HIGH TEMPERATURE FLUIDIZED BED FURNACE

摘要

A fluidized bed furnace for treating of materials at a temperature in the range of about 1100.degree.C to 1300.degree.C using an inert gas as the fluidizing medium is taught which heats the fluid bed by infrared radiation lamps disposed exterior to the bed. The furnace is particularly suited for the heat treating of high speed steel cutting tools and material on a batch basis. A boundary layer of the fluid bed is directly heated by infrared radiation emitted by lamps and the energy is quickly dissipated to the rest of the bed. The lamps are capable of emitting sufficient radiation energy to rapidly raise the temperature of the fluid bed and once so raised the lamps are then capable of maintaining the bed about a desired temperature by operating the lamps at a reduced power setting. The time required to raise the temperature of the furnace to the operating range is a significantly less than the time required with salt bath furnaces.