this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2025
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I've always thought we could improve the performance of refrigerators / freezers by replacing the air with a inert non-reactive gas like nitrogen. Food in a cool nitrogen environment will not oxidize, because there is no oxygen! This could be done with a top down cooler (where the lid is on top), just fill with nitrogen.
Wouldn't anaerobic bacteria still run rampant?
good point!, but we are removing one source of spoilage... would that improve overall storage time? I'm not sure
Maybe a refillable liquid nitrogen container so it forces all the oxygen out every time you open it.
Nitrogen is denser then air, so you can have a float indicator at the rim of the unit, if the nitrogen dips to low you pump in more until the float... floats. All mechanical, no electronics needed!
Atmospheric air is mostly Nitrogen. Nitrogen from a bottle mixes readily with atmospheric air.
Sulfur hexafluoride would work a lot closer to what you are describing. Although assessing the safety of dissolving any gas into your food would require careful consideration. Also, sulfur hexafluoride is a very strong greenhouse gas, so that could easily negate any other benefits.