A cryogenic air separation unit (ASU) is an industrial system that separates atmospheric air into oxygen, nitrogen and argon through low-temperature distillation. Air is compressed, cleaned and cooled until it becomes a liquid, then separated in distillation columns where each gas is extracted at its own boiling temperature.
Because cryogenic separation scales efficiently, an ASU is normally the preferred technology for large gas volumes, high purity requirements and continuous operation — the typical conditions found in steel mills, chemical complexes, refineries and large industrial gas supply schemes.