INDUSTRIAL

GASES
P R E PA R E D BY:
J O A N N A M A R I E A P U YA | M E R I E L L E BRAZAL | SAMANTHA REONAL
INTRODUCTI
ON
INTRODUCTION
Industrial gases are gases manufactured and supplied
to various industries.
Industrial gases are used in many industries and
processes such as oil refining, chemical, steel and
pharmaceutical plants. Bulk industrial gases are used
as such in many industrial and medical
applications.
Some are used in hospitals, pharmaceuticals,
energy generation, food and beverages,
commercial sectors, agriculture, construction,
biotechnology, aeroscience, manufacturing and
production of other products and many others.
 Acetyl
ene
Oxyg Nitrog
en en
Click icon to add picture

ACETYLENE
BACKGROUND

Acetylene is a hydrocarbon consisting of
two carbon atoms and two hydrogen atoms
(C2H2).

Acetylene is a colorless, combustible gas

with a distinctive odor.
When acetylene is liquefied, compressed,
heated, or mixed with air, it becomes highly
explosive*
HISTORY

Earl
Late
183 185 189 190 190 192 194 y 199
180
6 9 7 5 6 0s 0 195 1
0s
0s
HISTORY
• Acetylene was discovered when Edmund
Davy was experimenting
[1836] with potassium carbide*

• Marcel Morren generated acetylene when he used

carbon electrodes to strike an electric arc in an
atmosphere of hydrogen.** He called this gas
[1859] carbonized hydrogen.

• A method had been developed for making

late acetylene by reacting calcium carbide with
1800s water***
HISTORY
• Georges Claude and A. Hess noted that
[1897 acetylene gas could be safely stored by
] dissolving it in acetone

• Nils Dalen used this new method to develop

[1905 long-burning, automated marine and railroad
] signal lights

• Dalen went on to develop an acetylene torch

[1906 for welding and metal cutting.
]
HISTORY
• The German firm BASF developed a process for
[1920 manufacturing acetylene from natural gas and
petroleum-based hydrocarbons
s]

• The first acetylene plant went into operation in

[1940 Germany
]
• The technology came to the United States and
[Early quickly became the primary method of producing
1950s acetylene
]
HISTORY

• There were eight acetylene plants in the United

States producing a total of 352 million lb (160
million kg) of acetylene per year.
• 66% was derived from natural gas and 15%
from petroleum processing*
• 19% came from calcium carbide**
[1991]
• The principal sources of acetylene
• Western Europe →natural gas and petroleum
• Eastern Europe and Japan → calcium carbide
APPLICATIONS

Welding,
Portable Production of
Cutting, and
Lighting Chemical
Heat Treating

Volatilization of
Production of carbon in
Chemical radiocarbon
dating
APPLICATIONS

• Acetylene was used to light a portable

lamp called carbide or acetylene gas
Portabl
lamp in the late 19th century. These
e
lamps are still used by hunters. *
lightin
g
Welding
• Acetylene is most commonly used in
, welding and cutting. Acetylene used in
Cutting, welding is called as oxy-fuel cutting or
and gas cutting. **
Heat
Treating
APPLICATIONS

• used for chemical synthesis. The

Productio
gas can be used for manufacturing
n several inorganic compounds.
of • synthesis of certain vitamins
Chemical including Vitamin A and E.
• producing certain constituents of
perfumes, solvents, etc.
• production of acetic acid, 1,4-
butanediol (BDO), several
acetylenic alcohols, etc.*
APPLICATIONS
• PVC, PVDF and polyethylene plastics
are produced from ethylene or
methane (derived from the acetylene)
Production
of • mixed with elements like chlorine,
hydrochloric acid, etc. to produce
Polyethyle different variants of plastic like PVC,
ne PVDF, etc.
Plastics
APPLICATIONS
• The archeological material is treated
Volatilizati with lithium metal in a specialized
furnace to produce lithium carbide
on (also called lithium acetylide).
of carbon • The carbide is then reacted with
in water to form acetylene gas which is
used in a mass spectrometer to
radiocarbo measure the isotopic ratio of carbon-
n dating 14 to carbon-12.
RAW MATERIALS
Calcium
Chemic carbide
Normal
al
temp
reaction
Water
Process
Natural
Thermal gas
High
crackin (mostly
temp
g methan
e)
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Chemical ACETY Thermal

Reaction cracking
process LENE Process
CHEMICAL REACTION PROCESS
CHEMICAL REACTION PROCESS
#1 Calcium carbide
is added to water
(most used)
Wet
Process #2 Water is
added to
Variations calcium carbide
#3 Uses only a
limited amount of
Dry water, which
then evaporates a
process s it absorbs the
heat
CHEMICAL REACTION PROCESS (WET
PROCESS #1)
Feeding calcium carbide granules into the reaction
chamber, which has been filled to a certain level with
water, with the use of a rotating screw conveyor *
The solution of calcium carbide granules and
water is constantly agitated by a set of rotating
paddles inside the reaction chamber (to ensure
complete rxn) **

The acetylene gas bubbles to the surface and is

drawn off under low pressure.
CHEMICAL REACTION PROCESS (WET
PROCESS #1)
As it leaves the reaction chamber, the gas is cooled
by a spray of water. This water spray also adds
water to the reaction chamber to keep the reaction
going as new calcium carbide is added.

