At the request of a food manufacturer that was dissatisfied with the cooling performance of its pelletizer, Messer specialists conducted an audit in 2020. The intensive investigation of the nitrogen lines revealed that some sections of the pipeline were not insulated and that the vacuum insulation was damaged at other points. Both problems were eliminated and the gas supply system was also equipped with a subcooler. It ensures that the nitrogen remains in a liquid state on its way to the pelletizer. Successes of the measures: up to 20 percent lower nitrogen consumption, a stabilized production process, and a significant reduction in energy consumption.

Industrial power lines must provide a great deal of electrical power, however, part of which is lost due to electrical resistance. Superconductors that conduct electricity without losses solve this problem. The prerequisite for this is a very low operating temperature. In the context of the DEMO200 project, a superconducting busbar system is being developed for series production. For DEMO200’s pilot project, which started in 2020, Messer developed a new technical approach for cooling the busbar: to reach the required operating temperature of minus 206 degrees Celsius, the minus 196 degree liquid nitrogen is further “subcooled.” For this purpose, it is fed into a vacuum-insulated tank where expansion under negative pressure cools it down to minus 209 degrees Celsius.

Together with twelve other partners from five European countries, the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSICHT is carrying out the EU project “TO-SYN-FUEL.” It is designed to show how thermo catalytic reforming (TCR) can be used to convert organic waste – in this case, sewage sludge – into biofuels, green hydrogen and biochar. In 2020, a demonstration unit went into operation. It converts 500 kilograms per hour of dried sewage sludge into about 50 liters of standard-grade gasoline and diesel. Messer in Germany supported the project with regard to the technical layout along with the specification and design of the hydrogen tank.

For ten years now, Messer and Spreelast have been working together intensively – originally on the development of a process for pulverizing rubber granulate. Along with the required hardware for testing, Messer also supplied the nitrogen used in the pulverization process. The continuous development of the process helped Spreelast further increase its production capacities.

Messer in Spain developed and operates the most important pipeline system for industrial gases on the Iberian Peninsula. Located at the Tarragona chemical complex, it ensures the sustainable, flexible and reliable supply of nitrogen and oxygen to major customers of the chemical and petrochemical industry. The plants connected to this system operate very energy-efficiently. The air separation units of Messer in Spain have an energy management system that has been certified according to ISO 50001 since 2012. Messer was one of the first companies in Catalonia to obtain that certification.

To avoid hardening and cracks and ensure optimal bonds between weld seams and base material when welding large forged parts, it is important to keep temperature differences under control. That’s why the workpieces are preheated before welding. To shorten the preheating and make it more efficient, specialists from Messer and Messer Cutting Systems conducted a series of tests on the ovens of the Austrian manufacturer Potoschnigg. This led to an optimized burner constellation. The ovens are also no longer fired by propane with compressed air, but rather with a propane-oxygen mixture only. Since the oven conversion in February 2020, the resulting 30 to 45-minute shorter heat-up time has enabled significantly more efficient use of the units.

The textile manufacturer Tekstina has been procuring carbon dioxide from Messer to neutralize its wastewater since 2020. As part of its manufacturing operations, the company mercerizes cotton fabrics with a caustic soda solution. This causes the fibers to swell and gives them a silk-like, wash-resistant sheen, while also making them stronger and more shrink-resistant. The wastewater from this process is alkaline and used to be neutralized with sulfuric acid. The use of CO₂ now makes this stage of the process more efficient and environmentally friendly.

Zakłady Górniczo-Hutnicze “Bolesław” S.A (ZGH) produces electrolytic zinc and various zinc alloys. The wastewater streams that the operation generates, which vary in quality over an extremely wide range, must be collected and neutralized. Although the iron sulfate previously used to treat them did achieve the primary purpose of pH adjustment, it was highly objectionable from an environmental engineering perspective. In 2020, based on a comprehensive test series, Messer was able to convince ZGH of the advantages of neutralization with carbon dioxide. The chemicals typically used in the industry are no longer needed.

To meet the US Environmental Protection Agency’s wastewater discharge requirements and wastewater guidelines, Messer offers NEUTRA water treatment solutions to its customers from the pulp and paper industry. A large quantity of water is used to wash the pulp. Carbon dioxide – supplied by NEUTRA injectors and control systems – forms carbonic acid dissolved in a liquid, which can be handled with greater safety and reliability and can be specifically used to lower the pH of the pulp. This reduces the fiber length of the pulp as well as the quantity of water required and requires fewer chemicals. The customer also benefits from reduced contaminants and wastewater quantity.

The CRYOCONTROL Fluid Temperature Control (FTC) system for chemical processing operations and oil and gas processing operations uses the cooling effect of liquid nitrogen to condense waste stream components (volatile organic compounds, for example) into separate streams. The components can be collected in this way for reuse or to reduce disposal costs. Cryogenic nitrogen enables the users to reach lower temperatures, in order to cost-effectively capture a greater variety of organic compounds. Moreover, the CRYOCONTROL FTC system needs no secondary heat transfer media, such as CFCs or ammonia, which are used in mechanical cooling systems.

With the start of infrastructure projects in the USA, the demand for cement is also increasing. With Messer’s OXIBOOST lances for oxygen enrichment of air burners in a cement kiln, cement manufacturers can use alternative fuels (bio-based fuels) in place of oil-based fuels. Combustion with oxygen produces a higher flame temperature than combustion with air. That higher temperature makes it possible to supply more combustion heat to the cement production than is discharged from the chimney of the cement kiln, which in turn raises the overall efficiency of the operation. This process increases the efficiency of carbon fuel utilization and helps cement manufacturers meet or exceed the Low Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS) in states such as California. The companies that use it benefit from reduced CO₂ emissions and lower fuel costs and can collect carbon credits or avoid new carbon taxes.  

To adjust the pH of the fabric surface in an environmentally sound way, Messer implemented CO₂ neutralization in the textile dyeing process at Mizuda. The process uses carbon dioxide in lieu of the previously used acetic acid, thereby offering several benefits, including: good neutralization effect; no corrosion of the dyeing machinery; better neutralization stability and, therefore, improved product quality; lower operating costs; and significantly reduced water consumption. In view of the good results, all seven dyeing lines at Mizuda were converted. Four other Chinese textile printing and textile dyeing companies have also successfully implemented this application, which we continuously support.

To improve the water quality and increase the yield of its shrimp farming operations, Charoen Pokphand Group uses liquid oxygen from Messer. The oxygen injection process was tailored to the customer’s needs and initially installed at two locations in 2020. In the future, it will be implemented at all of their shrimp farms in southern Thailand. The animals benefit from oxygen injection when they spawn and hatch. In addition, the gas is used when transporting the live shrimp in tanks, where it replaces air injection from compressors.

With its webinars, the Messer Innovation Forum has become an established continuing education vehicle for application engineering at Messer. Whereas just over 1,000 people participated in 2019, we registered more than 2,600 participants in more than 164 webinars in 2020, 26 of which were external with 430 interested parties. Topics ranged across the full spectrum, including areas such as food, metallurgy, welding and cutting, industry and chemistry/environment. The platform was used by the national subsidiaries and also by ASCO. The first external webinars with our customers were also held. We plan to continue this success story with a new layout and new technology in the near future. Today we already know that our webinars are becoming an integral part of our team’s training and promoting the acquisition of new customers.

Our digital magazine “Gases for Life” is a source of timely information for both professionally oriented target groups and people with a general interest in the world of industrial gases. The magazine is published three times a year in English, German, Spanish and Czech. In 2020, we received a total of 2,056 responses to content presented in the magazine.