Main power of air-separation industry—steel industry

steel industry is the main power for the development of air-separation industry which lead air-separation industry into its golden time.
According to the oxygen consumption of steel industry, during the process in the blast furnace, converter, continuous casting and rolling of the traditional process, the oxygen consumption of per ton steel is about 120 Nm3/h. Every year millions of tons of steel production scale need match air separation plants with the capacity of 15000 Nm3/h, when not in oxygen-enriched blast furnace can be reduced to 10000 Nm3/h. When using COREX puddling technology, electric converter, continuous casting and rolling steel are installed, the capacity of the spare parts required for each million tons of steel shall be increased to 50,000 Nm3/h, which is three to five times to traditional technology.
Background information:
Steel industry is the big customer to air-separation worldwide, accounting for 60%~70% of total amount. 60s~80s of last century, the dramatic development boomed air-separation industry. After Japan introduced oxygen converters, the steel output increased from ten million tons to 100 million ton during ten years, the output of oxygen increased 20 times during 16 years. After a detour, China’s steel industry got back on track in the 1980s and exceeded 100 million tons in 1996. 340 million tons in 2005. China became the largest steel country in the world in 2005 with 340 million tons which was more than the sum of the three, Japan, the United States and Russia. And it is expected to be 620 million tons in 2010, more than the sum total of countries that ranked from 2nd to 21st behind.
From 2001 to 2010, due to the rapid development of national economy and the global manufacturing transferring to China, Chinese steel industry promoted developed rapidly. With the average annual output of 46 million tons of crude steel increased, per million tons of supporting air separation unit 15000 Nm3/h, a single steel, need new air separation unit capacity is 690000 Nm3/h.Thus, the gas industry was booming, and the golden period of Chinese air separation was brought forward.
During this period, Chinese air separation industry has followed the world’s advanced level and improves its competitive power. Both software and hardware facilities are ready for the take-off of the air separation industry.

(source:http://www.airseparation-plant.cn/main-power-of-air-separation-industry-steel-industry/)