Hydrogen  [ Return towards  Gases  ]

• Iron & Steel making

Hydrogen is used for heat treatment atmospheres in cold-rolling mills and hot-dip galvanizing lines. It is also used for reduced iron production.

• Non ferrous metallurgy

Hydrogen provides a reliable source of reducing agent :

Used instead of other reductants such as FeSi or coke, it allows a fast cleaning of slag by reducing magnetite (Fe3O4) and a recovering of metal content while reducing pollution problems associated with FeSi
It is used to reduce alumina (aluminium oxide) to make pure molten aluminium
Hydrogen can also be used in the production of magnesium by electrowinning to convert the chlorine produced in the cell into hydrochloride acid
Hydrogen and nitrogen can be used in a duplex gas process which permits a high density low oxygen content copper to be obtained :

Pure hydrogen is injected into the molten bath through porous refractory plugs to remove dissolved oxygen from liquid copper
Subsequent injection of nitrogen is then used to scavenge the metal of any remaining hydrogen in copper alloys