Can gas be introduced into the annealing furnace?

Annealing furnaces can indeed be filled with gas. Annealing furnaces play an important role in metal processing, improving the properties of metals through high-temperature treatment. During the annealing process, the introduction of specific gases can serve to protect, adjust the atmosphere, or promote certain chemical reactions.
The function of introducing gas
Protective effect: At high temperatures, metals are prone to react with oxygen in the air, leading to adverse phenomena such as oxidation and decarburization. Introducing inert gases (such as nitrogen or argon) or reducing gases (such as hydrogen) can effectively isolate the air, protect the metal from oxidation, and ensure the smooth progress of the annealing process.
Adjusting the atmosphere: Different annealing processes for metals and alloys have different requirements for the atmosphere. Introducing appropriate gases can adjust the atmosphere inside the furnace to meet the requirements of specific annealing processes. For example, hydrogen can serve as a reducing atmosphere to help remove oxides and other impurities from metals.
Promoting chemical reactions: In certain annealing processes, specific chemical reactions are required to improve the properties of metals. Introducing gas can promote these reactions, such as hydrogen reacting with metal surface oxides at high temperatures to generate metal and water vapor, thereby removing the oxide layer.
Requirements for gas introduction
Purity: The gas introduced into the annealing furnace needs to meet a certain purity requirement to avoid adverse effects of impurities on the metal. For example, the purity of hydrogen should be as high as possible to reduce its impurity content.
Pressure: The furnace needs to maintain a certain positive pressure to prevent external air from entering. The pressure of the introduced gas needs to be appropriately controlled to ensure the stability of the atmosphere inside the furnace.
Flow rate: The flow rate of gas needs to be determined according to the size, shape, and requirements of the annealing process of the furnace. Appropriate flow rate can ensure uniform distribution and effective circulation of the atmosphere inside the furnace.
practical application
In practical applications, the type and parameters of gas introduced into the annealing furnace will be adjusted according to the specific annealing process and metal type. For example, in the steel industry, annealing furnaces are usually filled with nitrogen or hydrogen as a protective gas; In the processing of copper and copper alloys, inert gases such as argon may also be used as protective atmospheres.
In summary, the annealing furnace can be filled with gas, and the gas introduced plays a crucial role in the annealing process. By precisely controlling parameters such as gas type, purity, pressure, and flow rate, the annealing process can be ensured to proceed smoothly and achieve the expected results.