A ceramic component is formed of at least one stack of two or more layers of one-directional non-woven carbon fiber fabrics embedded in a ceramic matrix containing silicon carbide and elemental silicon. All adjacent layers within the at least one stack directly adjoin each other. The at least one stack has a minimum thickness of 1.5 mm perpendicularly to the plane of the layers. The ceramic matrix permeates substantially the entire component.

A method for improving the thermal treatment of castings that includes obtaining a plurality of untreated castings of a given design, capturing three dimensional surface measurements of the untreated castings to determine a baseline shape, obtaining a first support fixture having a first support profile configured to support the castings during thermal treatment, and then applying a thermal treatment protocol to a first casting while supported on the first support fixture. The method further includes capturing a three dimensional surface measurement of the first casting to determine its post-treatment shape, comparing the baseline shape with the post-treatment shape of the first casting, and identifying a dimensional distortion that is the result of inadequate support or positioning during the thermal treatment protocol. The method continues with obtaining a second support fixture with a second support profile different from the first support profile, applying the thermal treatment protocol to a second casting while supported on the second support fixture, capturing a three dimensional surface measurement of the second casting to determine its post-treatment shape, comparing the baseline shape with the post-treatment shape of the second casting, and then identifying a reduction in the dimensional distortion to verify that the dimensional distortion is at least partially due to inadequate support or positioning during the thermal treatment protocol.

A method and system for recovering low carbon ferrochrome from feed materials including chromite ore and aluminum granules in a chamber of an arc furnace using an aluminothermic smelting process carried out in the presence of an inert gas, e.g., Argon. The aluminothermic smelting process produces a bath of molten low carbon ferrochrome metal with molten slag floating thereon in the chamber. The molten low carbon ferrochrome metal and molten slag are extracted individually and processed to provide a solidified low carbon ferrochrome metal product and a solidified slag particles product, respectively. A method for the recirculation, recovery and reuse of the inert gas, and a system for accomplishing the recirculation, recovery and reuse of the inert gas.

The present invention provides a heat treatment jig. A metal wire as a heat treatment target is to be wound around the jig. The jig comprises a cylindrical tubular body whose outer wall surface has a helical groove formed along a circumferential direction to wind the metal wire. A depth of the groove is larger than a length at which the metal wire will isolate from the groove when the metal wire wound along the groove at room temperature is thermally expanded by being heated to a predetermined heat treatment temperature.

A mobile removable hearth skid for a furnace and/or cooling chamber including: a base, the base including a top horizontal surface supporting a refractory platform which possesses a perimeter edge including a front perimeter edge, a rear perimeter edge, and at least two side perimeter edges. The rear perimeter edge and the at least two side perimeter edges form a continuous shoulder extending beyond the base perimeter edge. Also disclosed is a furnace and/or cooling chamber including a refractory lining with a continuous ledge at the bottom edges of the refractory linings mounted on the rear wall and the at least two side walls. A gap is formed by the furnace supports between a bottom surface of the ledge and a surface supporting the furnace supports. The shoulder and ledge form a removable refractory seal.

A radiant tubes support device, which can be used in furnaces for the thermal treatment, for continuous lines for galvanising and annealing strips or panels made of metal sheet or other products made of steel or other metals, including a furnace side wall support, constrained to a wall of the furnace, a radiant tube support provided with a tubular element and anti-sticking means between the tubular element and the furnace side wall support for supporting the radiant tube and allowing the lateral oscillation thereof, avoiding the sticking on the furnace side wall support.

A heating apparatus, a heat treatment apparatus, and a heating method are provided. The heating apparatus includes a workpiece support on which a ring-shaped workpiece is placed, a rotary drive assembly, and a heater configured to heat the workpiece. The workpiece support includes a plurality of rotating rollers arranged in a circumferential direction. The rotary drive assembly is configured to rotate the plurality of rotating rollers to rotate the workpiece placed on the workpiece support along a ring shape of the workpiece. The heater includes a heating coil configured to induction-heat the workpiece on the workpiece support at a heating position, and an actuator configured to move the heating coil at the heating position relative to the workpiece to adjust a distance between the workpiece and the heating coil.

The present invention provides a heat treatment jig. A metal wire as a heat treatment target is to be wound around the jig. The jig comprises a cylindrical tubular body whose outer wall surface has a helical groove formed along a circumferential direction to wind the metal wire. A depth of the groove is larger than a length at which the metal wire will isolate from the groove when the metal wire wound along the groove at room temperature is thermally expanded by being heated to a predetermined heat treatment temperature.

An apparatus of size correction for a hot stamping component is provided. The apparatus includes a jig frame and a plurality of attaching units disposed on the jig frame to rotate in an anteroposterior direction and support a hot stamping component including a quenched component which is partially quenched along the jig frame in the anteroposterior direction. A plurality of clamping units disposed on the jig frame and configured to clamp the hot stamping component. A plurality of measurement units mounted on the jig frame and measure a height of the quenched component based on a predetermined zero base. A plurality of correction units are mounted in front of the jig frame corresponding to the quenched component of the hot stamping component. A force is applied to the quenched component in a vertical direction based on the height size, measured by the measurement unit to adjust the height.

A support tooling for supporting at least one metal part that is to be subjected to heat treatment or shaped while hot, the tooling including: a stationary support structure presenting a determined shape that corresponds to the general shape of each metal part that is to be supported; first holder elements arranged on one side of each part; second holder elements arranged on the other side of each part; and at least one spring type resilient element placed between the support structure and each first or second holder element so as to hold the part throughout the duration of heat treatment. The support structure, the first and second holder elements and the resilient element(s) are made of thermostructural composite material.