Praxair China will build a nitrogen plant and integrate its patented direct-injection technology at Marcegaglia’s new steel-tube mill in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, under a 15-year agreement.
The mill will produce 350,000 tonnes per year of stainless, carbon precision, and cold drawn steel tubes used in the construction, appliance, engineering-component, and energy markets.
Phase 1 of the project is scheduled to start up in June 2010, and Phase 2 in 2011.
Praxair’s plant will have a capacity of about 100 tonnes per day of nitrogen. The company’s direct-injection technology—which is currently operating at a Marcegaglia mill in Italy—uses the nitrogen, together with fuel gas, to generate a precise atmosphere during the heat-treating phase of steel production, reportedly resulting in enhanced product quality.
“This project demonstrates how Praxair is able to transfer world-class technology around the globe for the benefit of our customers,” said Joe Cappello, President of Praxair Asia.
Marcegaglia SpA, a privately held company based in Montova, Italy, is a leading global steel processor with an annual output of 5.3 million tonnes and sales of $6 billion.
Praxair (China) Investment Co., Ltd., headquartered in Shanghai, is a leading industrial gas provider in China. It has 18 wholly owned companies, 10 joint ventures, and more than 1200 employees in the country.
Praxair, Inc. is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2008 sales of $10.8 billion. The company produces, sells, and distributes atmospheric, process, and specialty gases, and high-performance surface coatings. Praxair products, services, and technologies are used in a variety of industries, including aerospace, chemicals, food and beverage, electronics, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, and metals.