Oxygen Gas use as a Raw Material in Various Industries Posted: April 19, 2023 |
However, you must remember that molecular (O2) exists only in the atmosphere. Besides, it constitutes 21% of Earth's atmosphere besides making up around 85% of oceans. Moreover, it comprises 46% of solid crust of the Earth and is an important component in all minerals and rocks. No to forget, it makes up over 60% of the human body. There are numerous other applications which are hard to enumerate here but their importance in our life is immense. Surprisingly, you also find O2 application even in municipal and industrial effluent treatment plants. There are thousands of industries that use oxygen as raw material. They need 24*7 constant supply of O2 for running their operations unhindered. The non-metallic element is crucial for providing combustion for hundreds of processes needing combustion. It is generated by taking atmospheric O2 and processing it though different techniques such as cryogenic distillation, pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and membrane separation. These processes are able to generate oxygen with high purity. Amongst these techniques, cryogenic distillation is considered the most efficient. It can generate oxygen with purity up to 99.7%, which is adequate for industrial and medical applications. All industries requiring O2 on a large scale use cryogenic oxygen plants for meeting their requirements. And, it is important to know which industries are the large consumers of oxygen. Moreover, you will see that these industries make up the foundation on which the modern society is dependent. First of all, it is the steel industry which is the largest consumer of oxygen as a raw material. The steel industry consumes 50% of the total liquid oxygen production plant world-wide. No would dispute how important is the steel industry for the society as it exists today. The 2nd largest consumer of O2 is the chemical industry, which is in way any less important than the steel industry. It consumes around 25% of the total global out of commercially produced oxygen. And, the 25% of global oxygen production is used by medical and other industries. As discussed above, oxygen has got countless application for us. It would not be an over-emphasizing to say that it is vital for sustaining life on the planet. Humans and animals need it for respiration to stay alive. And, you know that without oxygen humankind and animals cannot survive beyond a few minutes. Without eating food you can stay alive for weeks. Even without water, you can live for days. Without oxygen live is not even thinkable. Undeniably, it is the most valuable resource for us. And, we must do everything to ensure it does not decline or get polluted. Top Industries Using Oxygen as Raw Material Steel Making Steel industry is the largest consumer of industrially produced oxygen. Of the total generated O2 worldwide, the steel industry consumes over 50%, which is phenomenal. No other industry comes close to it even by a wide margin. It is used for manufacturing steel by enriching air and raising combustion. temperatures in the blast and open hearth furnaces.Also, it is used for increasing steel temperature and improving productivity of recycling of scrap metal & replacing coke for sustaining combustion. Steel industry requires constant supply of oxygen on a very large scale. Many reputed MNCs manufacture and operate gigantic oxygen gas plants for meeting the O2 requirements of large steel companies such as Tata Steel, JSW Steel, etc. Chemical Processing After steel making, chemical industry is the largest consumer of commercially generated oxygen. Indeed, it uses around 25% of the total production of oxygen. There is no denying the industry needs constant supply of oxygen on a large scale. The chemical industry uses O2 for changing the structure of feed-stocks through oxidation.It is required for making ethylene oide, propylene oxide, nitric acid and numerous other building block chemicals. And, it is also used for enhancing capacity and destruction efficiency of waste incinerators. Pulp and Paper The industry is used in wide range of mill processes for making paper and pulp. It helps the industry to comply with all strict environmental regulations. Typically, the processes include delignification, bleaching, oxidative extraction, chemical recovery, white/black liquor oxidation and lime kiln enrichment. Metal Production Metal production is another industry that needs oxygen for sustaining their operations. It uses oxygen for enriching air and for raising combustion temperatures in ferrous and non-ferrous metal production. Also, you will find its application in creating hot flame in high temperature torches commonly used in welding. Metal Fabrication Metal fabrication industry also uses oxygen along with acetylene for cutting and other operations. It is used in small quantity for shielding gases. Glass Manufacturing Glass industry requires oxygen as a raw material for raising and sustaining combustion in glass furnaces and forehearths and for lowering nitrogen oxide emissions. Petroleum Recovery and Refining The industry requires O2 as raw material for improving flow and lowering viscosity levels in oil & gas wells. Also used for enhancing capacity of fluid catalytic cracking plants and for reducing sulfur emissions. Health Services For medical industry, oxygen is vital as it is used for providing life-support, administering anesthesia, and resuscitation.
Universal Boschi writes on various aspects of oxygen industry. With experience over 8 years in the industry, he has detailed knowledge of oxygen plant manufacturing and its market. He contributes his articles on the industry through blogs and industrial magazines .
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