Method of producing nitrogen-hydrogen atmospheres for metals processing
US5348592A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 1, 1993 |
| Grant date | Sep 20, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 1, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB22F2201/02
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
An improved method for producing substantially moisture- and oxygen-free, nitrogen-hydrogen atmospheres suitable for annealing, hardening, brazing, and sintering ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys is disclosed. According to the disclosed method, suitable nitrogen-hydrogen atmosphere is produced by 1) generating a nitrogen stream containing about 0.1 to 5% residual oxygen by a known non-cryogenic air separation technique, 2) mixing it with a pre-determined but more than stoichiometric amount of hydrogen required to convert residual oxygen to moisture, 3) converting residual oxygen to moisture by reaction with hydrogen in a catalytic reactor, 4) cooling the reactor effluent stream, and 5) removing moisture from it in a regenerative sorbent dryer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.