The episode features Derek, a YouTube personality, and his friend Allen Pan, attempting to liquefy nitrogen from the air. The challenge is sponsored by Starbucks, which uses nitrogen in their "Nitro-Cold Brew" coffee. The process involves using a cryo-cooler to cool the air, then separating the gases using a nitrogen membrane to produce 99.7% pure nitrogen. They then try to liquefy the nitrogen, initially facing difficulties but eventually succeeding by using a smaller flask and a tighter seal. The resulting liquid nitrogen is used to make homemade ice cream, which has a smooth texture due to the rapid freezing process. The episode also explains the science behind Starbucks' Nitro-Cold Brew, including the use of nitrogen bubbles to create a unique texture and the inert properties of nitrogen that prevent it from reacting with the coffee.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Nitrogen makes up 78% of the atmosphere.
2. The experiment aims to liquify nitrogen from the air.
3. To make liquid nitrogen, a cryo-cooler is used to cool the air to cryogenic temperatures.
4. The cryo-cooler works by compressing helium, then expanding it to cool the surroundings.
5. The experiment successfully created 50ml of liquid air after running the cryo-cooler for 4 hours.
6. Liquid oxygen is paramagnetic, meaning it's attracted to permanent magnets.
7. The experiment used a nitrogen membrane to separate nitrogen from oxygen and other gases.
8. The membrane is selectively permeable, allowing oxygen and carbon dioxide to diffuse out faster than nitrogen.
9. The experiment successfully isolated 99.7% pure nitrogen from the atmosphere.
10. To make liquid nitrogen, the nitrogen gas was cooled using the cryo-cooler and a dewar.
11. The experiment initially failed to produce liquid nitrogen, but a second attempt with a smaller flask and a slower flow rate was successful.
12. Homemade liquid nitrogen can be used to make ice cream with a smooth texture due to the small ice crystals formed.
13. Nitrogen bubbles are smaller than carbon dioxide bubbles, giving drinks a creamier texture.
14. Nitrogen is inert and doesn't react with drinks, making it suitable for coffee.