Let’s face it, steel is here to stay. Finding a cost-effective alternative to steel with a low CO2-intensity and similar mechanical properties would be as likely as finding the Loch Ness monster.
The future of iron and steel making is of paramount importance to the fortunes of the industrial gases sector. Thousands of tonnes of oxygen are produced on air separation units (ASU) all around the world daily to feed blast furnaces for iron making and basic oxygen furnaces for steelmaking.
Scrap re-processing in electric arc furnaces also uses oxygen. Hydrogen is also required for steel processing and argon is used to make high grade stainless steel. Nitrogen is used to create a non-oxidising atmosphere over steel melts.
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