Safe to Work Nitrogen Article | Pulford Air & Gas

Compressed air for mining applications

Company News | 14-Jan-2019

Below we share a snippet from the Safe to Work article written by Vanessa Zhou, that featured in the Australian Mining Safe to Work magazine.

As the creation and development of infrastructure takes centre stage, the mining and construction industries are expected to witness significant growth in the next few years.

This is exciting news for Australia in particular, where mining and resources have been relatively stagnant up until two years ago.

For the compressed air industry, this will translate into a drastic increase in demand, according to Pulford Air and Gas.

Safe and accurate laser cutting

Stainless steel is a common find in the mining industry. Not only is it easily fabricated, inexpensive and light compared to other materials of a similar strength it is also corrosion resistant, durable and easy to clean.

It is used in a wide variety of application, including boilers, pumps, heat exchangers, pipes and structural components, among others.

The smooth hard surface is good for wet environments too, according to Pulford. It is no secret that machinery in the mining industry need to be tough to withstand hard environments and intense mechanical standards, but equally important is the safety of these products.

Nitrogen is safe to use in mining applications. Nitrogen is non-flammable. Nitrogen is also non-reactive in general, so it doesn’t support the combustion of other materials. In addition to the safety aspect, mining companies can look forward to precision. Using nitrogen for laser cutting enhances the quality of the cut on the material being used.

From mild steel to stainless steel, nitrogen prevents oxidation of the cut surface. This allows for better application of paint and surface coating to the end of the cut steel. Nitrogen is also better for cutting aluminium and zinc-coated galvanised sheets as its reduces dross.

Using Pulford Air and Gas on site nitrogen generation technology reduces the total cost of laser cutting with nitrogen.

It delivers no delivery fees for the mining user, as well as no running out of gas in the middle of an important job.

According Pulford Air and Gas, the on-site generation of nitrogen also provides better manufacturing cost control for the user.

Preventing tyre fires

Click here to read the full article on the Australian Mining Safe to Work website.