Today, industrial use accounts for about 40% of total U.S. gas consumption, in diverse processes ranging from metal heat treating, glass melting and paper drying, to aluminum production.

GTI contributed in a major way to the strong market position of gas in the industrial sector through its research programs to improve gas burner systems. GTI has developed more than a dozen advanced gas burner systems, tailored for use in specific process furnaces and heaters as well as in boilers for generating process steam or onsite electric power. These burner systems provide higher efficiency (which reduces operating cost), improved product quality, and lower emissions than competing systems.

One example: infrared (IR) radiant-burner systems. Working with a number of partners, GTI applied gas-fired IR technology to paper drying and paint drying/curing as an alternative to electric IR systems. Incorporating advanced materials such as reticulated ceramics and metal fiber matrixes, gas IR systems based on GTI technology have saved users approximately $400 million since 1995.