Troubleshooting of heat treatment furnace atmosphere problems and new technologies to avoid these

Heat Treatment process is still considered a "Black Art" as many of the parameters cannot be controlled but can only be predicted. Many of the reaction theoretically expected to happen may or may not happen but practical ways to monitor and control furnace atmospheres can limit the number of problems. By analyzing, reviewing the thermochemical reactions and considering the cause and effect relationships based on experience may help operators avoid many of the furnace atmosphere related problems. There are also new technologies available to address issues which may be traditionally considered unavoidable such as integrity of analyzing methods or furnace atmosphere gas circulation methods for uniformity. The paper will present practical methods to approach these problems and detail the new technologies of interest.