In 2023, the iron and steel industry underwent a series of significant transformations, marking world continuous innovations and adjustments in the sector. These events not only reflect the dynamic changes within the industry but also highlight the efforts of global steel companies to enhance production efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

Industrial VPSA (vacuum pressure swing adsorption) oxygen generation equipment plays a crucial role in short-process electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking. VPSA oxygen equipment can economically and efficiently provide enriched oxygen, increasing the internal temperature of the EAF, accelerating the melting process, and thereby significantly improving steelmaking efficiency. Additionally, it helps to reduce fuel consumption, lower energy costs and decrease emissions of CO2 and other harmful gases, supporting environmental goals. Furthermore, the introduction of oxygen promotes slag formation, effectively removing impurities from the molten steel, thus enhancing the steel purity and quality. The application of VPSA oxygen units makes the steelmaking process more flexible and controllable, better meeting the production demands of various types of steel products.

In January 2024, the VPSA oxygen-generating unit (26,700Nm3/h, 90%) designed and built by PKU Pioneer for Maanshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. (Ma Steel) passed the factory acceptance tests as the second large VPSA oxygen system PKU Pioneer undertook for China Baowu Group after the previous VPSA oxygen generation unit (22,222m3/hr, 90%) for Meishan Iron and Steel. The oxygen equipment provides low-cost oxygen gas for Ma Steel's oxygen-enriched ironmaking.

Different from large-scale VPSA oxygen plants, the SPOX oxygen generator is equipped with the blower-pump integrated unit in place of the independent blower and vacuum pump, and a single adsorption tower instead of two or more. PKU Pioneer's containerized SPOX oxygen-generating system generates 50~500Nm³/h oxygen gas, with a purity of up to 93%.

As a leading #VPSA and PSA oxygen equipment brand for 25 years, nearly 30 VPSA oxygen plant projects have proved PKU Pioneer’s high expertise and rich engineering experience in VPSA and #PSA air separation. PKU Pioneer fully understands the needs of glass manufacturers by providing economical, efficient, and stable oxygen generation systems for uninterrupted glass production lines, ensuring the safe and smooth operation of glass manufacturing.

The fluctuation in lithium resource prices has a direct impact on the production and application of various lithium-related products. Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) oxygen generation technology utilizes adsorbents to selectively adsorb gas components, with lithium-based adsorbent being a crucial role. The decrease in lithium prices directly reduces the raw material costs in the production process, thereby lowering the overall costs of VPSA and PSA oxygen generation equipment. The unit price of lithium carbonate has decreased from a peak of ¥600,000/t to the current ¥100,000/t, a decrease of over 80%. The total price of VPSA oxygen equipment can decrease by approximately ¥200,000 to ¥800,000 depending on different models.