Editing Argon (section)

===Laboratory equipment===
{{See also|Air-free technique}}
[[Image:Glovebox.jpg|thumb|[[Glovebox]]es are often filled with argon, which recirculates over scrubbers to maintain an [[oxygen]]-, [[nitrogen]]-, and moisture-free atmosphere]]

Argon may be used as the [[inert gas]] within [[Schlenk line]]s and [[glovebox]]es. Argon is preferred to less expensive nitrogen in cases where nitrogen may react with the reagents or apparatus.

Argon may be used as the carrier gas in [[gas chromatography]] and in [[electrospray ionization mass spectrometry]]; it is the gas of choice for the plasma used in [[Inductively coupled plasma|ICP]] [[spectroscopy]]. Argon is preferred for the sputter coating of specimens for [[scanning electron microscopy]]. Argon gas is also commonly used for [[sputter deposition]] of thin films as in [[microelectronics]] and for [[microfabrication|wafer cleaning in microfabrication]].