A method for calcining and cooling material such as carbonate rocks may be employed in a parallel-flow regenerative shaft kiln that has two shafts, which are operated alternately as a calcining shaft and as a regenerative shaft. Material flows through a preheating zone, a calcining zone, and a cooling zone to a product outlet. At least one gas flow is compressed by a high-pressure fan and introduced into the parallel-flow regenerative shaft kiln. The high-pressure fan is configured as an axial fan or as a radial fan, having an impeller through which flow takes place axially or radially. A parallel-flow regenerative shaft kiln may also be utilized to perform such methods.

A system and method for plasma treatment comprises a radiofrequency chamber, a microwave source configured to provide energy to the radiofrequency chamber, a reaction chamber configured to accept a treatment flow, a plasma dispensation assembly configured in the reaction chamber, the plasma dispensation assembly being powered by energy from the radiofrequency chamber, and a collection chamber for collecting treated material from the reaction chamber. The systems and methods can be used for treatment of various treatment flows.

A method of making a hot surface igniter is described. A silicon carbide composition that includes both fines fraction and a coarse fraction is sintered in a nitrogen and argon reducing atmosphere in a manner that controls the incorporation of nitrogen with in the lattice of recrystallized silicon carbide. The controlled incorporation of nitrogen in the lattice provides enhanced control over heating and electrical properties, while simultaneously achieving a lower surface area fully recrystallized structure for oxidation resistance and long service life.

A method and apparatus for controlling the atmosphere of a multizone calcination (firing) furnace for production of high-quality nickel-rich cathode material for lithium-ion and solid-state batteries. A high-quality oxygen-rich atmosphere is maintained to ensure the quality of the cathode material. An atmosphere control system continuously measures and analyzes the composition of the calcination furnace atmosphere in different zones and adjusts the flowrate of oxygen-rich atmosphere into the furnace to optimize the calcination process.

A conveying system (1) for conveying a material along a conveying path. The system (1) includes a system housing (3) having a conveying chamber (5), in which the conveying path is arranged, and having at least one secondary chamber (6 to 8), which is connected to the conveying chamber (5) by at least one passage opening and has a fluid atmosphere that is physically and/or chemically different from the fluid atmosphere in the conveying chamber (5). The at least one passage opening (9, 10) and the fluid atmospheres in the conveying chamber (5) and the at least one secondary chamber (6 to 8) set a defined fluid flow in the system housing (3).

A method and system for doping semiconductor materials using microwave exposure. In some embodiments, the surface of a semiconductor substrate coated with a layer of dopant material is exposed to a beam of microwave radiation, with the frequency of the microwave radiation chosen to coincide with a microwave absorption resonance of the dopant. A gyrotron is a preferred source of monochromatic microwaves capable of delivering the appropriate the power density. Under this microwave exposure, the dopant heats up and diffuses into the semiconductor. Since only the dopant is selectively excited, the atoms of the crystal lattice remain cooler. Additional cooling can be provided by a flow of cooling gas onto the surface. When the electric field of the microwave exposure is high enough to overcome the potential barrier of interstitial diffusion within the crystal, the dopants migrate to vacancies in the crystal lattice, and the semiconductor material becomes activated.

In an aspect, a method of manufacturing a high purity copper-based alloy comprises providing in a melting furnace a feedstock and melting the feedstock. The method additionally includes bubbling an inert gas into the molten copper-based alloy to form the high purity copper-based alloy. Aspects are also directed to an apparatus and a method of fabricating an apparatus for manufacturing the high purity copper-based alloy.

A method and apparatus for controlling the atmosphere of a multizone calcination (firing) furnace for production of high-quality nickel-rich cathode material for lithium-ion and solid-state batteries. A high-quality oxygen-rich atmosphere is maintained to ensure the quality of the cathode material. An atmosphere control system continuously measures and analyzes the composition of the calcination furnace atmosphere in different zones and adjusts the flowrate of oxygen-rich atmosphere into the furnace to optimize the calcination process.

The invention relates to a method for sealing a reduction assembly, wherein the reduction assembly has a product discharge device, wherein the product discharge device is supplied with sealing gas and wherein at least one compressor is provided for delivering prepared sealing gas to the product discharge device, wherein according to the invention, at least one nitrogen generator is provided for producing pure sealing gas, and wherein the sealing gas for supplying to the product discharge device is composed of pure sealing gas from the at least one nitrogen generator or composed of pure sealing gas from the at least one nitrogen generator and of prepared sealing gas from the at least one compressor. The invention also relates to a device with which the method according to the invention is carried out.

A rotary tube kiln, with a rotatably mounted rotary tube, which has a motorized drive, a mounting, a material inlet and a material outlet, wherein the interior space of the rotary tube has a process space, the inside atmosphere of which is separate from the outside atmosphere. The process space is sealed off from a pressure space by means of a first seal and the pressure space is sealed off from the outside atmosphere by means of a second seal and, by means of a pressing device, a first pressing force can be applied to the first seal and a second pressing force can be applied to the second seal, the first pressing force can be set independently of the second pressing force and, during operation, the internal pressure of the pressure space is higher than the internal pressure of the process space.