A. Malas, BOC Gases UK, Sheffield, United Kingdom; P. F. Stratton, BOC, Huddersfield, United Kingdom

Summary: Cracked ammonia has long been used as a source of hydrogen in the heat treatment industry. However, the high toxicity of ammonia and increasing legislative pressure on its storage has decreased its attractiveness over recent years. While the alternative of using pure hydrogen may appear less cost effective at first sight, the effective application of its advantages in terms of flow and compositional flexibility can, in many cases, reduce the total cost of ownership to below than of ammonia. This paper describes some of the properties of ammonia and the legislative framework in the US for its storage. It also describes how pure hydrogen is delivered and used in furnace atmosphere application to get maximum benefit from its properties.