PTB Industry News

EOI Installs B1500M Furnace

SANTA BARBARA, CA -- ElectroOptical Industries (EOI) has completed installation of a high vacuum/hydrogen furnace. According to EOI, the Model B1500M furnace, which has an all-tungsten hot zone measuring 10" dia x 20" high, is rated for a maximum operating temperature of 2450^oC. It is designed specifically for processing ceramic parts in wet or dry hydrogen or at a vacuum level of below 1 x 10^-7 torr.

EOI says that during hydrogen processing, the B1500M furnace features a dewpoint control system using a heated humidifier and mass flow controllers that can maintain dewpoints from -40^oC to +60^oC to within +/-0.5^oC. In addition, says the company, the dewpoint setpoint can be ramped up and down smoothly while the main hot-zone temperature profile program is running.

The EOI/Hetherington hydrogen furnaces are used by thermal-processing engineers, materials engineers, metallurgists, and ceramic engineers. Projects have included high-temperature ceramic sintering systems and vacuum processing of vacuum interrupters. EOI/Hetherington customers include Los Alamos National Laboratory, EG&G Energy, the U.S. Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Hughes Aircraft, and Hewlett-Packard.