Nitrous oxide transfer of nitrous oxide from bulk cylinders to smaller, more transportable E-type, 1590 liter-capacity tanks, is legal when the intended use of the gas is for medical anaesthesia. Nitrous oxide Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or nitrous, is a chemical compound, an oxide of nitrogen with the formula . At room temperature, it is a colourless non-flammable gas, with a slight metallic scent and taste. At elevated temperatures, nitrous oxide is a powerful oxidizer similar to molecular oxygen. It is soluble in water. Nitrous oxide has significant medical uses, especially in surgery and dentistry, for its anaesthetic and
Nitrous oxide and inhibit pain signalling. Exactly how causes the release of endogenous opioid peptides remains uncertain. Nitrous oxide is a colourless, non-toxic gas with a faint, sweet odour. Nitrous oxide supports combustion by releasing the dipolar bonded oxygen radical, thus it can relight a glowing splint. The above reaction is the route adopted by the commercial chemical industry to produce azide salts, which are used as detonators. The gas was first synthesised in 1772 by English natural philosopher and chemist Joseph Priestley, who called it "phlogisticated nitrous air" (see phlogiston) or "inflammable nitrous air". Priestley published his discovery in the book