore our tailored solutions.
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