After the gas is cooled, it passes through a flash

arrester, which prevents any accidental ignition
from equipment downstream of the chamber.

As the calcium carbide reacts with the water, it

forms a slurry of calcium carbonate, which sinks to
the bottom of the chamber.*
CALCIUM CARBONATE
AS BY-PRODUCT
Calcium carbonate slurry is drained from the
chamber and pumped into a holding pond,
where the calcium carbonate settles out and
the water is drawn off.

The thickened calcium carbonate is then dried

and sold for use as an industrial waste water
treatment agent, acid neutralizer, or soil
conditioner for road construction.
THERMAL CRACKING PROCESS
THERMAL CRACKING PROCESS
Acetylene may also be generated by raising the
temperature of various hydrocarbons to the point
where their atomic bonds break, or crack, in what is
known as a thermal cracking process.

After the hydrocarbon atoms break apart, they can

be made to rebond to form different materials than
the original raw materials.

Thermal cracking is widely used to convert oil or

natural gas to a variety of chemicals.
THERMAL CRACKING PROCESS
Use a combustion
chamber that burns
part of the
Based on the hydrocarbons to
provide a flame
method for
raising the
temperature use of an electric
arc to heat the raw
Some materials
Variations
Based on the Acetylene generation
as coproduct of the
raw materials steam cracking process
used used to make ethylene
THERMAL CRACKING PROCESS
(VIA COMBUSTION CHAMBER)
Natural N-
Water
Gas methylpyrrolidi
scrubbing none scrubbing
preheating
Oxygen
injection Combustio
Cooling
and n process
mixing
Self-
ignition
Diffusion Separation
and
flaming
STORAGE AND HANDLING
Because acetylene is highly explosive, it must
be stored and handled with great care.

When it is transported through pipelines, the

pressure is kept very low and the length of
the pipeline is very short
In most chemical production operations, the
acetylene is transported only as far as an
adjacent plant ("over the fence" as they say in
the chemical processing business)
STORAGE AND HANDLING
When acetylene must be pressurized and stored for
use in oxy-acetylene welding and metal cutting
operations, special storage cylinders are used. The
cylinders are filled with an absorbent material, like
diatomaceous earth, and a small amount of acetone.
The acetylene is pumped into the cylinders at a
pressure of about 300 psi (2,070 kPa), where it is
dissolved in the acetone. Once dissolved, it loses its
explosive capability, making it safe to transport.
When the cylinder valve is opened, the pressure drop
causes some of the acetylene to vaporize into gas
again and flow through the connecting hose to the
welding or cutting torch.
MARKET PLAYERS
NITROGEN
BACKGROUND

Nitrogen gas (N2) is a colorless,

odorless gas which makes up roughly
78% of the earth’s atmosphere.
It is used in industry as a simple
asphyxiant with inerting quality making
it useful in many applications where
oxidation is not desired.
BACKGROUND
Nitrogen has two main uses: cooling and as an
inert atmosphere.

As liquid nitrogen it is used for cooling in

many industrial processes and in the food
industry.
As gaseous nitrogen it is used to form an inert
blanket over substances that would otherwise
be oxidized by the air.
BACKGROUND
It is also used in controlling pollution.

It is effective in getting rid of unstable organic compounds in

liquids. Many industries use it to destroy toxic liquids and
vapors in industrial tools.

As nitrogen dioxide, the element is vital in the industrial

sector. It also serves as an oxidation reaction catalyst.

Apart from being an oxidizing agent, it can also be used as a

flour bleaching agent and rocket fuel.
DISCOVERY

• Nitrogen is first isolated

but scientists were aware
1772 of it long before that time
APPLICATIONS
Automotive
&
Aerospace
Transportati Chemicals
& Aircraft
on
Equipment

Food &
Energy Healthcare
Beverage
APPLICATIONS
Pharmaceut
Metal ical &
Refining
Production Biotechnolo
gy

Welding &
Biological
Metal
role
Fabrication
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Fractional
Distillation
(99.99%) Polymeric
Process Membrane
(90-99.9%)
Mechanical
means Pressure
Swing
Adsorption
(99-99.99%)
FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION
POLYMERIC MEMBRANE
PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION
(PSA) is a technology
used to separate some
gas species from a
mixture of gases under
pressure.
MARKET PLAYERS
OXYGEN
BACKGROUND

Oxygen is one of the basic

chemical elements

In its most common form, oxygen

is a colorless gas found in air.
BACKGROUND
Used in many industrial, commercial, medical,
and scientific applications.

