The specific role and impact of oxygen concentration in key process flows
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Ironmaking and blast furnace oxygen-enriched blast
Blast furnace oxygen-enriched blast
By adding high-purity oxygen (usually above 99.5%) to the blast furnace, the oxidation reaction efficiency in the furnace can be significantly improved, accelerating the iron ore reduction process. Increasing oxygen concentration can reduce coke consumption (about 10-20%), while increasing pig iron production and furnace life.
The core role in steelmaking process
Oxygen converter steelmaking (LD method)
Oxidation of carbon, silicon, and phosphorus: After high-purity oxygen (concentration ≥ 95%) is blown into the converter, it undergoes a violent oxidation reaction with impurities such as carbon, silicon, and phosphorus in the molten iron to generate slag such as CO₂ and SiO₂, thereby removing impurities. Oxygen concentration directly affects the reaction rate and decarburization efficiency. Insufficient concentration will lead to delayed reaction, and excessive concentration may cause splashing.
Temperature control
The heat released by oxygen combustion (accounting for more than 70% of the total heat) maintains the high temperature in the furnace (1600-1700℃), and concentration fluctuations will affect the stability of the molten pool.
Arc furnace steelmaking
Combustion and heat balance
When oxygen and fuel (natural gas/heavy oil) are mixed and burned, the oxygen concentration needs to be precisely controlled (usually 21-30%) to optimize the combustion efficiency and the molten pool temperature. Insufficient concentration will lead to incomplete combustion of the fuel, and excessive concentration may cause local overheating or explosion.
Oxidation decarburization
Oxygen participates in the oxidation reaction of molten steel, and the concentration directly affects the rate of carbon content reduction, which needs to be dynamically adjusted according to the demand for steel grades.
Refining and deoxidation process
Steel deoxidation
Precipitation deoxidation: When adding deoxidizers such as aluminum and silicon to the molten steel, the oxygen concentration must be controlled below 0.003% to avoid the formation of ferrous oxide inclusions, which affects the strength and uniformity of the steel.
Vacuum deoxidation: By reducing the pressure in the furnace (such as RH vacuum treatment), CO gas is forced to escape. At this time, the oxygen concentration must be lower than 0.1% to reduce the secondary oxidation of the molten steel.
Oxide inclusion control
Excessive oxygen (>0.005%) will cause FeO and other oxide inclusions in the molten steel, reducing toughness. The oxygen content needs to be controlled within the target range through processes such as slag making and argon blowing and stirring.
Monitoring And Safety Control
Real-time monitoring of oxygen concentration
Sensor technology: Electrochemical sensors (such as AO-03) and laser analyzers (such as Xi'an Jishansi Equipment) can monitor the oxygen concentration in the furnace in real time (range 0-100%) to ensure combustion efficiency and safety.
Safety threshold: Oxygen concentration exceeding 23% is prone to explosion risks and needs to be controlled within a safe range through ventilation or inert gas dilution.
Nitrogen control synergistic optimization
The oxygen concentration is negatively correlated with the nitrogen content and needs to be controlled synchronously through low-nitrogen raw materials, optimized blowing pressure, etc., to avoid the impact of nitrides on the corrosion resistance of steel.
Cutting And Welding Applications
- Oxygen-fuel cutting
The oxygen concentration needs to be maintained at 50-60% to ensure the efficient iron oxidation reaction (Fe + O₂ → FeO) and avoid rough cutting surfaces or slag residue.
- Welding quality control
The oxygen concentration in the welding environment needs to be less than 0.1% to prevent oxide inclusions from causing weld embrittlement.
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