A side-type powder top blown furnace and method for treating the furnace is disclosed. The furnace includes a cylindrical furnace body, powder material inlet nozzles, a furnace top sample rod, a top blown furnace spray gun, a belt feeding inlet, a branch conveying pipe, a quantitative pneumatic conveying device, a powder material collecting bin, a powder collecting bin feeding inlet and a furnace top cover; the powder material inlet nozzles are symmetrically arranged around a furnace wall of the cylindrical furnace body on the same horizontal plane. The disclosure can solve the problems of large transportation flying loss, large return amount, poor operating environment, harm to the health of operators and the like in the tin smelting process.

A method for heat treating metal alloy powder includes (a) introducing metal alloy powder to a chamber having a floor and a sidewall; (b) flowing a fluidizing gas through the floor and into the chamber to fluidize the metal alloy powder in the chamber; (c) flowing an additional gas through the sidewall into the chamber; and (d) heating the chamber to heat treat the metal alloy powder in the chamber. A system for heat treating metal alloy powder includes an inner chamber having a porous floor and a porous sidewall; an outer chamber, the inner chamber being inside of the outer chamber and defining an annular space between the outer chamber and the inner chamber, wherein the outer chamber and the inner chamber are inside a furnace; a source of fluidizing gas connected to the porous floor through the annular space; and a source of additional gas communicated with the porous sidewall through the annular space.

The present invention relates to improvements to an induction smelting process. It relates to a hybrid combination of plasma over induction for a superefficient continuous smelting process; and real-time monitoring and adjustment of the smelting process. Disclosed is a hybrid smelting system comprising a real-time controller and a reduction zone in which plasma over induction heating continuously smelt feed material(s) fed into the reduction zone. Slag and reduced metals (alloy) are discharged under supervision of the real-time controller.

The invention provides a method for recycling electrodes, the method comprising inductively heating the electrodes for a time sufficient to delaminate active material from current collectors underlying the active material. The invented process utilizes high frequency induction heating, which is a form of noncontact heating generated by the application of an electromagnetic field. The invention also provides a system for separating active material from current collectors of electrodes, the system comprising a particle transport mechanism enclosed in a housing; a first entry port for inserting electrodes into the housing and a second entry port for removing electrode components from the housing; and an inductive energy applicator for heating primarily interfaces comprising surfaces of the active material and surfaces of the current collectors opposing those active material surfaces.