Disclosed are a device and method for continuously performing grain boundary diffusion and heat treatment, characterized in that the alloy workpiece or the metal workpiece are arranged in a relatively independent processing box together with a diffusion source; the device comprises, in successive arrangement, a grain boundary diffusion chamber, a first cooling chamber, a heat treatment chamber, and a second cooling chamber, and a transfer system provided between various chambers for delivering the processing box; each of the first cooling chamber and the second cooling chamber uses an air cooling system, and the cooling air temperature of the first cooling chamber is above 25° C. and at least differs by 550° C. from the grain boundary diffusion temperature of the grain boundary diffusion chamber; the cooling air temperature of the second cooling chamber is above 25° C. and at least differs by 300° C. from the heat treatment temperature of the heat treatment chamber; and the cooling chamber has a pressure of 50 kPa to 100 kPa. The device provided by the present invention can increase the cooling rate and production efficiency, and improve product consistency.

Disclosed are a device and method for continuously performing grain boundary diffusion and heat treatment, characterized in that the alloy workpiece or the metal workpiece are arranged in a relatively independent processing box together with a diffusion source; the device comprises, in successive arrangement, a grain boundary diffusion chamber, a first cooling chamber, a heat treatment chamber, and a second cooling chamber, and a transfer system provided between various chambers for delivering the processing box; each of the first cooling chamber and the second cooling chamber uses an air cooling system, and the cooling air temperature of the first cooling chamber is above 25° C. and at least differs by 550° C. from the grain boundary diffusion temperature of the grain boundary diffusion chamber; the cooling air temperature of the second cooling chamber is above 25° C. and at least differs by 300° C. from the heat treatment temperature of the heat treatment chamber; and the cooling chamber has a pressure of 50 kPa to 100 kPa. The device provided by the present invention can increase the cooling rate and production efficiency, and improve product consistency.

A multicomponent FeCoSiM soft magnetic alloy is provided. M of the alloy is one or more of V, Cr and Ni. A sum of atomic percentages of alloy elements in the alloy is 100%. The atomic percents of the alloy elements meet the following conditions: Fe, 68˜78 at %; Co, 4˜12 at %; Si, 14˜18 at %; V, 0˜4 at %; Cr, 0˜4 at %; and Ni, 0˜4 at %. The preparation method of the alloy includes weighing raw materials according to the atomic percentages of the alloy elements and then performing melting and annealing heat treatment each in vacuum or a protective atmosphere. The alloy is obtained by a reasonable design of compositions and contents. A magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant of the alloy is low, a magnetostrictive coefficient of the alloy approaches zero and the alloy has characteristics of high saturation flux density and low coercivity.

A vacuum heat treatment apparatus according to the embodiment comprises a chamber; a thermal insulator in the chamber; a reaction container in the thermal insulator; a heating member between the reaction container and the the thermal insulator for heating the reaction container; and a temperature measuring member in or on a surface of the reaction container, wherein the temperature measuring member comprises a thermocouple and a protective tube surrounding the thermocouple, and the protective tube comprises tungsten (W), tantalum (Ta), or silicon carbide (SiC).

A vacuum heat treatment apparatus according to the embodiment comprises a chamber; a thermal insulator in the chamber; a reaction container in the thermal insulator; a heating member between the reaction container and the the thermal insulator for heating the reaction container; and a temperature measuring member in or on a surface of the reaction container, wherein the temperature measuring member comprises a thermocouple and a protective tube surrounding the thermocouple, and the protective tube comprises tungsten (W), tantalum (Ta), or silicon carbide (SiC).

The present invention relates to a method of hardening slides of a perforating press comprising providing a steel beam; hardening of the steel beam in a vacuum furnace; tempering the steel beam twice; first straightening of the steel beam at a temperature of 20° C. ± 10° C.; milling of an at least partially continuous sawtooth profile, along a longitudinal direction of the steel beam, on a first side of the steel beam; wherein, after milling the at least partially continuous sawtooth profile on the first side of the steel beam, a second side of the steel beam, lying opposite the first side, is hardened by means of induction currents, after which the steel beam is again tempered twice and after which the steel beam is straightened a second time at a temperature of 20° C. ± 10° C. The invention also relates to a slide for a perforating press hardened according to the method.

The present invention relates to a method of hardening slides of a perforating press comprising providing a steel beam; hardening of the steel beam in a vacuum furnace; tempering the steel beam twice; first straightening of the steel beam at a temperature of 20° C. ± 10° C.; milling of an at least partially continuous sawtooth profile, along a longitudinal direction of the steel beam, on a first side of the steel beam; wherein, after milling the at least partially continuous sawtooth profile on the first side of the steel beam, a second side of the steel beam, lying opposite the first side, is hardened by means of induction currents, after which the steel beam is again tempered twice and after which the steel beam is straightened a second time at a temperature of 20° C. ± 10° C. The invention also relates to a slide for a perforating press hardened according to the method.

In accordance with the present invention, there are provided: a soft magnetic flattened powder having an average particle diameter, excellent sheet moldability, and a high magnetic permeability; and a method for producing the soft magnetic flattened powder. The soft magnetic flattened powder according to the present invention includes an Fe—Si—Al-based alloy, an average particle diameter D.sub.50 being 30 to less than 50 μm; a coercive force Hc measured by applying a magnetic field in the longitudinal direction of the flattened powder being 176 A/m or less; the ratio of a tap density to a true density being 0.18 or less; a specific surface area BET value being 0.6 m.sup.2/g or more; the amount of contained oxygen being 0.6 mass % or less; and the BET value and oxygen value of the soft magnetic powder satisfying expression (1): [oxygen value/BET value 0.50 (excluding zero)].

In accordance with the present invention, there are provided: a soft magnetic flattened powder having an average particle diameter, excellent sheet moldability, and a high magnetic permeability; and a method for producing the soft magnetic flattened powder. The soft magnetic flattened powder according to the present invention includes an Fe—Si—Al-based alloy, an average particle diameter D.sub.50 being 30 to less than 50 μm; a coercive force Hc measured by applying a magnetic field in the longitudinal direction of the flattened powder being 176 A/m or less; the ratio of a tap density to a true density being 0.18 or less; a specific surface area BET value being 0.6 m.sup.2/g or more; the amount of contained oxygen being 0.6 mass % or less; and the BET value and oxygen value of the soft magnetic powder satisfying expression (1): [oxygen value/BET value 0.50 (excluding zero)].

A method for heat treating a metal tube or pipe is provided to perform heat treatment in such a manner that metal tubes or pipes (1) to be accommodated in a heat treatment furnace are laid down on a plurality of cross beams (22) arranged along a longitudinal direction of the metal tubes or pipes with the distance between adjacent cross beams being in a range of 200 to 2500 mm. This makes it possible to inhibit bending and scratches of the metal tubes or pipes without causing discoloration and deterioration of the manufacturing efficiency for the metal tubes or pipes. When the metal tubes or pipes (1) are laid down on the cross beams (22), spacers may be interposed between the metal tubes or pipes (1) and the cross beams (22) on which they are laid down.