A vertical-type firing apparatus for a positive electrode material for a secondary battery, for vertically moving and firing the positive electrode material for the secondary battery, comprises: a vertical-type firing furnace including an exhaust part, an air supply part, and a firing space positioned between the exhaust part and the air supply part; and a heater for heating the firing space of the vertical-type firing furnace, wherein the firing space includes a temperature-raising space, a cooling space, and a temperature-maintaining space located between the temperature-raising space and the cooling space, and the temperature of the temperature-maintaining space is higher than the temperature of the temperature-raising space and the temperature of the cooling space.

A vessel having an opening for receiving the product and walls surrounding the vessel at all sides except the opening. The interior of the vessel is filled with a fluid having a specific gravity lower than a specific gravity of a medium surrounding the walls outside the vessel. While the vessel is oriented with the opening facing downwards, the vessel and/or product is/are conveyed to ensure that the product enters the interior through the opening.

It is an object of the present invention to allow a furnace core tube used for a heat treatment apparatus of a porous glass base material to be used for a long period of time.

A heat treatment apparatus includes: a furnace core tube made of silica glass; a heater provided adjacent to the furnace core tube, the heater heating a heating region; and a moving mechanism supporting a porous glass base material and relatively moving the porous glass base material with respect to the heater in the furnace core tube in a state where the heating region is heated by the heater to make the porous glass base material pass through the heating region. The heat treatment apparatus includes a thin-walled part provided in a region adjacent to a portion located in the heating region in the furnace core tube, the thin-walled part having a thickness of glass less than that of the portion located in the heating region.

A device for thermal or thermo-chemical treatment, in particular calcination, of material, in particular battery cathode material, having a housing and a process chamber in the housing, in which there is a process chamber atmosphere during the treatment and which defines a conveying level. The material, or carrying structures loaded with the material, at the conveying level can be conveyed in a conveying direction into and/or through the process chamber by a conveying system. An entry airlock gate defines an inlet level and includes an airlock gate chamber, an airlock gate inlet and an airlock gate outlet, as well as an inlet conveyor which is designed so that the material or carrying structures loaded with the material at the inlet level can be conveyed through the airlock gate inlet and into the airlock gate chamber. The conveying level and the inlet level are different from one another. A method for thermal or thermo-chemical treatment, in particular calcination, of material, in particular battery cathode material, in which the material or carrying structures loaded with the material at the conveying level and the inlet level are conveyed at different heights.

A carbon baking furnace has at least one vertical baking shaft with a system and method for positioning green carbon bodies to be baked at the top of the vertical baking path and ringing the green carbon bodies with a sacrificial medium such as packing coke. The disclosure provides a system and method for controlling the delivery and removal of the sacrificial medium used to surround the carbon bodies within the baking paths. A volatile extraction system and method are provided. A system and method for unloading baked carbon bodies is disclosed.

A method of thermally processing work pieces including providing an insulated chamber having a first end, an opposing second end, and a middle portion disposed between the first and second ends, wherein the first end is inclined with respect to middle portion, creating a thermal gradient within an interior of the insulated chamber, and providing a means for gradually moving a workpiece from the first end to the second end within the created thermal gradient.

A heat treatment apparatus includes: a furnace core tube made of silica glass; a heater provided adjacent to the furnace core tube, the heater heating a heating region; and a moving mechanism supporting a porous glass base material and relatively moving the porous glass base material with respect to the heater in the furnace core tube in a state where the heating region is heated by the heater to make the porous glass base material pass through the heating region. The heat treatment apparatus includes a thin-walled part provided in a region adjacent to a portion located in the heating region in the furnace core tube, the thin-walled part having a thickness of glass less than that of the portion located in the heating region.

A vessel having an opening for receiving the product and walls surrounding the vessel at all sides except the opening. The interior of the vessel is filled with a fluid having a specific gravity lower than a specific gravity of a medium surrounding the walls outside the vessel. While the vessel is oriented with the opening facing downwards, the vessel and/or product is/are conveyed to ensure that the product enters the interior through the opening.

A method of thermally processing work pieces including providing an insulated chamber having a first end, an opposing second end, and a middle portion disposed between the first and second ends, wherein the first end is inclined with respect to middle portion, creating a thermal gradient within an interior of the insulated chamber, and providing a means for gradually moving a workpiece from the first end to the second end within the created thermal gradient.

A carbon baking furnace has at least one vertical baking shaft with a system and method for positioning green carbon bodies to be baked at the top of the vertical baking path and ringing the green carbon bodies with a sacrificial medium such as packing coke. The disclosure provides a system and method for controlling the delivery and removal of the sacrificial medium used to surround the carbon bodies within the baking paths. A volatile extraction system and method are provided. A system and method for unloading baked carbon bodies is disclosed.