A processing apparatus for a thermal treatment of a workpiece is presented. The processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a workpiece support disposed within the processing chamber, a rotation system configured to rotate the workpiece support, a gas delivery system configured to flow one or more process gases into the processing chamber from the a first side of the processing chamber, one or more gas exhaust ports for removing gas from the processing chamber such that a vacuum pressure can be maintained, one or more radiative heating sources disposed on the second side of the processing chamber, one or more dielectric windows disposed between the workpiece support and the one or more radiative heating sources, and a workpiece temperature measurement system configured at a temperature measurement wavelength range to obtain a measurement indicative of a temperature of a back side of the workpiece.

A gas injection system includes a tubular wall 3 capable of being thermally stressed and having a proximal extremity and a distal extremity 11, at the distal extremity, at least one extremity opening through which at least one gas is projected. A cooling is system located in the tubular wall including axial channels 12 which extend axially towards the distal extremity and in which a cooling fluid is circulated. Connecting channels 13 circumferentially join the axial channels to each other at the distal extremity of the tubular wall. The connecting channels, which circumferentially join the axial channels at the distal extremity of the tubular wall, have a rounded shape in the direction of the distal extremity.

A gas injection system for a blast furnace or shaft furnace or metallurgical furnace comprising a furnace wall and a cooling plate wherein the gas injection system comprises a gas distribution pipe, one or more injectors having a nozzle, wherein the nozzle comprises a ceramic insert, wherein the cooling element has a hot side, turned away from the furnace wall, wherein a protrusion is attached to the hot side of said cooling plate, wherein the ceramic insert traverses the furnace wall and the cooling plate and the protrusion on cooling plate and wherein the ceramic inserts have an adaptable length so that they either protrude inside the furnace, or that they are flush with a hot face of the cooling plate or stay slightly in retreat with a hot face of the cooling plate.

A reducing gas injection system for a blast furnace having a blast furnace wall, the system including a reducing gas distribution pipe, one or more injectors mounted to the blast furnace wall at a shaft level, where the reducing gas distribution pipe is attached to the blast furnace wall or its supporting structure, where the injector(s) have a nozzle body with a peripheral wall extending along a longitudinal axis from a front portion, with at least one injection hole, to an opposite rear portion with an inlet port, where the nozzle body includes an inner gas channel for guiding reducing gas from the inlet port to the injection holes(s); where the nozzle body is mounted trough an aperture in the blast furnace wall in such a way that the front portion with the injection hole(s) is located on an inner side of the blast furnace, whereas the rear portion with the inlet port is outside of the blast furnace wall, where the nozzle body includes a peripheral mounting portion configured for connecting the injector in a gas tight manner to the aperture in the blast furnace wall, where the inlet port is in fluidic connection with the reducing gas distribution pipe by means of an injector stock, the injector stock including a feeding pipe connected to the reducing gas distribution pipe, an elbow connected to the feeding pipe and an injector pipe connected to the elbow, the injector pipe being flange mounted in a gas tight manner to the inlet port of the injector and the injector pipe and/or an outlet of the elbow having at least one cardan compensation joint.

A device to inject a reducing gas into a shaft furnace including an external casing whose front face is provided with an outlet for gas injection into the shaft furnace, an internal casing located inside the external casing and made of a steel able to resist to a temperature up to 1200° C., this internal casing having an opening matching the gas injection outlet of the front face of the external casing and a refractory layer located between the external casing and the internal casing.

A gas injection device for introducing a process gas into a non-ferrous metal melt and/or slag, in particular a copper melt and/or copper slag, including a hollow-cylindrical lance which is formed from a refractory material and/or graphite, preferably includes a refractory material and/or graphite. The lance has an inlet opening for the process gas and a gas injection module connected to the hollow-cylindrical lance and formed from a refractory material and/or graphite, preferably including a refractory material and/or graphite, with at least one outlet opening for the process gas. The outlet opening includes at least one throughflow element formed from a ceramic material via which the process gas can be introduced into the melt.

A shaft furnace, in particular a blast furnace, comprises includes an outer metal shell; a plurality of tuyeres arranged to inject hot blast into the shaft furnace; and means for injecting process gas in the shaft stack area, where the injector has a nozzle body with a peripheral wall extending along a longitudinal axis from a front portion, with at least one injection hole, to an opposite rear portion connected to a base member, where the nozzle body includes an inner gas channel for guiding process gas from an inlet port in the base member to the injection holes(s), nozzle body being mounted through an aperture in the metal shell in such a way that the front region with injection hole(s) is located on the inner side of the metal shell, whereas the rear portion is outside of the metal shell, and the base member includes a peripheral mounting portion configured for connecting the injector in a gas tight manner to a mounting unit surrounding the aperture in the metal shell.

A vertical batch furnace assembly, comprising a core tube, an outer casing, a cooling chamber bounded and enclosed by the outer casing and the core tube, and at least one cooling gas supply emanating in the cooling chamber. The core tube has an elongated circumferential wall extending in a longitudinal direction, and is configured to accommodate wafers for processing in the vertical batch furnace. The outer casing extends around the core tube and comprises a heating element for applying a thermal treatment to wafers accommodated in the core tube. The at least one cooling gas supply comprises at least one cooling gas supply opening which is arranged such that the cooling gas enters the cooling chamber with a flow direction which is substantially tangent to the circumferential wall.

The present invention describes an improved process for the commercial scale production of high-quality catalyst materials. These improved processes allow for production of catalysts that have very consistent batch to batch property and performance variations. In addition these improved processes allow for minimal production losses (by dramatically reducing the production of fines or small materials as part of the production process). The improved process involves multiple steps and uses calcining ovens that allow for precisely control temperature increases where the catalyst is homogenously heated. The calcining gas is released into a separate heating chamber, which contains the recirculation fan and the heat source. Catalysts that may be produced using this improved process include but are not limited to catlaysts that promote CO hydrogenation, reforming catalysts, Fischer Tropsch Catalysts, Greyrock GreyCat™ catalysts, catalysts that homologate methanol, catalysts that promote hydrogenation of carbon compounds, and other catalysts used in industry.

Methods for degassing and for removing impurities from molten metals are disclosed. These methods can include operating an ultrasonic device in a molten metal bath, and adding a purging gas into the molten metal bath in close proximity to the ultrasonic device.