Provided herein are rapid, high quality film sintering processes that include high-throughput continuous sintering of lithium-lanthanum zirconium oxide (lithium-stuffed garnet). The instant disclosure sets forth equipment and processes for making high quality, rapidly-processed ceramic electrolyte films. These processes include high-throughput continuous sintering of lithium-lanthanum zirconium oxide for use as electrolyte films. In certain processes, the film is not in contact with any surface as it sinters (i.e., during the sintering phase).

A method of heating a steel sheet and a continuous annealing facility therefor wherein the temperature of the steel sheet in the longitudinal direction and sheet width direction is uniformized and overheating of the steel sheet exceeding the soaking temperature as the target heating temperature is prevented. T is a value of not less than a variation range of the steel sheet temperature when the sheet temperature is controlled by feedback control in the heating furnace but not more than of a heating capacity of the steel sheet in the semi-soaking furnace.

A system for melting a pelleted charge material including a furnace having a feed end configured to receive a solid pelleted charge material and a discharge end opposite the feed end configured to discharge a molten charge material and a slag, a conveyor configured to feed the pelleted charge material into the feed end of the furnace, at least one oxy-fuel burner positioned to direct heat into a melting zone near the feed end to heat and at least partially melt the pelleted charge material to form the molten charge material and slag, wherein the oxy-fuel burner uses an oxidant having at least 70% molecular oxygen, and at least one flue for exhausting burner combustion products from the furnace.

The present invention relates to a continuous furnace system for heat treating a metal component, in particular an aluminium strip. The continuous furnace system has a first heating unit, in which the metal component is heatable for solution annealing up to a first temperature in the range of from 350 C. to 700 C., a cooling unit, in which the metal component is coolable from 300 C. to 750 C. down to 70 C. to 250 C., and a second heating unit, in which the metal component is heatable up to from 150 C. to 290 C. The first heating unit, the cooling unit, and the second heating unit both have a common support structure, on which the first heating unit, the cooling unit, and the second heating unit are fixed together. Furthermore, the continuous furnace system has a common conveyor track, which extends through the first heating unit, the cooling unit, and the second heating unit, wherein the conveyor track is configured in such a way that the metal component is passable along the conveyor track in the conveying direction through the first heating unit, the cooling unit, and the second heating unit for heat treatment.

A phosphorus production method can include reducing feed containing phosphate ore and providing a silica ratio from 0.3 to 0.7 in a reaction chamber from 1250 to 1380 C. Less than 20% of the phosphate remains in the residue. Another phosphorus production method includes continuously moving a reducing bed through the reaction chamber with the feed agglomerates substantially stable while in the reducing bed. Reaction chamber temperature can be from 1250 to 1380 C. A phosphorus production system includes a barrier wall segmenting the reaction chamber into a reduction zone differentiated from a preheat zone. The bed floor is configured to move continuously from the preheat zone to the reduction zone during operation. A method for producing a reduction product includes exothermically oxidizing reduction/oxidation products in the reaction chamber, thereby adding heat to the reducing bed from the freeboard as a second heat source.

A heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a coolant passage defining body 42 to define a coolant passage 48 to supply a coolant to a workpiece 100. The coolant passage defining body 42 includes an upper member 50 and a lower member 40 as a plurality of coolant passage defining members, and is configured so that, by displacing these members 49 and 50 so as to approach each other along an up-down direction Z1 crossing a conveyance direction, the coolant passage 48 is defined in a state housing the workpiece 100. In addition, the coolant passage defining body is configured so that, by displacing the members 49 and 50 described above so as to separate from each other along the up-down direction Z1, the workpiece 100 is allowed to be let into and out of the coolant passage 48 along the conveyance direction A1.

A heat-treating furnace has: a rotary shaft; a rotary bottom surface pivotally supported by the rotary shaft and rotates; a plurality of workpiece storage chambers arranged on the rotary bottom surface in a multi-stage torus configuration around an axis of the rotary shaft as a center; a hollow bell-shaped hot-blast guide disposed in a center of the torus configuration on the rotary bottom surface around the axis of the rotary shaft as a center so as to decrease a volumetric capacity in the furnace and to adjust a quantity of a hot blast fed in from above itself into the workpiece storage chamber on each stage; a furnace body bottom surface spaced away from the rotary bottom surface; and a furnace body lateral surface disposed on the furnace body bottom surface.

The invention relates to a device for the thermal or thermo-chemical treatment, more particularly calcination, of material (12), more particularly battery cathode material (14), comprising a housing (16), in which a process space (20) is located. The material (12), or carrying structures (40) loaded with the material (12), can be conveyed in a conveying direction (30) into or through the process space (20) by means of a conveying system (28). A process space atmosphere (50) prevailing in the process space (20) can be heated by means of a heating system (48). There is a process gas system (64), by means of which a process gas (66) can be fed to the process space (20), said process gas being required for the thermal treatment of the material (12). The process gas system (64) comprises a plurality of local injection units (68), which are arranged and configured such that process gas (66) can be released in a targeted manner onto the material (12) or onto the carrying structures (40) loaded with material (12), the process gas being released in a plurality of local process gas streams (70), each having a main stream direction (72). The invention also specifies a method for the thermal or thermo-chemical treatment of material (12), in which process gas (66) is released in a targeted manner onto the material (12) or onto the carrying structures (40) loaded with material (12), the process gas being released in a plurality of local process gas streams (70), each having a main stream direction (72).

Examples are described for predicting a thermal profile of a product in an oven using temperature measurements for each zone of the oven. An example method of producing a predicted thermal profile of a product in an oven includes measuring the temperature of each oven zone using a zone temperature sensor as the product transitions through the zone, and calculating the predicted thermal profile of the product using a baseline temperature profile and the measured temperatures of each zone at the time the product is in each zone. Parameters of the predicted thermal profile may be compared to thermal targets corresponding to a process specification for the product in order to determine whether the product was processed according to the process specification.

A multiple hearth furnace in which in a gas space above at least one hearth an annular baffle is provided above the rabble arms of that hearth. The annular baffle modifies gas flow in the gas space, in particular gas residence times above the hearth. This in turn can enhance performance of the furnace, for example in respect of carbon monoxide emissions.