Linde-owned industrial gas company BOC has demonstrated its oxy-hydrogen fuel cutting technology for one of British Compressed Gases Association’s (BCGA) member groups.
The BCGA’s Technical Subcommittee 3 – which oversees safety standards – was shown how the cutting process works and the group had the chance to gain hands-on practical experience.
The demonstration proved useful for the subcommittee, which deals with the design, manufacture and application of gas equipment for industrial, food and specialty gas systems.
“This was a very useful opportunity for TSC3 to see oxy-hydrogen cutting in action, and we are grateful to BOC for this insight and for hosting our meeting,” said Emily Foster, Technical Manager at BCGA.
©BCGA
Oxy-hydrogen fuel cutting is a thermal cutting process that uses a mixture of hydrogen and pure oxygen to slice through thick metals.
It is a cleaner-burning alternative to fuel gases like acetylene or propane that introduces up to 60% less heat into the base material – a benefit that leads to less thermal deformation and a higher quality product.
Studies have also shown that the use of hydrogen allows for much faster preheating compared to traditional gases.
Tests conducted by GCE have shown that heating a 50-mm-thick slab takes two to three seconds using hydrogen. By comparison, it takes 10 to 11 seconds to heat the same slab using propane.
