The production of industrial gases is extremely important for several purposes, highlighting oxygen used in welding, cutting, and heat treatment processes; nitrogen for inerting storage tanks, food and beverage production, chemical and pharmaceutical processes; argon used in welding, cutting, heat treatment, electronics manufacturing, and metal purification processes; hydrogen used in ammonia production, processed foods, oil refineries, and chemical manufacturing; acetylene used in welding, cutting, chemicals, and plastics processing; and carbon dioxide needed by the food industry to maintain food quality and make carbonated beverages.

According to ABRAGAS, this sector employs about 30 thousand people in the country and annually moves more than 10 billion reais.

The production process for these industrial gases involves high temperatures during the combustion of fossil fuels or chemical reaction of raw materials, and water is used as a cooling agent through cooling towers.