What is an atmosphere tube furnace?

Atmosphere tube furnace is a high-temperature heating equipment widely used in materials science, chemical engineering, and industrial production. Its uniqueness lies in its atmosphere control ability and efficient heating performance, making it an indispensable tool for researching new materials and processes. The following is a detailed introduction to the atmosphere tube furnace:
1. Composition structure
The atmosphere tube furnace is mainly composed of the following parts:
Furnace body: usually made of high-temperature and corrosion-resistant materials to withstand oxidation and corrosion in high-temperature environments.
Heating element: Typically, electric heating wires or electric heating tubes are used to increase the temperature inside the furnace through current heating.
Atmosphere control system: This is the core part of the atmosphere tube furnace, which can accurately control the composition and concentration of the atmosphere inside the furnace according to experimental or production needs. Common atmospheres include inert gases such as nitrogen and argon, reducing gases such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and oxidizing gases such as oxygen.
Temperature control system: Through temperature sensors and controllers, precise control of the temperature inside the furnace is achieved.
2. Working principle
The working principle of an atmosphere tube furnace mainly involves the following aspects:
Fuel combustion: In some types of tube furnaces, the burner mixes fuel and air and sends it into the combustion chamber, which is ignited by an ignition device to form a flame. The flame enters the furnace along the pipeline and heats the workpiece.
Atmosphere regulation: By controlling the ratio of fuel to air, the atmosphere environment inside the furnace can be regulated. The more fuel, the less oxygen, and the more reduced the atmosphere inside the furnace; On the contrary, the less fuel and the more oxygen there is, the more oxidized the atmosphere becomes.
Thermal conduction: The workpiece inside the furnace is in contact with the furnace wall and the hot gas generated by combustion to achieve thermal energy conduction. The furnace wall is generally made of high-temperature resistant materials that can withstand high temperatures and thermal shocks.
Temperature control: The temperature inside the furnace needs to be adjusted by controlling the supply of fuel and air. Generally, the temperature inside the furnace is monitored by temperature measuring instruments and automatically adjusted according to the set values.
3. Application Fields
Atmosphere tube furnaces have a wide range of applications in various fields, including but not limited to:
Heat treatment: Used for heat treatment of metal materials, such as quenching, tempering, annealing, etc. By adjusting the atmosphere environment inside the furnace, the hardness, strength, and toughness of the workpiece surface can be controlled.
Welding: In the preheating treatment before metal welding, the atmosphere tube furnace can improve the quality and strength of the welded joint. By controlling the atmosphere environment inside the furnace, oxidation and decarburization of welding joints can be reduced.
Sintering: Used in the sintering process of materials such as ceramics and powder metallurgy. By adjusting the atmosphere environment inside the furnace, the sintering speed and sintering ratio of the material can be controlled to obtain the desired material properties.
Coating treatment: In the heat treatment of coating materials, such as thermal spraying, hot-dip coating, etc., the atmosphere tube furnace can control the composition and structure of the coating, improve the adhesion and wear resistance of the coating.
High temperature experiment: The atmosphere tube furnace can also be used for high-temperature experiments and material research. By adjusting the atmosphere and temperature inside the furnace, different high-temperature conditions can be simulated to study the properties and behavior of materials.
4. Product Features
Atmosphere tube furnaces come in various models and specifications, such as single tube, double tube, horizontal, openable, vertical, etc., to meet the needs of different experiments and production. Meanwhile, its efficient and precise atmosphere and temperature control functions make atmosphere tube furnaces play an important role in materials science, chemical engineering, and industrial production.
In summary, the atmosphere tube furnace is a powerful and widely used high-temperature heating equipment. Its unique atmosphere control ability and efficient heating performance provide strong support for the research and production of new materials and processes.