Development of a gas-fired vacuum furnace: An ion-nitriding application, Phase 2. Final report, June 1988-July 1990

Technical Report · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5949408

Conybear, J G; Hemsath, K H

In the project, a gas-fired vacuum furnace has been designed, built and tested. The furnace design is based on a novel, patented heating concept which uses gas-fired burners. High velocity gases heat the surface of a round shell by impingement from the outside. The shell can be alternately heated and cooled, and is designed to sustain vacuum pressures. A novel vacuum door design maintains atmosphere integrity and allows utilization of an elastic seal. Tests have proven that the gas-fired furnace heats up very fast, allows very close temperature control and can achieve exceptional temperature uniformity of furnace walls and furnace load. This furnace type, is therefore, ideally suited to find applications in an intermediary temperature range of about 400 to 1400 deg F. The furnace is now being prepared to operate as an ion nitrider. Ion Nitriding is a case hardening process, operates in a temperature range between 750 and 1050 deg F and requires moderate vacuum.

• Research Organization: Abar Ipsen, Bensalem, PA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 5949408
• Report Number(s): PB-92-123751/XAB; CNN: GRI-5088-235-1690
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
034000* -- Natural Gas-- Combustion
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320303 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Equipment & Processes
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360000 -- Materials
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
CONTROL
DESIGN
DOORS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
FURNACES
GAS FUELS
GAS FURNACES
GASES
HARDENING
MATERIALS
NATURAL GAS
NITRIDATION
OPENINGS
OXIDATION
PERFORMANCE
SEALS
SURFACE HARDENING
SURFACE TREATMENTS
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VACUUM FURNACES