Steel, an alloy of iron and carbon (up to 2% of weight), is one of the most widely used construction materials. It is produced by Basic Oxygen Steelmaking (BOS) in a converter : oxygen is blown to form carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) with the carbon excess of molten pig iron. Other chemical elements (such as nitrogen) that may decrease the efficiency of furnace are also removed. Finally, oxygen is replaced by an inert gas (Ar) to minimize the oxidation.
Mass Spectrometers are used in metallurgy to determine the composition of the main components involved in steelmaking (CO2, CO, O2, H2, N2 and Ar) at any time to optimize the energy consumption and improve the quality of the final product, delivering a very fast ROI. Its robust integration is resistant to dust and aggressive environments.
