Oxygen is widely used in the oxidation of raw chemicals for recovery of nitric acid, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, vinyl chloride and other important chemical compounds.

In the chemical industry, oxygen is a key raw material in the oxidation step to manufacture oxides, aldehydes, acids, and alcohols such as ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, ethylene dichloride, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid, vinyl chloride and phthalic acid. Oxygen can be used to increase oxygen levels by enriching air to accelerate reactions, increase temperatures, and/or overcome air blower limitations leading to capacity increases, yield improvements, and more efficient use of energy. An example is in sulfuric acid regeneration where oxygen enrichment of the combustion air can significantly increase plant capacity.