The invention uses a furnace retort made of silicon carbide to create a sintering furnace having no cold areas during debinding while having low heat losses during sintering. This is achieved by varying the wall thickness of the retort and taking advantage of the large increase in thermal conductivity of silicon carbide at lower temperatures. The special properties of silicon carbide also allow rapid cooling by exposing the outside of the retort directly to a high flow of cooling air.

A pressing arrangement includes a pressure vessel comprising a furnace chamber. The furnace chamber comprises a load compartment arranged within the furnace chamber. The furnace chamber comprises at least one pressure medium guiding passage in fluid communication with the load compartment to form an inner convection loop, wherein pressure medium in the inner convection loop is guided through the load compartment and through the at least one pressure medium guiding passage and back to the load compartment, or vice versa. The pressure vessel comprises at least one adjustable throttle configured to selectively impede or obstruct pressure medium flow in at least a portion of the at least one pressure medium guiding passage, thereby selectively selectively impeding or obstructing a flow of pressure medium in the inner convection loop.

A pressing arrangement is disclosed, including a pressure vessel comprising a furnace chamber. The furnace chamber comprises a load compartment arranged within the furnace chamber and is arranged so as to allow for a flow of pressure medium through the load compartment. The furnace chamber comprises at least one pressure medium guiding passage in fluid communication with the load compartment so as to form an inner convection loop, wherein pressure medium in the inner convection loop is guided through the load compartment and through the at least one pressure medium guiding passage of the furnace chamber and back to the load compartment, or vice versa. The pressure vessel comprises at least one adjustable throttle configured to selectively impede or obstruct pressure medium flow in at least a portion of the at least one pressure medium guiding passage of the furnace chamber, thereby selectively impeding or obstructing a flow of pressure medium in the inner convection loop.

A materials processing furnace provides for debinding and sintering objects and treating effluent generated by the sintering. A heating chamber maintains a controlled atmosphere for sintering the object. A vacuum pump evacuates an effluent from the heating chamber, and an injector adds a reagent to the evacuated effluent to form a mixed gas. A catalytic converter receives the mixed gas and catalyzes one or more hazardous or offensive compounds of the effluent, thereby converting the effluent to a safer and less offensive exhaust. As a result, the furnace is suitable for operation in an office environment.