Oxycombustion - Oxygen enhanced combustion
Combustion is the result of the reaction between an oxidant, such as oxygen and fuel molecules such as oil or natural gas. Air is commonly used as an oxidizer in most industrial combustion processes in the metallurgy and glass industries. Oxycombustion is based on the enrichment of air with pure oxygen to:
- Reduce fuel consumption, especially if Nitrogen (N2) is removed from the air and emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides which are harmful to both humans and the environment.
- Reduce ramp up time
- Increase productivity and quality of the final product
Oxy-combustion technologies
Oxy-combustion is an application that is mainly used in metallurgy, the glass industry and, increasingly, in companies subject to strong restrictions in terms of carbon footprint, such as the cement industry.
For all these industries, we offer competitive oxy-combustion offerings, from gas supply to complete solutions. The different oxy-combustion technologies also provide important benefits in terms of quality and the reduction of NOx and CO 2 emissions.
There are three main technologies for enriching the oxidant with oxygen:
- Global enrichment of combustion air:
Oxygen is added to the combustion air before the mixture reaches the combustion zone. - Local enrichment via a lance:
Oxygen is injected via lances, allowing optimal heat transfer to the melt. - Oxycombustion burners:
The oxidant is exclusively oxygen. This solution can be adopted when the product has a high mass power.
Our offer for metallurgy
Air Liquide is a strategic partner for many large metallurgical companies around the world. Oxygen is necessary for numerous applications in this sector, specifically in the production of steel, copper, aluminium, nickel and zinc.
When large volumes of gas are consumed, pipeline transportation offers an alternative to land-based shipping and the consequent environmental impact. It is the most efficient and reliable delivery system for large companies. We supply tens of thousands of metric tons daily through pipelines to our customers around the world.
Premium brand of applications for the metalworking industry
For smaller volumes of gas, our packaged offering, BOOSTAL™, is ideal. It includes oxygen, a full range of advanced technologies and burners designed for steel, non-ferrous metals and foundries. Our experts get to the heart of on-site operations, enabling them to understand how customers work and where our BOOSTAL™ solutions can improve performance and help them be more environmentally friendly.
Our offer for the glass industry
We partner with glass manufacturers to deliver tangible and measurable results. They are achieved through engineered solutions, supported by R&D teams and experts in the field. Air Liquide UK have a comprehensive offering for oxy-combustion in glass manufacturing. It covers oxygen supply, proprietary burners and other value-added services.
