Editing Argon (section)

===Industrial processes===
Argon is used in some high-temperature industrial processes where ordinarily non-reactive substances become reactive. For example, an argon atmosphere is used in graphite electric furnaces to prevent the graphite from burning.

For some of these processes, the presence of nitrogen or oxygen gases might cause defects within the material. Argon is used in some types of [[arc welding]] such as [[gas metal arc welding]] and [[gas tungsten arc welding]], as well as in the processing of [[titanium]] and other reactive elements. An argon atmosphere is also used for growing crystals of [[silicon]] and [[germanium]].

{{See also|shielding gas}}
Argon is used in the poultry industry to [[asphyxiant gas|asphyxiate]] birds, either for mass culling following disease outbreaks, or as a means of slaughter more humane than [[electronarcosis|electric stunning]]. Argon is denser than air and displaces oxygen close to the ground during [[inert gas asphyxiation]].<ref>{{Unbulleted list citebundle|
{{cite news
 |last        = Fletcher
 |first       = D. L.
 |title       = Slaughter Technology
 |url         = http://ps.fass.org/cgi/reprint/78/2/277.pdf
 |work        = Symposium: Recent Advances in Poultry Slaughter Technology
 |access-date  = 1 January 2010
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110724195609/http://ps.fass.org/cgi/reprint/78/2/277.pdf
 |archive-date = 24 July 2011
}}|{{cite journal|last1=Shields|first1=Sara J.|last2=Raj|first2=A. B. M.|s2cid=11301328|title=A Critical Review of Electrical Water-Bath Stun Systems for Poultry Slaughter and Recent Developments in Alternative Technologies|journal=Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science|volume=13|issue=4|year=2010|pages=281–299|issn=1088-8705|doi=10.1080/10888705.2010.507119|pmid=20865613|citeseerx=10.1.1.680.5115}}}}</ref> Its non-reactive nature makes it suitable in a food product, and since it replaces oxygen within the dead bird, argon also enhances shelf life.<ref name="FraquezaBarreto2009">{{cite journal|last1=Fraqueza|first1=M. J.|last2=Barreto|first2=A. S.|title=The effect on turkey meat shelf life of modified-atmosphere packaging with an argon mixture|journal=Poultry Science|volume=88|issue=9|year=2009|pages=1991–1998|issn=0032-5791|doi=10.3382/ps.2008-00239|pmid=19687286|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Argon is sometimes used for [[Gaseous fire suppression|extinguishing fires]] where valuable equipment may be damaged by water or foam.<ref name="SuKim2001">{{cite journal|last1=Su|first1=Joseph Z.|last2=Kim|first2=Andrew K.|last3=Crampton|first3=George P.|last4=Liu|first4=Zhigang|title=Fire Suppression with Inert Gas Agents|journal=Journal of Fire Protection Engineering|volume=11|issue=2|year=2001|pages=72–87|issn=1042-3915|doi=10.1106/X21V-YQKU-PMKP-XGTP}}</ref>