Metals Production

For many years, engineers have relied on process mass spectrometers to analyze, calculate and control various steel and aluminum manufacturing processes. Metal production and processing applications such as Basic Oxygen Process (BOP), Blast Furnace analysis, Gas Mixing stations, Vacuum Oxygen Decarburization (VOD) batch processing, Heat Treating processes and Metal Coating processes benefit from the accuracy and speed of online process analyzers. Today, Extrel’s MAX300-IG™ Industrial Gas Analyzers are in use in steel production and aluminum processing plants worldwide.

A few of the advantages of our systems include:

• Real-time fast analysis of gas compositions at multiple points
• Analysis enabling precise air control, optimizing ore reduction
• Allows the user to calculate and control the amount of carbon remaining in a product
• Allows the user to calculate the rate of decarburization and identify the endpoint of the VOD processes
• Detection levels for contaminant compounds in coating and specialty metal processes at the parts per million (ppm) level

Extrel has been producing quadrupole mass spectrometers for over 45 years. We work closely with our customers to understand their obstacles involving their applications. Our expertise in developing the specific products our customers need has established our reputation as the world’s leading supplier of gas analysis systems, mass spectrometers and components.

Extrel supports a variety of industry standards and communications including Ethernet, Bi-directional Modbus, RTU or TCP/IP, OPC, Analog and Digital outputs and custom communications.

Process mass spectrometry has been used for decades to improve the Basic Oxygen Process (BOP) and successfully produce high quality stainless steel. Process Engineers rely on the BOP to calculate and control the amount of carbon that remains in the liquid metal batch. The BOP uses oxygen to burn excess carbon, converting it to carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. The percentage of eliminated carbon is calculated using measured concentrations of the carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and the gas flow rates. Since the gas flows extremely fast, calculations need to be made as quickly as possible.

Extrel’s MAX300-IG™ Industrial Gas Analyzer has the speed and precision to deliver the required data measuring the full stream composition of the exhaust gas stream within 1.5 seconds.

For nearly 35 years, Extrel has produced process mass spectrometers for industrial applications with the reliability and performance needed for demanding applications in the toughest environments.

Today’s steel manufacturing plants produce more than just steel; they have the ability to create usable fuel gas for their processes. During many of the steel processing phases, the spent gas streams containing various levels of combustible gases can be burned to create usable fuel. However, to ensure a quality fuel gas, it is important to know more than just the BTU value. The exact composition of the combustible components is crucial for process control.

Because these streams are recycled process streams, compositions vary greatly. Various waste streams and makeup gases are mixed at a Gas Mixing Station to ensure a good quality fuel. Because the Extrel Mass Spectrometer determines the exact component composition, engineers have come to rely on Extrel’s MAX300 Series Mass Spectrometers in the gas mixing application. The Extrel MAX300-IG™ Industrial Gas Analyzer has advanced software capabilities such as derived values that perform the basic calculation for the fuel streams.

Since the gas throughput at the gas mixing station is very high, a full composition analysis in just a few seconds is critical. The MAX300 Series are capable of analyzing multiple streams with an analysis time of less than 10 seconds per stream. Extrel’s next generation designs of the inlet, ionizer and filament assembly extend the filament life and reduce system downtime and analyzer maintenance.