Most fluidized-bed furnaces are used at temperatures below 1095 °C (2000 °F), although some manufacturers have furnaces capable of treating components to temperatures through 1205 °C (2200 °F). Initially, the gas flows upward through the permeable base to agitate the particles as the pressure is gradually increased. (b) Eventually, the gas flow is sufficient to lift the small particles of refractory materials and to transform the particle movement into a violent turbulent motion.
In the early 1980s, this furnace technology seemed to be on the right track as an alternative to salt bath technology, showing similar advantages and applications but without the environmental hazard of salt compounds, waste disposal, recycling of salts, and so on. Nowadays it can be concluded that salt bath technology was partially substituted by vacuum technology, but especially for bainitic hardening (austempering processes), salt baths are still commonly used and show a slightly growing tendency, whereas fluidized beds are hardly used any more.
This temperature limitation is related to the wear and tear on the retort materials at high temperatures, which was one of the reasons for the reduced interest in this furnace type after the initial hype.
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Ipsen, Pecatonica, Ill., formerly known as Ipsen Ceramics, is expanding its vacuum furnace hot zone assembly. The refurbishments include new lighting, HVAC, roofing, and other interior and exterior upgrades. Located at 325 John Street, less than 30 miles from Ipsen’s Vacuum Technology Excellence Center in Cherry Valley, the factory will initially employ up to eight material assemblers.
Incorporating the Pecatonica location into Ipsen’s vacuum furnace production and aftermarket process will provide added benefits to customers. Jake Hamid, Ipsen’s director and chief Operating Officer, stated that “Our goal is to reduce delivery times and better control the critical phase of assembly.” In the future, Ipsen is considering other manufacturing activities in Pecatonica to supplement the needs of the Vacuum Technology Excellence Center.
The move to repurpose the Pecatonica plant aligns with Ipsen’s commitment to providing high-quality vacuum furnace equipment and services to customers. The company’s dedication to meeting customer needs and reducing delivery times will be further enhanced by this strategic move, ensuring that Ipsen remains a leader in the vacuum furnace industry.
Seco/Vacuum, Meadville, Pa., has announced that a U.S.-based international manufacturer has placed an order for a Vector high-pressure gas quench furnace. The new furnace will increase the partner’s heat treat capability while improving part quality. The Vector will allow the partner to heat treat larger parts, at higher quantities per cycle than their existing furnace, all with improved quality control and reliability.
The partner’s equipment requires the use of large dies that require precise heat treating. Their current heat treatment setup includes a pair of vacuum furnaces, which have some limits compared to the Vector they are about to receive.
The new furnace, a bottom loading Vector vacuum furnace with 6 bar nitrogen gas quench, has a 60″ diameter, 72″ tall, and a 3-ton capacity working zone. It is equipped with convection heating which allows them to run their tempering cycle in the same furnace without having to move parts after hardening, a tremendous time and labor savings.
The furnace is also equipped with SECO/WARWICK’s FineCarb low-pressure carburizing system for future process developments. The Vector will increase production capacity to meet the rising market demand of today and tomorrow. The new furnace’s vertical configuration and rotary hearth were built specifically to accommodate more large dies, allowing the partner to meet the elevated demand with ease. SECO/VACUUM’s intuitive process controls ensure greater heating uniformity than their existing equipment in both convection mode and in vacuum mode.
HighT-Tech, Md., has won The Spinoff Prize 2021 for developing a technique to make alloys that could improve catalysts or be used to build better batteries. The method enables the startup to fine-tune the catalytic activity of the materials and discover new and potentially more efficient catalysts.
Harper, Buffalo, N.Y., has announced a strategic alliance with Novonix Limited to develop specialized furnace technology designed to enhance synthetic graphite manufacturing process. This provides Novonix a local, established supplier of key equipment to produce greater quantities of material and scale quickly and cost effectively. This is, in turn, aimed at supporting electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
Carpenter to provide soft magnetic alloys for electric aircraft engine demonstrators
July 2, 2019
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Carpenter Technology, Philadelphia, announced at the Paris Air Show its involvement with multiple OEMs to help with electric aircraft development by providing advanced soft magnetic alloy expertise and ultra-efficient electrical components for R&D and demonstrator motors and engines. The goal is to construct lighter-weight, longer-lasting electric propulsion systems. Along with its partners, Carpenter Technology’s goal is to enable development of the highest power-density motors available.
Carpenter Technology’s portfolio covers a range of solutions from maximizing magnetic performance to optimally balancing yield strength and core loss in rotating components. Already a leading industry producer of soft magnetic materials, Carpenter Technology recently announced a $100 million investment in a precision strip mill to expand its soft magnetic capabilities to serve aerospace and other industries looking to realize the benefits of electric power.
“As the industry leader in electric propulsion material solutions, we are well positioned to support the development of electric systems to power the aircraft of tomorrow,†says Marshall Akins, Carpenter Technology’s Vice President, Aerospace Markets.
Photo shows a Siemens electric aircraft engine from 2016.
Carpenter Technology, Philadelphia, announced at the Paris Air Show its involvement with multiple OEMs to help with electric aircraft development by providing advanced soft magnetic alloy expertise and ultra-efficient electrical components for R&D and demonstrator motors and engines.
Mineral and organic acids extract rare earth elements from phosphate rock waste
March 11, 2019
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Researchers from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, N.J., and members of the Critical Materials Institute in Ames, Iowa, announce that they have found a possible new source of rare earth elements in phosphate rock waste, and have developed an environmentally friendly way to extract the elements. Results of their study were published in the Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics.
The research team explored using mineral and organic acids, including a bio-acid mixture, to extract six rare earth elements (yttrium, cerium, neodymium, samarium, europium, and ytterbium) from synthetic phosphogypsum. Scientists led by David Reed at Idaho National Laboratory produced the bio-acid mixture - consisting primarily of gluconic acid, found naturally in fruits and honey - by growing the bacteria Gluconobacter oxydans on glucose.
The results suggest that the bio-acid did a better job extracting rare earth elements than pure gluconic acid at the same pH (2.1), or degree of acidity. The mineral acids (sulfuric and phosphoric) failed to extract any rare earth elements in that scenario. When the four acids were tested at the same concentration, only sulfuric acid was more effective than the bio-acid.
Each year, an estimated 250 million tons of phosphate rock are mined to produce phosphoric acid for fertilizers. In the United States, approximately 28 million metric tons were mined in 2017. Rare earth elements generally amount to less than 0.1 percent in phosphate rock. But worldwide, about 100,000 tons of these elements per year end up in phosphogypsum waste. That's almost as much as the approximately 126,000 tons of rare earth oxides produced worldwide each year.
Researchers from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, N.J., and members of the Critical Materials Institute in Ames, Iowa, announce that they have found a possible new source of rare earth elements in phosphate rock waste, and have developed an environmentally friendly way to extract the elements.
Metalysis, England, is powering up the world’s first commercial plant based on solid-state production (Cambridge process) of metal alloy powders at its Materials Manufacturing Centre in Wath upon Dearne, South Yorkshire.
Several Japanese universities, research groups, and government agencies published an article in the April 10 edition of the online journal Scientific Reports describing results of their analysis of the rare-earth metals they discovered in deep-sea mud near Japan back in 2013.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, reports that its engineers have found high rare earth element concentrations in coal samples taken from the Illinois, Northern Appalachian, Central Appalachian, Rocky Mountain Coal Basins, and the Pennsylvania Anthracite region.
