The invention relates to a multi-level furnace for thermal treatment of the material flow which has at least two process chambers arranged one above another, each providing at least two level floors, and is equipped with one or more transfer devices for transferring the treated material flow from an upper process chamber to a lower process chamber. In order to separate the two process chambers in terms of gas flow, the transfer device has means for forming a material column in the transition region between the upper and the lower process spaces, wherein said means for forming a material column comprise at least one conveying unit or at least one chute, and the at least one conveying unit or at least one chute also forms a material removal device for the upper process chamber and/or a material input device for the lower process chamber.

The invention relates to a multi-level furnace for thermal treatment of the material flow which has at least two process chambers arranged one above another, each providing at least two level floors, and is equipped with one or more transfer devices for transferring the treated material flow from an upper process chamber to a lower process chamber. In order to separate the two process chambers in terms of gas flow, the transfer device has means for forming a material column in the transition region between the upper and the lower process spaces, wherein said means for forming a material column comprise at least one conveying unit or at least one chute, and the at least one conveying unit or at least one chute also forms a material removal device for the upper process chamber and/or a material input device for the lower process chamber.

A conveyance device for a heat treatment device presses a conveyed body to convey the conveyed body in a linear direction, and includes a cylinder mechanisms having a retractable rod that presses the conveyed body, in which: an abutting member is disposed at a tip part of the rod of the cylinder mechanism so that the abutting member abuts locations, which are different from each other in a circumferential direction, on an outer peripheral surface of the conveyed body; a guide rail configured to guide the abutting member is provided; and the abutting member is provided with a traveling roller that travels on the guide rail.

A conveyance device for a heat treatment device presses a conveyed body to convey the conveyed body in a linear direction, and includes a cylinder mechanisms having a retractable rod that presses the conveyed body, in which: an abutting member is disposed at a tip part of the rod of the cylinder mechanism so that the abutting member abuts locations, which are different from each other in a circumferential direction, on an outer peripheral surface of the conveyed body; a guide rail configured to guide the abutting member is provided; and the abutting member is provided with a traveling roller that travels on the guide rail.

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.