Minco Pipe (MPI) supplies the metals and mining industries with exothermic cutting products, castings and other items for ferrous and non-ferrous metal applications. Our range of many services and products includes burning bars, mag rods, therm rods, ceramic-coated and black oxygen lance pipes, burning bars and oxygen lane holders, ferrous and non-ferrous castings, iron plugs, oxygen probes, and thermocouples.
Burning bars for the mining industry
Burning bars are tubing or pipe filled with special wires. The burning bars are attached to a high-pressure oxygen source, ignited and maintain a sustained tip temperature of 2,600ºC to 4,300ºC.
Burning bars are ideal for quarrying applications, burning holes to set charges, cutting ferrous or non-ferrous materials and ores, tapping heats, cutting heavy scrap, cutting armor plate, demolition, and many other mining and smelting applications. Burning bars are used to cut nearly any material quickly and efficiently. Many sizes are available but a typical size burning bar is 17.1mm (outside diameter) by 3m.
ThermRods for mining equipment repair
ThermRods are small burning bars, typically 6mm to 10mm (diameter) by 0.6m to 1.5m (length), filled with a combination of tubes and wires. ThermRods are available in plain-end and quick-coupled end variations.
Exothermic ThermRods from Minco Pipe are ideal for precision cutting of nearly all ferrous and nonferrous materials. Stainless, copper, ceramics and concrete are just some of the difficult materials ThermRods can quickly cut through.
ThermRods come in different lengths, making hard to reach locations easily accessible. Some of the many uses of this versatile product are: removing pins from equipment, bolts, bolt heads and hinges, as well as cutting chains and locks, even piecrcing thick or thin materials. ThermRods make the job quicker and easier – they are your cutting Solution.
ThermRods are ignited by touching the ThermRod to the MPI striker plate that is attached to a 12 volt battery. Oxygen flow depends upon the size of the ThermRod being used (see sketch to the right)..
MPI also provides ThermRod kits for convenience (see images to the right) For more detailed information regarding ThermRods and ThermRod kits, please visit our website.
Exothermic oxygen lance pipes
MPI’s oxygen lance pipe is a hollow electric-welded tube available in various sizes, from 10.3mm to 50mm (inside diameter) and up to 6.4m (length). Oxygen lance pipes are used for cleaning slag spills, furnace maintenance and injecting oxygen or other materials into furnaces or ladles. Oxygen lancing is a reliable and economical means for tapping furnaces or other production operations.
Burning bar and oxygen lance holders
"Lever action" MPI holders are available for any size of burning bar and lance pipe. The holders eliminate the requirement for threaded pipe. Heat and splatter shields, ball valves and oxygen hoses are available.
Ceramic-coated pipes for molten metal applications
MPI’s ceramic-coated pipe (CCP) is a carbon steel pipe with multiple, thin layers of ceramic coating both exteriorly and interiorly. The ceramic coating is resistant to slag attack and extends the life of the pipe when it is immersed into molten metal or in high temperature atmospheres. The CCP applications include powder injections, tap-hole cleaning and opening nozzles in ladles, tundishes and launders.
CCP was developed to increase the lance life beyond conventional calorized or black pipes. Due to MPI’s innovative methods of refractory deposition for interior and exterior coatings, CCP provides unequaled lance life at lower cost. A special ceramic coating has been developed for copper smelter applications.
Gas-injecting CCP for electric furnaces
CCP is used to inject oxygen or other gases into the submerged electric furnaces. The pipe provides a much longer life in the high-temperature furnace environment than previously used stainless-steel pipes. Using CCP to inject gas in submerged electric furnaces reduces costs and downtime for smelter production.
Some of the various uses of MPI’s CCP include the following:
- Cutting scrap, raising bath temperatures and decarburizing
- Opening nozzles in tundishes and ladles
- Injecting carbon and other powders into the electric furnace and ladle
- Opening the iron notch of a blast furnace
- Injecting argon into ladles
- Injecting argon and oxygen into the aod
- Injecting flux for degassing in aluminum melting furnaces