Liquid oxygen (commonly denoted by the abbreviation LOX or LO²) is the form of oxygen in its liquid state. It has important applications in aerospace, submarine and gas industries. Liquid oxygen is a light blue liquid with strong paramagnetic properties. Liquid O2 has a wide range of industrial and medical uses. Liquid oxygen is produced industrially by fractional distillation of liquid air. The total expansion ratio of liquid oxygen is as high as 860:1. Because of this advantage it is widely used in industrial production and military in modern times. Due to its low temperature properties, liquid oxygen can make the substances it comes into contact with very brittle. Liquid oxygen is also a very strong oxidant: organic matter burns violently in liquid oxygen. Some substances may explode if immersed in liquid oxygen for extended periods of time, including asphalt.