Industrial Furnaces Continued…

Blast

A blast furnace is a large steel structure that is lines with refractory (high temperature) firebricks that can withstand temperatures approaching 2000oC. The furnace gets its name from the method that is used to heat it; pre-heated air is blasted into the furnace through nozzles near its base, allowing combustion in the middle of the coke, limestone and iron ore mixture. Air blown into the furnace reacts with the carbon in the coal to produce carbon monoxide, which then mixes with the iron oxide, reacting chemically to produce pure iron and carbon dioxide, which leaks out of the furnace at the top and you are left with iron.

Kiln

A kiln is an oven built to contain heat around the item that is to be calcined, cooked, baked, burned, or fired, such as pottery. There are a wide variety of kiln types including everything from the earliest known open pit of pre-historic times to the efficient structures used today. The vast array of kilns include: anagama, updraft, downdraft , gas burning, electric, wood burning, open pit, centenary arch, raku, climbing, and salt.

Incinerators

Incinerators are enclosed devices that use controlled flame combustion to break down waste materials. They can be used either for general waste disposal or for biohazardous waste disposal, but each requires a different type of incinerator.

Things to Consider

Important specifications to consider when searching for industrial furnaces include process temperature, height, width or tube outer diameter, length of the chamber or tube, and pressure range. The process temperature is the maximum temperature at which the unit may operate and still maintain rated performances. The height refers to the internal height dimension of the unit. The width refers to the internal width dimension of the unit, or for tube industrial furnaces, the outer diameter of the tube. The length is the length dimension of the unit, or on tube furnaces, the heated length. The pressure range is the pressure range through which the unit can operate.

By Elysse Kimberlin