A system for thermally bonding nonwoven fibers of assemblages of nonwoven fibers loosely held together may include a processing duct including an inlet end, an outlet end, and an intermediate portion extending between the inlet end and the outlet end. The system also may include one or more heat inlets located in the intermediate portion and configured to facilitate introduction of heat and air flow into the intermediate portion. The system further may include an inlet air feed at the inlet end and configured to separate the assemblages upon entry into the inlet end and propel the assemblages into the intermediate portion. The system also may include one or more heating devices configured to heat the assemblages as the assemblages are conveyed toward the outlet end to form processed assemblages, each of the processed assemblages including at least some nonwoven fibers adhered to one another.

A method of annealing a steel sheet in an annealing furnace, including: supporting and conveying a steel sheet with hearth rolls; and supporting and conveying the steel sheet with a full-ceramic hearth roll as a hearth roll located in an area where a furnace temperature is equal to or higher than 950 C., wherein a main constituent of the full-ceramic hearth roll is silicon nitride with use of an AlY-based sintering aid.

A heating device with an oven into which a semi-finished product to be heated can be moved in and out, with a wire support formed from several wires spaced apart from one another, and on which the semi-finished product is able to be positioned, and with structure for moving the wire support into the oven and out therefrom. In order to both enable a method with high speeds of travel and at the same time able to use one and the same wire support for differently shaped semi-finished products. The wires can be electrically conductive and the selected wires can be acted upon with a voltage and thereby be heated, wherein the voltage is able to be set and/or controlled in such a way that the wires can adopt a predefinable temperature. Through suitable heating of the wires, the semi-finished product can be fixed on the wire support by fusing.

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.

In a door structure of a heat treatment furnace performing a heat treatment of a workpiece, there are provided: a first opening member and a second opening member in which workpiece passing ports where the transferred workpiece passes are formed; and a sheet shutter, the sheet shutter is provided with a winding portion and a shutter portion, the shutter portion is disposed between the first opening member and the second opening member, the shutter portion is provided with a first sheet portion which covers the workpiece passing port of the first opening member and a second sheet portion which covers the workpiece passing port of the second opening member at a time that the shutter portion is closed, and it is configured that a gas storage portion is formed between the first opening member and the second opening member at the time that the shutter portion is closed.

In a door structure of a heat treatment furnace performing a heat treatment of a workpiece, there are provided: a first opening member and a second opening member in which workpiece passing ports where the transferred workpiece passes are formed; and a sheet shutter, the sheet shutter is provided with a winding portion and a shutter portion, the shutter portion is disposed between the first opening member and the second opening member, the shutter portion is provided with a first sheet portion which covers the workpiece passing port of the first opening member and a second sheet portion which covers the workpiece passing port of the second opening member at a time that the shutter portion is closed, and it is configured that a gas storage portion is formed between the first opening member and the second opening member at the time that the shutter portion is closed.

An apparatus useful in treating a carbon fibre precursor material under predetermined conditions of temperature and gaseous environment. The apparatus includes a housing, and a reaction chamber disposed within the housing. The reaction chamber is elongate and has an entry port at a first end and an exit port at a second end. The entry and exit ports are configured to allow passage of a carbon fibre precursor material into and out of the reaction chamber respectively. A heater or heating system is configured to heat a wall of the reaction chamber. In use, a precursor material is passed through the reaction chamber and is thereby heated.

An apparatus useful in treating a carbon fibre precursor material under predetermined conditions of temperature and gaseous environment. The apparatus includes a housing, and a reaction chamber disposed within the housing. The reaction chamber is elongate and has an entry port at a first end and an exit port at a second end. The entry and exit ports are configured to allow passage of a carbon fibre precursor material into and out of the reaction chamber respectively. A heater or heating system is configured to heat a wall of the reaction chamber. In use, a precursor material is passed through the reaction chamber and is thereby heated.

The invention provides a method and equipment for extracting carbon materials from plastics. Particularly, the method produces nanostructured carbon materials by heating of at least one salt (e.g., NaCl) and at least one plastic material (e.g.polyethylene terephthalate) to a temperature greater than the melting point of the said salt, in which molten state of the said salt protects the carbonaceous material from oxidation. Moreover, molten salt promotes the graphitization of carbon materials. The product is in the form of graphenenano-flakes with high conductivity and high surface area. This method provides a simple, economical and efficient approach for producing conductive carbon materials. It also has a significant positive impact on the environment through the transformation of virtually non-degradable plastic wastes into high-value conductive carbon materials.

A method is provided for heating a furnace arranged with a heating zone heated with a burner providing a flame extending in a longitudinal direction and fed with a fuel and a primary oxidant, the burner is operated with a mass relationship between the fed fuel and primary oxidant permitting less than 50% of the fed fuel to be combusted using the primary oxidant, and a respective pair of secondary oxidant lances are provided one either side of the furnace pointing into the heating zone, lancing a secondary oxidant into the heating zone downstream of the burner substantially parallel with a cross plane, such that a temperature is measured downstream of the lances and that each of the lance pairs includes an upstream, low-speed first and a downstream, high-speed second lance, wherein the amount of secondary oxidant supplied via the first lance is regulated to achieve a homogenous lateral temperature profile. A related furnace is also provided.