The episode, sponsored by Starbucks, features a challenge to liquefy nitrogen from the air. The host tries nitro cold brew for the first time and explains how nitrogen makes it possible. To liquefy nitrogen, they use a cryo cooler, which works by compressing and expanding helium to create extremely low temperatures.
The host and their guest, Alan, successfully create liquid air and then attempt to isolate nitrogen from it. They use a nitrogen membrane to separate the nitrogen from other gases and achieve a purity of 99.7% nitrogen.
Next, they try to liquefy the nitrogen using the cryo cooler. After some trial and error, they finally succeed in creating liquid nitrogen. To celebrate, they make homemade ice cream using the liquid nitrogen, which creates a smooth texture due to the extremely low temperature.
The episode ends with an explanation of how Starbucks uses nitrogen to create the unique texture of their nitro cold brew coffee, and how the nitrogen bubbles create a cascading effect when poured.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Nitrogen is a fundamental building block of life and makes up 78% of the Earth's atmosphere.
2. Nitrogen is present in tiny micro-bubbles in Starbucks' nitro cold brew.
3. The experiment aims to liquefy nitrogen from the air.
4. To liquefy nitrogen, extremely low temperatures are required, typically below -200°C.
5. A cryo cooler is used to achieve these low temperatures.
6. The cryo cooler uses a cylinder of helium and pistons to compress and expand the helium, creating a temperature difference.
7. The experiment successfully liquefied air from the room, producing 50 milliliters of liquid air.
8. Liquid oxygen is paramagnetic, meaning it is attracted to permanent magnets.
9. The experiment used a nitrogen membrane to separate nitrogen from other gases in the air.
10. The membrane allows oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor to diffuse out faster than nitrogen.
11. The experiment successfully isolated 99.7% pure nitrogen from the air using the nitrogen membrane.
12. To liquefy the nitrogen, a slower flow rate and better insulation were required.
13. The experiment used a smaller flask and a tighter seal to achieve liquefaction.
14. The resulting liquid nitrogen was used to make homemade ice cream.
15. Starbucks uses nitrogen to create the unique texture in their nitro cold brew.
16. Nitrogen bubbles are smaller than carbon dioxide bubbles, giving the drink a creamier texture.
17. Nitrogen is inert and does not react with the drink, unlike carbon dioxide.