A FLUIDIZED-BED SYSTEM FOR THERMAL AND THERMOCHEMICAL TREATMENT

THERMOFLUID, a system of fluidised-bed equipment and processing technology, has been developed by the Institute of Precision Mechanics in Poland for the heat treatment of components and tools. In this first of two articles, the authors describe the equipment and treatment parameters. Innovations include a new fluidised solid, the use of a protective layer on the surface of the bed, non-catalyst fluidised-bed atmosphere generators, pulse-mode bed operation and ammonia-based protective atmospheres.