Thermic LancingThermic lancing uses the heat generated by igniting a steel lance that has pure oxygen flowing through it to cut steel, cast iron, concrete and almost any other materials. In thermic lancing the end of the lance is heated with an oxy-acetylene or oxy-propane torch until it reaches its ignition temperature. When the oxygen supply is turned on, the end of the lance begins to burn due to an exothermic reaction between steel and oxygen, raising the temperature to well above the melting point of steel. The lance is at a temperature where it will melt steel, concrete, cast iron and most other materials. The force of the oxygen through the lance washes the molten dross away from the cut. Many materials such as cast iron and reinforced concrete are difficult or slow to cut with conventional processes thermic lancing can be an efficient way of cutting items up prior to disposal. The process can also be used to cut or bore holes in most materials. On construction sites and quarries, pins and shafts can get jammed in their housings, and lancing can be the quickest way to remove them. Although thermic lancing is a useful process the cut finish is poor so it is used mostly for scrap cutting and site maintenance.
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