Apparatus and methods for debinding articles. The apparatus and methods may transform binder from furnace exhaust before the exhaust is discharged to the atmosphere. The apparatus may include a furnace retort and a reactor. The furnace retort may be configured to: exclude ambient air; and receive a carrier gas. The reactor may be configured to: receive from the retort (a) the carrier gas and (b) material removed in the retort from the article; and combust, at a temperature no greater than 750 C., the material. The material may be decomposed binder. The material may be hydrocarbon from binder that is pyrolyzed in the retort. The carrier gas may include gas that is nonflammable gas.

The invention relates to a method for controlling suspension in a suspension smelting furnace. The method comprises feeding additionally to pulverous solid matter and additionally to reaction gas reducing agent into the suspension smelting furnace, wherein reducing agent is fed in the form of a concentrated stream of reducing agent through the suspension in the reaction shaft onto the surface of the melt to form a reducing zone containing reducing agent within the collection zone of the melt.

An installation for distribution of granular or powder material via pneumatic transport comprising at least one dispensing hopper (3) for temporary storage of said granular or powder material, the dispensing hopper being suited to being, alternately, pressurized for emptying the dispensing hopper and depressurized to permit filling thereof, and a device for depressurizing said dispensing hopper. The depressurizing device comprises a depressurizing duct (12) connected to said dispensing hopper, a bag filter (11), having a maximum operating flow rate, connected to the depressurizing duct, and flow control means (15) for controlling the flow rate in said depressurizing duct through the bag filter. The bag filter (11) is suited to operating under pressure, and the flow control means (15) are located on the depressurizing duct (12) downstream of the bag filter (11) and are arranged to provide a flow rate which is at most equal to the maximum flow rate of the bag filter. Application in particular to an installation for injecting coal into a blast furnace.

A method for the direct reduction of feedstock, containing metal-oxide, to form metallic material, by contact with hot reduction gas in a reduction assembly (1): the product of the direct reduction process is discharged from the reduction assembly by a product discharge apparatus, which is flushed with seal gas, drawn off from the vent gas and subsequently dedusted. At least one portion of the dedusted vent gas is used as a combustion energy source during the production of the reduction gas, and/or as a component of a furnace fuel gas during a combustion process for heating the reduction gas, and/or as a component of the reduction gas. Apparatus for carrying out the method is disclosed.

A method and an apparatus for nitriding metal articles, wherein the nitriding potential of the nitriding atmosphere is controlled as a function of the molecular weights of the inlet and outlet gases from the nitriding apparatus, as measured by molecular weight sensors located outside (external to) the furnace chamber.

A blocking prevention device for a gasification melting system combusts and melts an object to be treated into a slag in a melting furnace after the object to be treated is converted into pyrolysis gas in a gasification furnace, the blocking prevention device including: a slag adhesion prevention device having a slag adhesion prevention capability for preventing adhesion of the slag at an opening part that may be blocked due to the adhesion of the slag; an imaging device that images the opening part; and a control device including a calculation unit that calculates a change rate of an opening area of the opening part using a plurality of images with different capturing times or a video, captured by the imaging device, and a prevention device control unit that changes the slag adhesion prevention capabilities of a plurality of the slag adhesion prevention devices in accordance with the change rate.

Disclosed is a method and device for determining the loss on ignition of at least part of an iron and steel product during passage through a furnace upstream of a descaler. The device includes electromagnetic sensors, with at least one arranged to scan the product's lower surface near the furnace outlet, the sensor oriented so the scanning plane of the electromagnetic radiation from the sensor is perpendicular to a direction of movement; a set of at least two electromagnetic sensors upstream of the descaler, oriented so their scanning planes are substantially on a single plane perpendicular to the direction of movement of the at least part of the product; and at least two electromagnetic sensors downstream of the descaler, oriented so their scanning planes are substantially on a single plane perpendicular to the product's movement direction. The sensors determine the height of the product upstream and downstream of the descaler.

Apparatus and methods for debinding articles. The apparatus and methods may transform binder from furnace exhaust before the exhaust is discharged to the atmosphere. The apparatus may include a furnace retort and a reactor. The furnace retort may be configured to: exclude ambient air; and receive a carrier gas. The reactor may be configured to: receive from the retort (a) the carrier gas and (b) material removed in the retort from the article; and combust, at a temperature no greater than 750? C., the material. The material may be decomposed binder. The material may be hydrocarbon from binder that is pyrolyzed in the retort. The carrier gas may include gas that is nonflammable gas.

The present disclosure is related to a method of producing a fired ceramic article. The method may include: heating a ceramic green body in a kiln, and controlling oxygen concentration in the kiln such that the oxygen concentration swings during the heating of the ceramic green body.

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.