Air Liquide has long worked hand in hand with the metallurgical industry
to offer its customers a comprehensive range of gas applications, equipment,
technical support and related services, enabling them to improve the efficiency
of their processes and the quality of their products, while better protecting
the environment.
For all market segments, (including foundry), metal recycling and heat
treatment) gas applications have not only been developed, but on-site gas
production technology has reduced the cost of gas use.
Metal Fusion
Air Liquide offers all equipment and services enabling optimum use of
this technology, including:
- Special equipment for melting cast iron in rotary furnaces (ALJET line)
- Equipment for injecting oxygen in cupola furnaces (ALJET line)
- Oxy-gas or oxy-heavy fuel oil burners, optimized to maximize heat transfer
to the metal (ALBATCH and ALJET lines).
- Monitoring systems for optimum control of combustion, power distribution
and safety (FLAMOXAL system).
- An application-specific oxygen supply system, which ensures reliable
supply and optimises pressure and purity, using cryogenic storage tanks
or Compact VSA on-site production units (5 to 150 tons/day per line) or
SIGMA cryogenic production units up to 300 tons/day per line.
- Various engineering and consultancy services for optimising furnace
design and reducing operating costs to a minimum with powerful modelling
tools: the ATHENA code and ALJET-ECO software. Exclusive or preferential
agreements with service companies or engineering firms enable us to propose
a comprehensive turnkey offer.
- Technical assistance for on-site installation and commissioning, operator
training and oxygen safety.
Metal Treatment And Refinement
Air Liquide can custom design atmospheres to fit all furnace configurations.
For each type of metal treatment, Air Liquide offers a wide range of blast-pipes
for simultaneously injecting various gases while optimising pipe life. Air
Liquide invented the double nozzle for simultaneously injecting oxygen and
natural gas in converters.
Our modelling programs and experienced specialists can help our customers
optimise gas quantities and pressure to obtain the best possible results
at the lowest operating costs.
The GAZAL process uses porous plates and plugs to obtain the best dispersion
of active or neutral gases, while agitating molten metal to ensure uniformity.
Air Liquide offers a full range of pure gases and mixtures for degassing
aluminium.
The on-site production of nitrogen using the FLOXAL™ membrane process
is particular well-suited for this application and enables us to propose
the optimum nitrogen purity for the particular alloy and the type of finished
product desired.
GAZAL porous plugs are easily adapted to furnace ladles and Air Liquide
specialists can optimise plug position and size, as well as the selection
of gases and pressures.
Metal Fusion Related Applications
- The SPAL process for protecting molten metal in induction furnaces reduces
both melting loss and gas pick-up.
- The ALBLACK process for automatically lubricating ingot moulds. This
patented process applies a carbon black deposit to molds using an oxy-acetylene
flame.
- The CLEANBLAST process for cleaning foundry moulds with carbon dioxide
- The use of oxy-fuel gas burners for cleaning and preheating casting
ladles
- The use of FLOXAL™ nitrogen or carbon dioxide to make casting moulds
- The use of argon to treat foundry sullage.
Heat Treatment
Air Liquide offers a full range of atmospheres and services, including
ALNAT heat treatment processes.
These processes were designed to:
- Bring you innovation
Air Liquide has several dozen patents for improving heat treatment
processes.
Today, in addition to new processes like ALNAT I, we offer a wide
range of services (such as computer modelling, training, the designing
and implementation of solutions, technical support, etc.) to optimise
our product offer.
- Improve Your Quality
This is why, for example, we audit your facilities. Regularly checking
your furnace atmospheres and related equipment not only ensures quality
and safety for your company, but also for your most demanding customers.
These services range from atmosphere analysis to trouble-shooting the
most complex problems.
Partnering with Air Liquide may improve your quality by:
- Regulating the heat treating atmosphere
- Optimising cycles
- Increasing equipment flexibility
- Reducing scrap
- Continuously monitoring treatment operations and traceability
For each type of heat treatment, we can propose a tailor-made solution
to control dew point, oxygen concentration, carbon potential or carbon
flow during annealing.
- Help you control costs
Each particular treatment requires a suitable atmosphere. Case-hardening,
non-decarburising, reducing or neutral atmospheres, which often contain
mostly nitrogen, must all provide high quality at the lowest possible
cost. FLOXAL™ and ALNAT line can meet these requirements.