Editing Oxygen (section)

===Industrial===
[[File:Clabecq JPG01.jpg|thumb|Most commercially produced {{chem|O|2}} is used to [[smelting|smelt]] and/or [[Decarburization|decarburize]] [[iron]].|alt=An elderly worker in a helmet is facing his side to the viewer in an industrial hall. The hall is dark but is illuminated yellow glowing splashes of a melted substance.]]

[[Smelting]] of [[iron ore]] into [[steel]] consumes 55% of commercially produced oxygen.<ref name="NBB301" /> In this process, {{chem|O|2}} is injected through a high-pressure lance into molten iron, which removes [[sulfur]] impurities and excess [[carbon]] as the respective oxides, {{chem|SO|2}} and {{chem|CO|2}}. The reactions are [[exothermic reaction|exothermic]], so the temperature increases to 1,700&nbsp;°[[Celsius|C]].<ref name="NBB301" />

Another 25% of commercially produced oxygen is used by the chemical industry.<ref name="NBB301" /> [[Ethylene]] is reacted with {{chem|O|2}} to create [[ethylene oxide]], which, in turn, is converted into [[ethylene glycol]]; the primary feeder material used to manufacture a host of products, including [[antifreeze]] and [[polyester]] polymers (the precursors of many [[plastic]]s and [[fabric]]s).<ref name="NBB301" />

Most of the remaining 20% of commercially produced oxygen is used in medical applications, [[gas welding|metal cutting and welding]], as an oxidizer in [[rocket fuel]], and in [[water treatment]].<ref name="NBB301" /> Oxygen is used in [[oxyacetylene welding]], burning [[acetylene]] with {{chem|O|2}} to produce a very hot flame. In this process, metal up to {{convert|60|cm|abbr=on}} thick is first heated with a small oxy-acetylene flame and then quickly cut by a large stream of {{chem|O|2}}.<ref name="ECE508">[[#Reference-idCook1968|Cook & Lauer 1968]], p. 508</ref>