A heat treatment furnace may include: a furnace body including an entrance and an exit; a lower plate member disposed in the furnace body; an upper plate member disposed above the lower plate member, wherein the upper plate member is configured to allow the plurality of objects stacked in an up-down direction to be placed thereon; an intermediate member interposed between the lower plate member and the upper plate member in the up-down direction and attached to the lower plate member; and a pusher configured to push the upper plate member forward from the entrance toward the exit. The upper plate member may move forward above the lower plate member. A sliding resistance between the upper plate member and the intermediate member may be smaller than a sliding resistance between the upper plate member and the lower plate member.

A heat treatment furnace may include: a furnace body including an entrance and an exit; a lower plate member disposed in the furnace body; an upper plate member disposed above the lower plate member, wherein the upper plate member is configured to allow the plurality of objects stacked in an up-down direction to be placed thereon; an intermediate member interposed between the lower plate member and the upper plate member in the up-down direction and attached to the lower plate member; and a pusher configured to push the upper plate member forward from the entrance toward the exit. The upper plate member may move forward above the lower plate member. A sliding resistance between the upper plate member and the intermediate member may be smaller than a sliding resistance between the upper plate member and the lower plate member.

An apparatus for calcining a secondary battery cathode material includes: a calcination furnace including an inner space that includes a temperature rising space, a temperature maintaining space, and a cooling space, which sequentially communicate; a plurality of rollers for transferring a sagger, in which a cathode material is accommodated, from the temperature rising space to the cooling space via the temperature maintaining space; a plurality of heaters arranged along the inner space; a plurality of gas feeding parts for feeding gas to the inner space; and a plurality of exhaust parts for exhausting gas from the inner space, wherein the cross-sectional area of the temperature maintaining space is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the temperature rising space and the cross-sectional area of the cooling space.

An apparatus for calcining a secondary battery cathode material includes: a calcination furnace including an inner space that includes a temperature rising space, a temperature maintaining space, and a cooling space, which sequentially communicate; a plurality of rollers for transferring a sagger, in which a cathode material is accommodated, from the temperature rising space to the cooling space via the temperature maintaining space; a plurality of heaters arranged along the inner space; a plurality of gas feeding parts for feeding gas to the inner space; and a plurality of exhaust parts for exhausting gas from the inner space, wherein the cross-sectional area of the temperature maintaining space is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the temperature rising space and the cross-sectional area of the cooling space.

A refractory article having a support structure including a first plurality of posts coupled by a first member; and a second plurality of posts substantially parallel with the first plurality of posts, the second plurality of posts coupled by a second member, wherein the support structure has a height, H, and wherein the first and second members are positioned between 0.3H and 0.7H. In another aspect, the support structure has a height to width ratio of at least 1.5, a stiffness factor of no greater than 100 mm, and a solid to open volume ratio of no greater than 5%. In another aspect, the support structure has a weight of no greater than 1200 kg, a stiffness factor of no greater than 100 mm, and a solid to open volume ratio of no greater than 5%.

A refractory article having a support structure including a first plurality of posts coupled by a first member; and a second plurality of posts substantially parallel with the first plurality of posts, the second plurality of posts coupled by a second member, wherein the support structure has a height, H, and wherein the first and second members are positioned between 0.3H and 0.7H. In another aspect, the support structure has a height to width ratio of at least 1.5, a stiffness factor of no greater than 100 mm, and a solid to open volume ratio of no greater than 5%. In another aspect, the support structure has a weight of no greater than 1200 kg, a stiffness factor of no greater than 100 mm, and a solid to open volume ratio of no greater than 5%.

The invention relates to a method for sintering carbon bodies (16) in a furnace comprising at least a first furnace chamber (11) for receiving the carbon bodies, which are accommodated in a packing material (23), the carbon bodies being arranged between lateral chamber walls (12, 13, 21) of the furnace chamber, and the furnace chamber serving to form a preheating zone V, a heating zone H provided with a heating device, and a cooling zone A, wherein a packing material (23) made, at least in part, of a highly heat-conductive material is used.

A process oven includes a housing structure with a conveyor system configured to carry product through a housing structure from a first opening to a second opening. A perforated flame holder is positioned within the housing structure and configured to apply, to the product, thermal energy released by a combustion reaction held by the perforated flame holder.

A carrier transport system transports a plurality of carriers by a transport conveyor into a heating furnace, advances a comb-shaped carrier stopper having a plurality of protrusions toward the carriers, moves the carriers by the transport conveyor in a transport direction to engage cutout grooves, provided respectively for the carriers, with the protrusions of the carrier stopper to thereby position the carriers at a time. The carrier transport system advances the carrier stopper toward the carriers to insert distal ends of the protrusions of the carrier stopper into insertion holes, and then determines, on the basis of a moved distance X of the carrier stopper, whether the carriers are properly positioned.

A carrier transport system transports a plurality of carriers by a transport conveyor into a heating furnace, advances a comb-shaped carrier stopper having a plurality of protrusions toward the carriers, moves the carriers by the transport conveyor in a transport direction to engage cutout grooves, provided respectively for the carriers, with the protrusions of the carrier stopper to thereby position the carriers at a time. The carrier transport system advances the carrier stopper toward the carriers to insert distal ends of the protrusions of the carrier stopper into insertion holes, and then determines, on the basis of a moved distance X of the carrier stopper, whether the carriers are properly positioned.