A thermal processing furnace for workpieces has a blowing hood in which a nozzle is installed, the nozzle blowing a gas flow to thermally process a workpiece, including a driving mechanism that adjusts a distance between the nozzle and a portion of the workpiece facing the nozzle so that the gas flow blown from the nozzle impinges on workpieces of various dimensions at a desired flow velocity, wherein a plurality of nozzles are arranged as the nozzle along a conveying direction of the workpiece in a zone where the thermal processing is performed, and the driving mechanism adjusts a distance between each of the nozzles and a portion of the workpiece facing the nozzle individually in each of the plurality of nozzles.

A method of manufacturing a permanent magnet comprises a solution heat treatment. The solution heat treatment includes: performing a heat treatment at a temperature T.sub.ST; placing a cooling member including a first layer and a second layer on the first layer between the heater and the treatment object so that the first layer faces the treatment object; and transferring the treatment object together with the cooling member to the outside of a heating chamber, and cooling the treatment object until a temperature of the treatment object becomes a temperature lower than a temperature T.sub.ST200 C. In the step of cooling the treatment object, a cooling rate until the temperature of the treatment object becomes the temperature T.sub.ST200 C. is 5 C./s or more.

A method for heat treatment, a heat treatment apparatus, and a heat treatment system that is capable of performing highly precise and efficient control of heat treatment. A heat treatment furnace has in-furnace structures made of graphite and has a heat-treatment chamber in which heat treatment of materials to be treated is performed. A value of G.sup.0 (standard formation Gibbs energy) is computed with reference to the sensor information from respective sensors, and an Ellingham diagram, a control range, and a status of the heat treatment furnace in operation expressed by G.sup.0 are displayed on a display device. A control unit controls a flow rate of neutral gas or inactive gas as atmosphere gas or a flow velocity of the gas so that G.sup.0 is within the control range.

A method for heat treatment, a heat treatment apparatus, and a heat treatment system that is capable of performing highly precise and efficient control of heat treatment. A heat treatment furnace has in-furnace structures made of graphite and has a heat-treatment chamber in which heat treatment of materials to be treated is performed. A value of G.sup.0 (standard formation Gibbs energy) is computed with reference to the sensor information from respective sensors, and an Ellingham diagram, a control range, and a status of the heat treatment furnace in operation expressed by G.sup.0 are displayed on a display device. A control unit controls a flow rate of neutral gas or inactive gas as atmosphere gas or a flow velocity of the gas so that G.sup.0 is within the control range.

A heat treatment system may include: a heat treatment furnace; a return line; and a processor. The return line may include: a first processing line; a second processing line; an entrance line connected to the first processing line and the second processing line and located upstream of the first processing line and the second processing line on the return line; and an exit line connected to the first processing line and the second processing line and located downstream of the first processing line and the second processing line on the return line. The processor may include: a configured to process the saggar on the first processing line; and a configured to process the saggar on the second processing line.

A heat treatment system may include: a heat treatment furnace; a return line; and a processor. The return line may include: a first processing line; a second processing line; an entrance line connected to the first processing line and the second processing line and located upstream of the first processing line and the second processing line on the return line; and an exit line connected to the first processing line and the second processing line and located downstream of the first processing line and the second processing line on the return line. The processor may include: a configured to process the saggar on the first processing line; and a configured to process the saggar on the second processing line.

A closure mechanism to inhibit escape of heat from an oven chamber of a conveyor oven having a conveyor hanger. The closure mechanism includes a plurality of plates configured to couple to a first and second pluralities of connection tabs of a conveyor oven. Each of the plurality of plates include a connection portion, an angled portion configured to extend downward from the connection portion within a slot of the conveyor oven and an engagement portion extending downward from the angled portion to form an engagement surface.

A closure mechanism to inhibit escape of heat from an oven chamber of a conveyor oven having a conveyor hanger. The closure mechanism includes a plurality of plates configured to couple to a first and second pluralities of connection tabs of a conveyor oven. Each of the plurality of plates include a connection portion, an angled portion configured to extend downward from the connection portion within a slot of the conveyor oven and an engagement portion extending downward from the angled portion to form an engagement surface.

To provide a method of forming a positive electrode active material with high productivity. To provide a manufacturing apparatus capable of forming a positive electrode active material with high productivity. Provided is a method of forming a positive electrode active material including lithium, a transition metal, oxygen, and fluorine. An adhesion preventing step is performed during heating of an object. Examples of the adhesion preventing step include stirring by rotating a furnace during the heating, stirring by vibrating a container containing an object during the heating, and crushing performed between the plurality of heating steps. By these manufacturing methods, a positive electrode active material having favorable distribution of an additive at the surface portion can be formed.

A continuous, high-temperature preheating plant for preheating flat semi-finished steel products has a conveying line suitable to transfer the flat semi-finished steel products from an inlet to an outlet of the continuous, high-temperature preheating plant, and a plurality of heating devices arranged along the conveying line to heat the semi-finished steel products from an inlet temperature to a predetermined final temperature. The plurality of heating devices has, arranged in sequence between the inlet and the outlet along the conveying line, a first induction furnace, a second induction furnace, and at least one electric resistance radiation furnace. The continuous, high-temperature preheating plant has a cutting apparatus suitable to cut a starting flat semi-finished steel product into a plurality of cut segments having a predetermined length less than a length of the starting flat semi-finished steel product. The cutting apparatus is arranged between the first induction furnace and the second induction furnace.