Plasma with O2?

[houlster]

Can this be done? Use O2 instead of compressed air with a plasma cutter? It seems pure O2 could immensely increase the cutting capacity of a plasma cutter for those times you want to cut something thicker / cleaner / faster than your machine's normally capable of. If so, would you run similar pressures you would when cutting with acetylene?

--Dan

[Rockit]

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:
Try it, set up a video.

[Todd W]

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:
Try it, set up a video.

:shaking:

"Hypertherm took this challenge and began R & D efforts in earnest. In 1983, the company succeeded with an improved torch design that made it possible to use oxygen as the plasma gas."


I'm not saying any unit can use oxygen but it is possible :flipoff2:

[houlster]

Thinking about it a little more, I realize the big difference with plasma is that the plasma starts inside the torch handle. So with pure O2 it may want to erode everything down stream of that and on it's way out, vs a oxy torch where everything is happening after the O2 leaves the tip. I assume Hypertherm's design gets around this somehow...

[jasonmt]

The bigger Hypertherm machines that are capable of using O2 as the plasma and shield gas generally have separate connections and passages for the plasma and shield gases, are 200A+ and run liquid cooled torches. You could try it in your machine but please take a video of it for us if you try.

The table below is running a Hypertherm HySpeed HT2000 Oxygen plasma/Air shield machine and the O2 flow for the plasma gas is only about 1.3 CFM @ 120psi.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=266943&stc=1&d=1160451646

[40_Below]

You can use Nitrogen

[SeaBass44]

You can use Nitrogen

it's inert, won't accelerate the rate of cut, and that is what the post is about:p