Combustible refers to substances that can undergo chemical reactions such as combustion and explosion with oxygen and oxidant in the air. Oxygen is only one kind of oxidant, which can't react with other substances, so oxygen is nonflammable.
Although oxygen cannot be used as a combustible, it is a very important oxidant and can be used as one of the reactants in many chemical reactions. For example, oxygen can react with combustible substances such as carbon and hydrogen, but oxygen itself cannot be used as a combustible substance alone.
Oxygen has many other uses. For example, oxygen can be used in the medical field as one of the important medical devices for breathing oxygen to treat patients. In the industrial field, oxygen can also be used for cutting, welding and other process operations.
What is the nature of oxygen?
1, oxidizability: oxygen is a strong oxidant, which can react with many elements and compounds to form oxides. For example, oxygen can burn and explode with combustible substances such as carbon and hydrogen, all because of the strong oxidation of oxygen.
2. Combustion-supporting: Although oxygen itself cannot burn, it can support the combustion of other combustibles. In the combustion process, oxygen can provide enough oxidant to make the combustible combustion more intense.
3. Colorless, odorless and transparent: Oxygen is a colorless, odorless and transparent gas, which is difficult to be perceived by human beings except in some special circumstances, such as high-concentration oxygen environment.
4. Liquid and solid: At normal temperature, oxygen is gaseous, but at low temperature, oxygen can become liquid and solid. Liquid oxygen is widely used in aerospace field, which can be used as rocket propellant and satellite fuel.
5. Physiological function: Oxygen also has a very important physiological function in organisms. Humans and other animals need to breathe oxygen to maintain the normal function of the body. In the medical field, oxygen is also widely used to treat various diseases and improve the breathing condition of patients.
6. Hyperbaric oxygen: In a high-pressure environment, oxygen can become solid with high density and energy. Hyperbaric oxygen is widely used in deep-sea diving and blasting.