Provided is a C/C composite having a long life in an environment including a heating process and a cooling process and having less adverse effects on surrounding facilities and the quality of treatment objects. A C/C composite in which, in measurement for open pores by mercury porosimetry, an open porosity for open pores with a radius of not less than 0.4 μm and less than 10 μm in the C/C composite is 2.0% or less.

A sintering furnace with a first zone, in particular a burn-off zone, and a second zone, in particular a sintering zone, and also a transitional zone arranged between the first zone and the second zone. The sintering furnace has at least one transporting mechanism for transporting bodies to be sintered on a transporting area. With this transporting mechanism, the bodies to be sintered can be transported from the first zone and through the transitional zone to the second zone. The sintering furnace also has at least one gas removal device with at least one gas removal device opening. Here, the gas removal device opening is at least partially arranged in the region of the transitional zone. Furthermore, a method by means of which gases can be removed from a sintering furnace is claimed.

A sintering furnace with a first zone, in particular a burn-off zone, and a second zone, in particular a sintering zone, and also a transitional zone arranged between the first zone and the second zone. The sintering furnace has at least one transporting mechanism for transporting bodies to be sintered on a transporting area. With this transporting mechanism, the bodies to be sintered can be transported from the first zone and through the transitional zone to the second zone. The sintering furnace also has at least one gas removal device with at least one gas removal device opening. Here, the gas removal device opening is at least partially arranged in the region of the transitional zone. Furthermore, a method by means of which gases can be removed from a sintering furnace is claimed.

A heat treatment furnace disclosed herein may include: a heat treatment unit configured to heat-treat an object; a cooling unit configured to cool the object heat-treated by the heat treatment unit; and a conveyor configured to convey the object in the heat treatment unit and the cooling unit. The cooling unit may include a housing, wherein the housing is disposed below a conveyance path on which the object is conveyed by the conveyor and configured to cool the object being conveyed by the conveyor by liquid flowing inside the housing. The housing may include an upper plate facing the object being conveyed by the conveyor. The upper plate may be tilted so that gas stays at a predetermined portion of the housing while the liquid is flowing in the housing.

A machine for applying spouts to containers includes a heating tunnel for heating spouts, and a conveyor for conveying spouts through the heating tunnel for heating. The conveyor is a loop conveyor including a plurality of spout holding rack assemblies mounted thereon, wherein the loop conveyor defines a conveyor path from a spout loading zone, through the heating tunnel and then back to the spout loading zone. The machine includes (i) multi-material warp resistant rack holding assemblies, and/or (ii) a spout infeed track at a spout infeed side of the conveyor that includes an adjustment assembly for permitting adjustment of a number of spouts fed from the spout infeed track into an aligned spout holding rack assembly, and/or (iii) a spout emptying passage at a spout outfeed side of the conveyor, and/or (iv) a controller configured to track the position of each spout holding rack assembly along the conveyor path.

A machine for applying spouts to containers includes a heating tunnel for heating spouts, and a conveyor for conveying spouts through the heating tunnel for heating. The conveyor is a loop conveyor including a plurality of spout holding rack assemblies mounted thereon, wherein the loop conveyor defines a conveyor path from a spout loading zone, through the heating tunnel and then back to the spout loading zone. The machine includes (i) multi-material warp resistant rack holding assemblies, and/or (ii) a spout infeed track at a spout infeed side of the conveyor that includes an adjustment assembly for permitting adjustment of a number of spouts fed from the spout infeed track into an aligned spout holding rack assembly, and/or (iii) a spout emptying passage at a spout outfeed side of the conveyor, and/or (iv) a controller configured to track the position of each spout holding rack assembly along the conveyor path.

A tray is provided for conveying a workpiece placed on the tray inside a heat treatment furnace. The tray includes plural kinds of positional displacement regulating parts for respectively regulating horizontal positional displacements of plural kinds of workpieces with different sizes, wherein the plural kinds of positional displacement regulating parts are arranged concentrically in a plane shape.

A tray is provided for conveying a workpiece placed on the tray inside a heat treatment furnace. The tray includes plural kinds of positional displacement regulating parts for respectively regulating horizontal positional displacements of plural kinds of workpieces with different sizes, wherein the plural kinds of positional displacement regulating parts are arranged concentrically in a plane shape.

A container for heat treatment of a positive-electrode active material for a lithium-ion battery to the present invention is characterized by having a base portion containing 60 to 95 mass % of alumina, and a surface portion containing 20 to 80 mass % of spinel and formed integrally with the base portion. Moreover, a production method of the present invention is characterized by comprising a step of placing an alumina-based powder, a step of placing a spinel-based powder above the alumina-based powder, a step of forming a compact by compressing the powders and a step of firing the compact.

A container for heat treatment of a positive-electrode active material for a lithium-ion battery to the present invention is characterized by having a base portion containing 60 to 95 mass % of alumina, and a surface portion containing 20 to 80 mass % of spinel and formed integrally with the base portion. Moreover, a production method of the present invention is characterized by comprising a step of placing an alumina-based powder, a step of placing a spinel-based powder above the alumina-based powder, a step of forming a compact by compressing the powders and a step of firing the compact.