Oxygen and acetylene are combusted together to

provide the very high temperatures needed for
welding and metal cutting.

When cooled below -297°F (-183°C), it becomes a

pale blue liquid that is used as a rocket fuel.
BACKGROUND

Oxygen is one of the most abundant

chemical elements on Earth.

About one-half of the earth's crust is

made up of chemical compounds containing
oxygen, and a fifth of our atmosphere is
oxygen gas. The human body is about two-
thirds oxygen.
HISTORY

Afte
177 189 190 192 192 r 199
4 5 1 3 6 WW 1
I
HISTORY
• Joseph Priestley of England isolated it by heating
mercuric oxide in an inverted test tube with the
1774 focused rays of the sun.

• French scientist Antoine Lavoisier, who

experimented further and determined that it was one
- of the two main components of air

• Lavoisier named the new gas oxygen using the Greek

words oxys, meaning sour or acid,
and genes, meaning producing or forming, because he
- believed it was an essential part of all acids
HISTORY
• Karl Paul Gottfried von Linde of Germany and
William Hampson of England independently developed a
process
1895 for lowering the temperature of air until it liquefied*

• Compressed oxygen gas was burned with acetylene gas in

the first demonstration of oxy-acetylene welding. This
technique became a common industrial method of welding and
1901 cutting metals

• The first use of liquid rocket propellants came when

Robert Goddard of the United States developed a
rocket engine using gasoline as the fuel and liquid
1923 oxygen
as the oxidizer
HISTORY
• Goddard successfully flew a small liquid-fueled
rocket a distance of 184 ft (56 m) at a speed of
1926 about 60 mph

• New technologies brought significant improvements

to the air separation process used to produce
After oxygen. Production volumes and purity levels
WWI increased while costs decreased
• Over 470 billion cubic feet (13.4 billion cubic meters)
of oxygen were produced in the United States,
1991 making it the second-largest-volume industrial gas
in use
WORLD’S LARGEST
OXYGEN-PRODUCING AREAS
Wester
n United
Japan
Europ States
e
Easter
n
Russia Europ
e
APPLICATIONS

• Used • Used for producing

energy in
• Liquid • Ammonia
extensively in generators, ships oxygen is
oxy-hydrogen and various ,
used for
and oxy- industrial
processes (e.g. burning of
alcohols,
acetylene
blow torches *
Welding,
Steel making)
spacecraft and
• Used in cars and Production
of various
cutting and fuels
Energy
airplanes Spacecraft
melting
metals plastics
chemicals
RAW MATERIALS

Plants (via Water (via Air (via separation Compounds

photosynthesis) hydrolysis) processes) containing O
(via chem rxn)
MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Cryogenic Vacuum swing

Distillation adsorption
process (1895) (recent)
Used for a
limited
Commonly number of
used Produces The more applications
oxygen that energy- that do not
to produce is 99+% efficient require
commercial pure process oxygen with
oxygen more than
90-93%
purity
CRYOGENIC DISTILLATION PROCESS

Separati Purifyin Distribu

Pretreating
ng g ting
CRYOGENIC DISTILLATION PROCESS
(CDP)

Pretreating
All impurities that might
solidify—such as water
vapor, carbon dioxide, and
Needed because CDP
certain heavy
utilizes an extremely cold
hydrocarbons—must first
cryogenic section to
be removed to prevent
separate the air
them from freezing and
plugging the cryogenic
piping.
CRYOGENIC DISTILLATION PROCESS

Separating In the fractional distillation

process, the components
Air is separated into its
are gradually separated in
major components—
several stages. At each
nitrogen, oxygen, and argon
stage the level of
—through a distillation
concentration, or fraction,
process known as fractional
of each component is
distillation 
increased until the
separation is complete *
CRYOGENIC DISTILLATION PROCESS

Purifying
Newer cryogenic
distillation units are
The oxygen at the designed to recover
bottom of the low- more of the argon from
pressure column is the low-pressure
about 99.5% pure. column, and this
improves the oxygen
purity to about 99.8%.
CRYOGENIC DISTILLATION PROCESS

Distributing
The gas is compressed to
About 80-90% of the about 500 psi and flows
oxygen produced in the US through pipes that are 4-12
is distributed to the end in diameter. Most of the
users in gas pipelines from remaining oxygen is
nearby air separation distributed in insulated tank
plants* trailers or railroad tank cars
as liquid oxygen
MARKET PLAYERS
SOURCES:
"Interesting facts about
nitrogen element - World
Austin, George T. Shreves
Of Chemicals." 10 major
Chemical process
nitrogen industrial
industries. New Delhi:
applications | nitrogen
Tata McGraw-Hill, 2012.
industrial production
Print.
methods. N.p., n.d. Web.
18 June 2017

"Acetylene." How "Oxygen." How Products

Products Are Made. N.p., Are Made. N.p., n.d. Web.
n.d. Web. 12 June 2017. 16 June 2017.