Competitive Position of Natural Gas: Ferrous Metal Heat Treating and Atmosphere Generation Applications

摘要

Market profiles were developed to define current heat treating technologies and to characterize the application and use of each technology in the ferrous metal heat treating industry. Important cost and performance parameters associated with each technology were identified and validated through extensive interviews with heat treating industry representatives. Current heat treat practices, expectations for future process developments that could affect gas use, and recommendations for research that could improve the effectiveness of gas-fueled heat treating furnaces and atmosphere generators are described in the report.