The Impact of Oil Quenching - A Look at the Carbon Footprint and Costs of Vacuum vs. Atmosphere Processing

With a growing awareness of the environmental impact of thermal processing, environmental considerations are becoming more critical in operations and facilities planning. While financial planning information is often readily available, it can be difficult for heat treaters to compare equipment from a standpoint of environmental impact. This presentation will provide a case study comparing relative energy consumption and carbon footprint between a gas-fired atmosphere integral oil quench furnace and an electric batch vacuum oil quenching furnace. Included in the study is a review of the technical specifications for each piece of equipment, the total energy consumption, and the CO2 emissions resulting from the operation of each. Considerations for safety and infrastructure requirements will also be presented.