Supplying major metal producers such as BlueScope Steel and Pacific Aluminium from the southern hemisphere’s largest air separation unit gives Coregas a unique insight into metals and metal processing.
This insight enables Coregas to provide advice on raising energy efficiency and productivity, decreasing fuel consumption, reducing emissions and increasing quality.
Gas supply options can range from on-site air separation options such as air separate units (ASUs), pressure swing adsorption units (PSAs) and nitrogen generators to cryogenic liquid bulk supply and cylinder gases.
Below are just some examples of metal production processes for which Coregas supplies industrial gases. Our team can provide advice and more information about other processes we supply - contact our Customer Services team to get started.
Nitrogen is vital for use in many ways in steel production, largely to protect processes from oxidation. For instance it is used as a purging gas for pipeline purging, as a cooling gas in the blast furnace, and as a carrier gas for crushed coal. It is also used in heat treatment processes.
Hydrogen is another gas used to prevent oxidation of steel during heat treatment processes.
Oxygen can replace or be added to air to give an oxygen-rich atmosphere for metal processing. This increases combustion efficiency, so requires less energy to achieve results.
As an inert gas, argon is ideal to prevent oxidation of the molten steel during several stages. For instance, it can be used to stir the molten metal during refining of stainless steel, as a shielding gas during continuous casting or in the melting shop in the bottom blowing process.