Year: 2018

Ceramic fiber insulation is an industrial insulation product with a low heat storage, low thermal conductivity, high thermal shock resistance, and lightweight physical properties. It is available in a variety of densities and forms to suit varied heating environments where temperatures regularly exceed 1000°C (1832°F). Thermcraft’s distinguished range of vacuum formed ceramic fiber insulation is manufactured using high purity alumina-based ceramic fiber which is fit for a range of purposes, including semi-cylindrical insulation, board insulation, and blanket or formable insulation for reduced rigidity. This article will explore some of the ceramic fiber insulation products available from Thermcraft in more detail:…

Annealing is a heat treatment process that is used to alter the chemical or physical properties of a metal to make it more ductile and reduce its hardness. An annealing furnace works by heating an annealing furnace above its recrystallization temperature and then cooling once the sample has been maintained at this temperature for a suitable amount of time. During the annealing process, the atoms within a sample diffuse in the crystal lattice and the number of dislocations reduce, changing the ductility and hardness properties of the sample. Recrystallisation occurs as the sample cools down. Heating the sample is what…

A heating element is used to convert electricity into heat, and within an industrial furnace, there are various materials that can be used. Typically, iron-chrome aluminum or nickel chrome alloys are used in furnaces, and the standard shapes are cylindrical, semi-circular, or flat panels. This blog post will look at the other different types of materials that can be used as high-temperature heating elements. Precious Metals A precious metal can be materials including pure platinum, pure rhodium, and platinum/rhodium alloys, however these materials aren’t as common as others as they have a high cost. Precious metals are often used as…

A rotary furnace is a barrel-shaped instrument that is rotated around its axis when performing heat treatment. These instruments are tilted slightly to allow the sample under heat treatment to be passed from one end of the barrel to the other. This sample transfer occurs as the rotary furnace rotates, and this rotation can also induce some mixing or stirring of the sample. When the rotary furnace is in operation, hot gases pass through the chamber to perform the heat treatment. Generally, the hot gases pass through in the opposite direction than the sample, but depending on the application requirements…

Calcining (also known as calcination) can be defined as the heating to high temperatures in the presence of oxygen or air, or it can be the heat treatment process of inducing thermal decomposition. Thermal decomposition is achieved using calcining by placing a sample in an absence or limited supply of air or oxygen. The main objectives of a calcination furnace are to drive off water that is present as absorbed moisture, to drive off volatile constituents such as carbon dioxide, or to oxidize part of, or the entire substance. Calcining is carried out in a range of instruments, including industrial…

A Bridgman furnace is an industrial furnace used specifically for crystal growth. It uses a specific technique developed by Percy Williams Bridgman, a Harvard physicist. This blog post will discuss the method used in a Bridgman furnace and its applications. The Bridgman Method Within a Bridgman furnace, there is a distinct temperature gradient, and a crucible containing the pre-synthesized material is slowly transferred along the axis of this temperature gradient. As the material melts through the decreasing temperatures it forms a single crystal. In a similar technique called the Stockbarger method, that’s name is often used interchangeably with the Bridgman…

An industrial oven is an instrument used by many different industries, including food production, pharmaceutical, and electronics. These ovens have a heated chamber that is used to perform many different heat treatment processes and a range of increasing temperatures. Industrial ovens can be built to be extremely large and bulky, which can take up a lot of space in the laboratory and their size can also make the oven inefficient. This blog post will look at the benefit of using benchtop industrial ovens as an alternative to bulky upright ovens. Using Benchtop Industrial Ovens Any benchtop instrument is one that…