Nitrogen is a highly active element.  Think amino acids, proteins, nitrogen oxides, ammonia,  guncotton, nitroglycerin, dynamite.  However, the atmospheric form, N(2) is relatively inactive compared to oxygen.

---- Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA> wrote:
> Nitrogen is hardly inert.
>
> Alistair
>
>
>
> > On Oct 17, 2015, at 4:18 PM, John Rodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >
> > The only thing the nitrogen does extra is keep the tire from rotting from
> > the inside. No oxidizing of the rubber because the nitrogen is inert and
> > displaces the oxygen. Other than that, it's a wash.
> >
> > John
> > On Oct 17, 2015 17:11, "Rocket J Squirrel" <camping.elliott@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> "Not sure how he would evacuate the normal atmospheric air form the
> >> process [...]"
> >>
> >> Good question . . . aren't they just pushing nitrogen into a tire that
> >> is already at 87% N at atmospheric pressure?
> >>
> >> Quick, someone do the math: after inflating a tire to, say, 40 psi by
> >> adding nitrogen atop regular air at atmospheric pressure, what's our % N?
> >>
> >> --
> >> Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
> >> 1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
> >> Bend, Ore.
> >>
> >>> On 10/17/2015 02:57 PM, Max Wellhouse wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Eric:  I have a friend here in Cedar Falls Iowa that fills his tires
> >>> exclusively with nitrogen.  He runs a really small tire mounting and
> >>> balancing shop out of his garage and does mobile repairs as well.  He
> >>> says that in order to mount tires and fill them with nitrogen, you
> >>> have to make sure the bead sealing surface is absolutely pristine, so
> >>> there's no chance of micro leaks from pitted sealing surfaces.  I
> >>> think he charged like $10/tire to do the fill.  Not sure how he would
> >>> evacuate the normal atmospheric air form the process, but I have used
> >>> his services on my Vanco II Continentals mounted on Mercedes CLK
> >>> forged aluminum rims(mounted on my 90 GL  BTW)  and they haven't lost
> >>> 1 psi in like 4 years.  I think Tire Rack offers the service as well.
> >>> NASCAR Racers use nitrogen     YMMV
> >>

--
David McNeely