[Robert A Cook PE]

You extract Ar from air by refrigeration and compression of .. well, “air” just like you extract Co2 from “air” – It is IMPOSSIBLE to run out of Ar.

From Wikipedia: Industrial

Argon is produced industrially by the fractional distillation of liquid air in a cryogenic air separation unit; a process that separates liquid nitrogen, which boils at 77.3 K, from argon, which boils at 87.3 K, and liquid oxygen, which boils at 90.2 K. About 700,000 tonnes of argon are produced worldwide every year.

Yes, you do need energy to compress and super-cool the liquid air down towards -200 C, but other than that, it is a simple enough process.

Will the EPA regulate the CO2 fire extinguishers next? After all, they DID all but ban the more effective commercial fire-fighting gasses – even on Navy ships where “winning in combat” by fighting fires and explosions is evidently less important than preventing the hole in the ozone layer.

[arthurus]

Eventually EPA will ban Oxygen. It is dangerous. It reacts with many other substances. It contributes to the forest fires that destroy so many trees every year.

[Mike Darancette]

Argon sounds scary.

[molson209]

the third most common gas in the Earth’s atmosphere,good luck with that

[oldtech]

Let’s just make it simpler for everyone & ban the EPA.

[Cvengr]

one down, 110 to go...

[editor-surveyor]

They are trying to ban welding!

Nothing but mild steel can be welded without Argon.
.

[ronnie raygun]

The EPA should be threatened with a close down

[GOPJ]

Anyone who welds Aluminium or Stainless Steel will be familiar with Argon, which is used with MIG and TIG welders, to blow oxygen away from the electric welding arc, to prevent oxidative damage to the weld joint. Any effort to regulate the use of this harmless substance would do incalculable damage to American industrial competitiveness, for no benefit whatsoever. See details http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argon

Has Obama sold out to the Chinese?