As the global energy structure accelerates its shift toward low-carbon alternatives, the requirements for industrial gas purity, supply stability, and process adaptability have become significantly more stringent in new energy manufacturing. Oxygen, once considered a supporting utility, is now a core process medium. Industrial oxygen generation equipment - particularly Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) and cryogenic air separation units - is increasingly deployed in lithium battery material production, photovoltaic glass melting, hydrogen production, and related fields. Shenger Gas focuses on industrial separation technologies. The following discussion outlines how oxygen generation equipment adds practical value in new energy applications.
Lithium Battery Cathode Material Sintering: The Need for Controlled Oxygen Atmosphere
During high-temperature sintering of cathode materials such as lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM), the oxygen concentration inside the furnace directly affects crystallinity and cycle life. When oxygen levels fall below the required threshold, lattice defects increase, and the initial coulombic efficiency drops.
Industrial oxygen generators can continuously supply oxygen-enriched air (90–95% purity) or industrial-grade oxygen (99.5% or higher) to roller kilns and pusher kilns. Compared with liquid oxygen tank supply, on-site oxygen generation eliminates cylinder replacement and reduces evaporative losses. The output pressure is stable in the range of 0.3–0.6 MPa, matching typical kiln inlet requirements. A PSA oxygen system with a capacity of 50 Nm³/h can reliably support a cathode material production line with an annual output of approximately 10,000 metric tons.
Photovoltaic Glass Melting: Oxygen Supply for Oxy-Fuel Combustion
In photovoltaic (PV) float glass production, melting temperatures often exceed 1500°C. Conventional air-fuel combustion allows nearly 78% of nitrogen to carry heat away without participating in the reaction, while also generating nitrogen oxides. Switching to oxy-fuel combustion raises the flame temperature, increases melting efficiency, and shortens the fining stage of the glass melt.
Oxygen generators supply 90–93% oxygen-enriched air to the furnace. With staged oxygen injection control, fuel consumption can be reduced by 15–25%, and NOx emissions drop to levels that meet environmental standards. Glass melting requires continuous, large-volume oxygen with small short-term fluctuations. Centrifugal or large PSA oxygen systems with a buffer tank are better suited to handle pressure variations during valve switching.
Green Hydrogen Production and Fuel Cell Testing: Oxygen Recovery from Electrolysis
In water electrolysis for hydrogen production, oxygen is generated as a co-product at the anode. In alkaline or PEM electrolyzers, the byproduct oxygen typically reaches 99.2% purity or higher, with only minor traces of alkali mist or moisture. After washing and drying, this oxygen can be used directly for wastewater aeration or metal cutting in nearby facilities, creating an additional revenue stream from what is often vented.
Fuel cell R&D test benches require precise control of cathode inlet oxygen concentration. Small PSA oxygen generators or oxygen-nitrogen mixing systems allow engineers to simulate different altitudes and air stoichiometries. For test-grade applications, the oxygen dew point must be below -60°C, and the system must respond quickly to changes in flow demand.
Thermal Treatment of Spent Lithium Batteries: Oxygen-Enriched Pyrolysis for Metal Recovery
After crushing and sorting spent lithium batteries, the remaining electrode powder contains binders and separators that need to be removed via pyrolysis. Under an oxygen-enriched atmosphere (30–40% oxygen), low-temperature pyrolysis achieves more complete oxidation of organics while reducing the tendency to form dioxins. In the subsequent smelting stage for copper, aluminum, cobalt, and nickel, oxygen lancing enhances bath agitation and shortens the melting cycle.
Containerized or skid-mounted oxygen generators work well at on-site recycling facilities. They require less than 20 square meters of floor space and only electrical and water connections - no safety assessments or permits associated with liquid oxygen storage tanks.
Key Selection Criteria for Industrial Oxygen Generators (for New Energy Plants)
New energy production lines are typically located in industrial parks where high uptime and unattended operation are expected. Key factors to evaluate include:
- Purity matching: If the process requires ≥99.5% oxygen (e.g., certain sintering steps), a cryogenic or two-stage PSA system is preferred. For processes where 93% purity is sufficient, single-stage PSA offers better economy.
- Dew point control: For long pipe runs or environments with large temperature swings, a refrigerated or desiccant dryer should be added to prevent liquid water from reaching high-temperature reactors.
- Power consumption: PSA consumes approximately 0.35–0.45 kWh per Nm³ of oxygen produced. Cryogenic systems consume 0.55–0.70 kWh/Nm³ (including air compression and fractionation). For large-scale use (≥500 Nm³/h), the total cost of ownership for cryogenic may be lower.
- Redundancy strategy: For processes where oxygen interruption is unacceptable, an N+1 unit configuration or a backup liquid oxygen tank should be considered.
Industry Trends and Equipment Upgrades
New energy manufacturing processes continue to evolve. For example, sodium-ion battery cathode sintering requires a narrower oxygen concentration window (tolerance within ±0.5%), placing higher demands on generator stability. Meanwhile, as green hydrogen projects scale up, utilizing byproduct oxygen from electrolysis is shifting from an option to a necessity - a 1,000-ton-per-year hydrogen facility produces roughly 8,000 tons of oxygen annually. Venting that oxygen represents a significant resource loss.
Future industrial oxygen generation equipment will move toward modular design, lower energy consumption, and intelligent control. Examples include radial adsorption beds to reduce flow resistance, AI-based models to adjust cycle timing in response to demand fluctuations, and IoT diagnostics for valve switching abnormalities. These improvements address the core requirements of new energy manufacturing: stability, cleanliness, and controllability.
