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Machinery Repairman

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HEATING EQUIPMENT<br />

Figure 15-7.—Exploded view of electric furnace used for heat-treating.<br />

Equipment designed for the heating of metals<br />

includes electric furnaces, fuel-fired furnaces, bath<br />

furnaces, and devices for the measurement and control<br />

of temperature. Improvised heating devices may<br />

include oxyacetylene torches, Hauck burners, forges,<br />

and temporary ovens constructed of firebrick and sheet<br />

asbestos. We will discuss electric furnaces since they<br />

are what most <strong>Machinery</strong> Repairmen will be using.<br />

The gases that circulate through the furnace heating<br />

chamber and surround the metal as it is being heated<br />

make up the FURNACE ATMOSPHERE. By controlling<br />

the composition of the furnace atmosphere, you<br />

can produce the type of atmosphere best suited for the<br />

heating of a particular type of metal. Furnace<br />

atmospheres are generally classified as being oxidizing,<br />

reducing, or neutral.<br />

An OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE exists when<br />

excess air is circulated through the furnace. Some<br />

electric furnaces are designed to operate with an<br />

oxidizing atmosphere at all times. An oxidizing<br />

atmosphere is indicated by bright, clean walls and a<br />

clear, transparent atmosphere in the furnace. Metals<br />

heated in an oxidizing atmosphere occasionally develop<br />

films of metal oxides (scale) on their surfaces. In some<br />

cases, this is undesirable; but in other cases, it is desirable<br />

because it tends to prevent further decarburization<br />

of the metal. Decarburization is a term used to describe<br />

the loss of carbon from the surface of ferrous metals<br />

with consequent softening of the material.<br />

A REDUCING ATMOSPHERE tends to remove<br />

oxygen from the surface of the metal. A reducing<br />

atmosphere is often desirable in heat treatment since it<br />

tends to prevent oxide formation and other surface<br />

deterioration. If decarburization of steel is to be<br />

15-7<br />

avoided, however, a neutral atmosphere rather than a<br />

reducing or oxidizing atmosphere is used.<br />

A NEUTRAL ATMOSPHERE is neither oxidizing<br />

nor reducing because it contains no oxygen (oxidizing<br />

agent) and no carbon monoxide (reducing agent). In<br />

reality, other factors often tend to produce either<br />

oxidation or decarburization; therefore, an atmosphere<br />

that is described as neutral may not always be totally<br />

neutral.<br />

The furnace atmosphere may be the result of the<br />

deliberate introduction of a gas or a mixture of gases<br />

into the heating chamber. When gases are deliberately<br />

introduced into the heating chamber for the purpose of<br />

controlling the atmosphere, the furnace is said to have<br />

a CONTROLLED or PROTECTIVE ATMOSPHERE.<br />

Electric Furnaces<br />

Electric furnaces with a controlled atmosphere are<br />

frequently used for heat-treating on repair ships and<br />

tenders. Quite often two such units are used on the same<br />

ship. One is a relatively low-temperature furnace used<br />

for preheating or tempering, and the other is a higher<br />

temperature furnace used for hardening. Both types are<br />

equipped with control devices for regulating<br />

temperature. The high-temperature furnace may also be<br />

equipped with rheostats used to increase the rate of<br />

heating. A typical electric furnace for shipboard use is<br />

shown in figure 15-6. An exploded view of a slightly<br />

different type of electric furnace is shown in figure 15-7.<br />

The outer casing of the furnace is usually made of<br />

sheet steel. Just inside the casing is a layer of insulating<br />

material, such as mica, spun glass, or asbestos. Inside<br />

this insulating material is a lining of refractory material,<br />

such as firebrick and insulating brick. The refractory<br />

lining insulates the furnace, helps maintain the required

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