An oxygen lance is used to cut or melt thick steel by directing pressurized oxygen onto a preheated area, causing an oxidation and melting reaction. It consists of an alloy steel tube, oxyacetylene torch, and fire safety equipment. The cutting process involves heating the steel with the torch and applying the oxygen lance. The device is efficient for cutting thick materials and cannot be used for thermal cutting.
An oxygen lance is a device used to melt or cut steel too thick to be cut with a conventional oxyacetylene torch by using a long tube or pipe of alloyed steel to feed oxygen under pressure into a preheated area. The oxygen lance performs this cutting action by causing an oxidation and melting reaction in a preheated area of the material to be cut by directing the oxygen jet onto it. The flow of oxygen then blows this area of molten steel away to form a cut. Steel and cast iron up to eight feet (about 240 cm) thick can be melted using an oxygen lance, which is not possible with a conventional cutting attachment.
The typical oxygen lance is a very simple device consisting of an alloy steel tube with an inside diameter of 0.15 to 0.25 inch (about 3 to 6 mm), a specially designed long-range oxyacetylene torch, a capable of providing a constant flow of 40-50 PSI (2.7-3.5 bar) to the lance and adequate fire safety equipment. The lance tube itself should be as long as possible as it is constantly being worn down during the cutting process and should keep the operator a safe distance from the cutting area.
The cutting procedure is also quite simple considering the thickness of the material it is melting. The edge of the steel section is heated with an oxyacetylene torch to a bright cherry red and then the tip of the oxygen lance is applied to this area. The flow of pressurized oxygen causes a vigorous oxidation reaction on the steel surface which, in turn, causes a localized temperature spike sufficient to melt the material. The oxygen jet also serves to blow away this molten material by creating a channel or cutting through the steel. This process creates an impressive shower of sparks over a considerable distance, so care must be taken to ensure workers and equipment are kept away from the cutting area.
If the material to be cut is of nominal thickness, the oxyacetylene torch can be removed after the cutting process has started. In the case of thicker materials, the torch must be used to constantly maintain a preheated area of material prior to the oxygen lance. During operation, the lance tube will be consumed by the intense heat at the point of cut and should be discarded once it becomes too short to use safely.
These characteristics of the oxygen lance make it a particularly efficient and economical method for cutting steel and cast iron materials too thick to be cut with a normal oxy-acetylene torch. The oxygen lance, however, should not be confused with a thermal or thermal lance. That device works on a similar principle but uses a bundle of iron and magnesium rods inside the lance tube to create a self-sustaining and extremely hot cutting flame.
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