Oxygen makes iron melt
The iron foundry Safem in Angoulême in the south-east of France uses Messer’s Pulsox system to provide additional heat in its production process. Pulsox is a device that is used to introduce technical gases – especially oxygen – into solid media. on air spoke to the site manager Martial Gobeaux about the collaboration with Messer and the resulting advantages.
on air: What role does the Pulsox system from Messer play in your production process?
Martial Gobeaux: For the melting process, we use an induction furnace and a cupola with a diameter of one meter and a throughput of six tons of iron per hour. Through the introduction of Pulsox, we are now able to increase capacity to eight tons per hour.
on air: Could you explain that in a little more detail, please?
Martial Gobeaux: Gladly. Oxygen is injected into the cupola at certain points with special lances. By carefully metering the quantity of oxygen and injecting it in the right places at the right time, we can control the combustion of the coke perfectly. The resulting increase in combustion efficiency leads to higher melting temperatures, which in turn leads to reduced coke consumption and a higher furnace throughput. But Pulsox is more than that. Pulsox is a complete solution: the supply of oxygen, the development and installation of the required number of oxygen lances at the appropriate points on the furnace, the optimal setting of the pulsation frequency, based on the design of the furnace, as well as the training of personnel in the use of the technology.
on air: In what way has Pulsox fulfilled your expectations?
Martial Gobeaux: Our first objective was to increase the temperature of the iron. This makes it more fluid, which allows a more even casting process. We have achieved this. The result is a further improvement in product quality. Pulsox has certainly delivered on its promises and even given us some very welcome and economically valuable side effects: on the one hand, the aforementioned increase in capacity and, at the same time, the reduced coke consumption.
on air: And how did you find working with Messer?
Martial Gobeaux: Our collaboration has been excellent. From the outset, Messer was mindful of the fact that Safem needed a tailor-made solution. First, the Messer team carried out a detailed analysis of our production process and adapted its technology accordingly. Next, it convinced our employees of the advantages of the new solution and gave them a step-by-step explanation of the changes in their day-to-day operational procedures. Only by virtue of the fact that our employees recognized the strengths of Pulsox did the use of the technology become a matter of course, and now we are benefiting from it daily.
on air: Given all these positive experiences, are there any other Messer applications that you would consider?
Martial Gobeaux: The introduction of Pulsox has shown how successfully the Messer team can integrate new technologies into our production process. I therefore believe that Pulsox was only the beginning of a series of new technologies. I am very impressed with the benefits of the gases applications for our area and am already in talks about a pilot batch for other areas of our production process. Our collaboration is based on trust, so I am confident that both parties will reap further benefits from our partnership.
