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Assist/Cutting Gases

Many industries can benefit from Air Products' assist and cutting gases. They can improve quality, optimize performance, and reduce costs. Our experienced applications teams across the globe use their knowledge of your industry and application to provide you with a supply of assist and cutting gases and a technology solution to meet your unique needs. The table below has more detailed information on our range of assist and cutting gases.

Americas
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Asia
Europe/Middle East/Africa
Product NameDescription/BenefitsDownloads

Air

Air cutting was introduced in the early 1960s for improved cut quality on mild steel.

Argon

Argon can be used for laser fusion cutting. The material is melted by the laser beam and flushed out by a nonreactive gas stream—in most cases nitrogen, but sometimes argon is used.

Nitrogen

Laser fusion cutting has been introduced into production within recent years. The material is melted by the laser beam and flushed out by a nonreactive gas stream – in most cases nitrogen, though sometimes argon.

Plasma cutting with pure Nitrogen is a strictly “thermal” process usually used on non-ferrous materials. On carbon steel using nitrogen as the plasma gas more dross is prevalent and nitriding or hardening of the cut edge is common.

Oxygen

In the preheat flame, a fuel gas burns in oxygen, generating heat. The flame consists of an outer and an inner combustion zone. The main purpose of the preheat flame in most flame processes is to achieve rapid, local heating. This imposes requirements on the combustion properties of the gas that is used. In cutting, it is not the preheat flame in itself that performs the cutting operation, but rather an oxygen jet. This oxygen jet oxidizes the metal, with the evolution of heat, and expels the combustion products (the slag) from the kerf. The purpose of the preheat flame is to heat the metal to the ignition temperature, sustain the cutting process and support the cutting oxygen jet.