Author: Jim Miller

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…

Within an industrial furnace, there are many different components that ensure it is performing successfully, and insulation is one of these important components. There are many benefits of using a high temperature insulation material in furnaces, and there is a range of materials that are used as insulation materials, this blog post will highlight both. High Temperature Insulation Material Benefits Industrial furnaces operate at extremely high temperatures, so high temperature insulation materials are critical to ensuring that the furnace runs safely and efficiently. One use for insulation within an industrial furnace is to ensure operator safety. The outer body of…

Thermcraft have years of experience in developing and manufacturing high-quality industrial furnaces and parts. In addition to our standard range, we also offer custom industrial furnaces and parts to fit specific requirements. Our team of experienced sales engineers are able to help you build a custom industrial furnace configured to your exact requirements. We also supply custom parts for industrial furnaces. All of our industrial furnaces are built with low watt density heating elements and a heavy gage steel sheet, and they can be built for any laboratory or industrial application. Our custom industrial furnaces are available with either electrical…