A process for separating O2 from air, that includes the steps effecting an increase in pressure of an air stream, magnetically concentrating O2 in one portion of the pressurized air stream, the one portion then being an oxygen rich stream, and there being another portion of the air stream being an oxygen lean stream, compressing the oxygen rich stream and removing water and carbon dioxide therefrom, to provide a resultant stream, and cryogenically separating said resultant stream into a concentrated oxygen stream and a waste stream.