TABLE OF CONTENTS This chapter brings together three topics that support the processing of metals and alloys, namely: the design of metallurgical furnaces, vacuum technology and the control of metallurgical processes.
Material in this chapter relates to the following:
The statistical basis of process control is discussed in Chapter 2.
Thermocouple-based temperature measurement and information on emissivity relevant to pyrometry are outlined respectively in Chapters 16 and 17.
Foundry practice and heat-treatment are considered respectively in Chapters 26 and 29.
Refractory materials form the topic of Chapter 27.
For a discussion of fuels, see Chapter 28.
There are many considerations to be made when designing a metallurgical processing furnace. A furnace is not just simply a box of bricks; it is a unit which encompasses many engineering aspects including:
Furnace safety
Energy input
Temperature measurement
Temperature control
Temperature uniformity
Temperature recording
Mechanical handling
Door mechanisms
Heat loss
Batch or continuous operation
Pre-cleaning
Post-cleaning
Method of quenching
Quench media
Quench agitation
Heat transfer from quench medium
Furnace atmosphere
Generation of furnace atmosphere
Control of furnace atmosphere
Mass (load weight) of work pieces
Heat transfer to load.
The above are just a few of the considerations that are necessary in the design of the metallurgical processing furnace. Furnace design requires the engineer to have, or to have access to, multiple disciplines which range from:
Mechanical engineering
Electrical engineering
Metallurgical engineering
Physics
Chemistry.
These disciplines will assist the engineer in designing a cost-effective, functioning, metallurgical processing...
