HEAT TREATMENT STUDIES
The following list provides an overview of Touchstone’s capabilities in heat treatment:
- Autoclave
- Continuous Annealing Furnace
- Controlled Atmosphere Furnaces
- Cryogenic Thermal Treatment
- Differential Scanning Calorimeter
- Foundry (Ingot / Re-Melt Furnace)
- Hot Microhardness Tester
- Mechanical Testing at Elevated and Cryogenic Temperatures
- Ovens
- Quartz Lamp Furnaces
- Resistance Furnaces
- SEM with Hot Stage
- Tube Furnaces
- Vacuum Evaporator
Autoclave Testing Studies
Touchstone has several heated pressure vessels of various capacities and temperature/pressure capabilities available for atmospheric/vacuum heat treatment, controlled-atmosphere brazing, infiltration/impregnation (e.g. polymer matrix composites), polymer curing, coal or petroleum coking, sterilization, component pressure testing, or chemical reaction research. Their specifications are as follows:
- One 30-inch diameter, 30-inch length autoclave
- 600C and 500 psi (or vacuum) operating capability
- Programmable multi-step temperature and pressure control
- Multi-atmosphere capability (oxidizing, inert, reducing)
- Two 1.5 gallon high-pressure reactors
- 600C and 3000 psi operating capability
- Programmable multi-step temperature and pressure control
- Stainless steel vessels
- Can also be operated as stirred reaction vessels
- Manufactured by Parr Instruments
- Two 4-inch diameter, 12-inch length laboratory reactors
- 600C and 500 psi (or vacuum) operating capability
- >800C service at lower pressures
- Internal ceramic fibrous insulation and heaters
- Programmable multi-step temperature control
- Stainless steel vessels
- Manufactured by Touchstone
- One laboratory steam autoclave
- 120C and 60 psi operating capability
- Steam heated
- Stainless steel vessel
- Manufactured by Castle Sterilizer
- Various other laboratory-scale heated pressure vessels available that can be customized to meet specific research requirements
Most of these were originally designed or purchased to support Touchstone’s development of carbon foam (CFOAM™) from coal-based feedstocks. Each can be outfitted with an array of auxiliary temperature and pressure sensors to monitor process conditions or material response. A mobile computer with an 8-channel I/O card and LabView” software is configured to accept multiple process data inputs, such as that from temperature and pressure transducers, to provide a detailed log of experimental conditions. The systems can also be interfaced with gas sampling ports for gas chromatography/mass spectrometry identification of volatilized species.