Oak Ridge National Laboratory offers a full spectrum of thermal processing capabilities, from conventional high temperature furnaces to the unique Pulse Thermal Processing (link to PTP info page) facilities. With several experienced material scientists on staff, ORNL investigates the impact of thermal annealing on the microstructure, composition, and performance of the processed material. Depending upon the demands of a particular project, ORNL will investigate various techniques for maximizing the benefits of thermal annealing while minimizing energy consumption and manufacturing cost. As an example, we have recently used infrared (IR) heating technology to reduce the energy consumption for a specific heat treatment of an aluminum alloy by 72%. Infrared (IR) heating often provides an attractive alternative for thermal processing. A common tungsten halogen lamp contains a very thin tungsten element that is resistively heated in excess of 2000°C in a halogen gas environment. Since the thermal mass of the element is so small, the lamp can reach full power in less than second. The system can easily maintain a constant temperature, but it can also be cycled to conserve power during batch processing without impacting the life of the lamp. Infrared heating systems generally convert about 90% of the input electrical energy into radiant heat and deliver an energy density of 20-40 W/cm2. |
