Refining

Gases for Refining in Iron and Steel Production

Technologies include: removing contaminants with gases such as oxygen and argon; using nitrogen as an inert carrier gas; oxygen fuel (oxy-fuel) preheating and heating systems; stirring using gases; and other industrial gases applications. These offer significant financial benefits for refining and degassing in the iron and steel production industry.

Offerings applicable to:

• Argon Oxygen Decarburisation (AOD)
• Vacuum Degassing
• Ladle Metallurgy

Decarburisation by injecting argon and oxygen can be used in the production of stainless steel. Air Products can supply the gas, advanced flow and process control systems and technical expertise (in, eg, positioning of lances).

Argon Oxygen Decarburisation (AOD) - Controls Upgrade

Air Products has installed and upgraded flow and process controls in Argon Oxygen Decarburisation vessels to increase the repeatability, accuracy and efficiency of gas usage.

Argon Oxygen Decarburisation (AOD) - Vessel Preheating

Rapidfire® technologies for:

• Vacuum Degassing - Decarburisation with Oxygen
• Vacuum Degassing - Lifting
• Vacuum Degassing - Purging

Rapidfire® technologies for:

Ladle Metallurgy - Preheating

Complete burner and control packages have been developed to efficiently preheat ladles using non-water-cooled oxy-fuel burners. 70% fuel savings and 50% reductions in heat-up rates are typical.

Ladle Metallurgy - REHeat® heating

Our patented technology (with Bethlehem Steel) for chemically reheating steel by simultaneous injection of fuel (aluminium and silicon) and oxygen achieves temperature gains of 5 to 8°C/min. Subsequent stirring with inert gas ensures that steel cleanliness is not adversely affected. This technique is used to reheat cold ladles of metal to avoid expensive pourbacks and subsequent casting interruptions.

Ladle Metallurgy - Stirring

Gas injection to stir molten metal improves homogeneity of both alloy composition and temperature. This increases yield, decreases alloy requirement, reduces production rejects and produces a higher product quality and consistency.

Ladle Metallurgy - Alloy Injection

Nitrogen is used to inject alloying powders into molten iron. The effect of the submerged alloys and greater turbulence increases yield, decreases alloy requirement, reduces production rejects and produces a higher product quality and consistency.

Ladle Metallurgy - Nitrogen Desulphurisation