Oxygen is one of the vital support systems, without it life wouldn't have been possible. If the living species are alive it is because of oxygen. Production of oxygen is backed by a natural process maintained and ensured by plants. 

Not only is this, but the use of oxygen quite versatile in itself. It acts as a life support system for patients in need of it and also required in the treatment of many diseases. In the industrial sector it finds amazing uses like in the production of steel and plastics. Apart from all of this oxygen is an essential commodity when we talk about aircrafts and submarines.

With all of this in mind, there is a drawback which says that all these needs cannot be possibly met through atmospheric oxygen, therefore it demands that oxygen must be manufactured artificially on a large scale.

Oxygen Uses and Application in Industries

Chalking out the application of the oxygen, as given below:

• Medical-related industry
• Oxygen is extensively used in manufacturing steel
• It is also employed in the industry of steel manufacturing
• Metal is fabricated using oxygen
• Power is generated using coal with the help of oxygen
• Oxygen finds its way in manufacturing glass as well

Starting an Oxygen Manufacturing Plant in India

To be able to set up oxygen manufacturing plant especially for the medical purposes, one must know that it can be produced through various ways, however the most commonly used ways that are employed in generating oxygen are discussed below:

• Pressure swing adsorption: Under this method, pure oxygen is generated after all other gases like nitrogen are separated from the air mixture under the influence of high pressure. This method generally demands the use of machinery having two vessels which in turn separates the gases. This method is quite popular in every corner of the world and the most preferred one when it comes to producing oxygen on an industrial basis. Small scale industries make extensive use of this method.
• Fractional distillation: It is yet another method used to produce oxygen. In contrast to the above-mentioned method, it is one hand above since it is much efficient and yields oxygen that is pure. In this method, the first thing done is to make the air dust free. After the dust has been removed, the air is subjected to compression and then all the other gases like carbon dioxide and moisture are removed from the air to make it pure.

Thereafter the purified air is made to pass by means of heat exchanger which liquefies it and the oxygen is separated from nitrogen. The final step is distillation wherein the purified oxygen is yielded and then it is collected for commercial transportation.

This method is employed by large-scale industries that renders mass production of oxygen.

• Raw materials: The raw material is easily and abundantly available which none other than the atmospheric oxygen is.
• Production capacity: oxygen manufacturing plant comes packed with varied production capacities.
• Requirement of machinery: The following machines and equipment’s are required

1. Suction filter
2. Aftercooler
3. Moisture separator
4. Cascade cooler
5. Activated carbon filter
6. Chilling unit
7. Molecular sieve battery
8. Ceramic filter
9. Liquid oxygen pump
10. Expansion engine
11. Plant that softens water

• Land requirement: The land is must to set up the plant. Approximately the land area is required around 18000 square feet.

Cost of Setting up Oxygen Manufacturing Plant

The cost of setting up the plant ranges from nearly 30 to 35 lakhs. This is the cost of a small-scale plant.

What License is Required to Manufacture Oxygen?

The license is required to be fetched under the Drugs and cosmetics act, 1940 that deals with sale and manufacturing of oxygen. Schedule K of the Act mentions certain exemptions which are given below:

• Oxygen ninety-three percent IP together with oxygen ninety-three percent USP are exempted.
• Another exemption deals with exemption is oxygen ninety-three percent which is supplied by a hospital.

Also, medical oxygen comes under the Essential Commodities Act.

SWOT ANALYSIS

Things to be kept in Mind before Investing in Starting an Oxygen Manufacturing Plant

Following factors as discussed below must be carefully scrutinized before starting an oxygen manufacturing plant.

Strengths:

• Easy accessibility of raw material which is the atmospheric oxygen
• Requirement of both unskilled and skilled labor
• Oxygen manufacturing plants are not very difficult to operate.
• Spare parts are easily available

Weaknesses:

• Fact that market share has been captured by the bigger players in this field, therefore innovative strategies for promotion would be required.
• To operate the machinery there is a requirement of expertise and experience.

Opportunities:

• The demand for oxygen gas is experiencing a boom since the industries and other medical sectors are growing at a rapid rate.
• Nitrogen can also be tapped along with production of oxygen which would require additional cost.

Threats:

In the event of failure with respect to power, it can in turn lead to failure of mechanisms related to the break system.

It demands the installation of the fire extinguishers at every place near the oxygen plant to mitigate any disaster since it is flammable.

The very initial step is to get hold of the atmospheric oxygen which is done through the multi stage compressor which compresses it to the requisite pressure or working pressure. The compressed air is made to pass through a pre-cooler which ensures that carbon dioxide is removed from the air.

It is then made to pass through the exchanger wherein it is allowed to cool down. This cold air, certainly a part of it passes through the expansion machine, the left part passes through the second exchanger.

In the lower pressure column, both of these parts of air are made to unite wherein it witnesses being partially liquefied. Again, this liquefied air is made to pass through expansion.

Following this process and a few more steps subsequently, an oxygen product is generated.

Considering the havoc created by coronavirus, there is an urgent requirement of medical oxygen manufacturing plants to be established in India. Corpseed will provide solutions and complete the whole procedure to set up oxygen manufacturing plant for you.