WHAT IS ASHING PROCESS?
the ashing process involves heating a sample in the presence of oxygen to burn off organic compounds and leave behind the inorganic, non-combustible ash.
The ashing furnace is a specialized piece of equipment used to carry out this process, and there are different types available that are designed to meet specific testing standards or have features such as an integral balance to weigh samples during the heating process.
WHAT IS ASHING FURNACE?
Ashing furnaces are designed to carefully control the temperature and airflow during the ashing process in order to accurately and effectively burn off organic compounds and leave behind the inorganic ash.
The pre-heated airflow helps to evenly distribute the heat throughout the chamber and prevent cooling of the samples, which can affect the accuracy of the ashing process.
The tall chimney and insulation layers also help to prevent byproducts from attacking the furnace elements and ensure the ashing furnace remains in good working condition.
An optional afterburner or thermal catalytic oxidizer can be fitted to the exhaust to further reduce emissions into the surrounding environment.
Ashing furnaces are designed to carefully control the temperature and airflow during the ashing process in order to accurately and effectively burn off organic compounds and leave behind the inorganic ash. However, there is a risk that exhaust fumes and volatiles emitted from the samples could damage the heating elements of the furnace. To mitigate this risk, ashing furnaces are often fitted with silicon carbide (SiC) protection tiles that sit within the furnace chamber and provide a barrier between the samples and the heating elements.
In smaller models, the heating elements may be wrapped around the outside of a ceramic muffle, into which the samples are placed. The muffle contains the smoke and volatiles produced during the ashing process, while also protecting the heating elements from contamination.
For tests or processes where alumina/silica dust could contaminate the results, or react with the sample to produce corrosive vapours, a fused quartz chamber may be necessary to protect both the furnace and the ashing process. This type of chamber is resistant to corrosion and contamination, ensuring accurate and reliable results.
APPLICATIONS OF ASHING FURNACE
Ashing furnaces are commonly used in a variety of applications, including the testing of foods, plastics, and hydrocarbon materials such as coal.
These furnaces are used to perform tests that are defined by standard test methods, such as ISO 1171:2010 and ASTM D3174-12. In these tests, samples of the materials are heated in the presence of oxygen to burn off organic compounds and leave behind the inorganic, non-combustible ash.
The ashing furnace allows the process to be carried out at a carefully controlled temperature and with a high level of airflow to ensure accurate and reliable results.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHAMBER FURNACE AND ASHING FURNACE
The main difference between a standard laboratory chamber furnace and an ashing furnace is the way that the sample is heated.
In a standard laboratory chamber furnace, samples may be heated, but the airflow is not specifically designed to promote combustion and ashing. In contrast, an ashing furnace is specifically designed to facilitate the combustion and ashing of materials through the use of preheated airflow.
Ashing furnaces are equipped with tall chimneys and insulation layers to preheat the airflow and ensure that it is evenly distributed throughout the chamber.
The increased airflow helps to carry smoke and volatile byproducts out of the chamber and through the exhaust, while also promoting the combustion of the samples. This specialized design allows for the ashing process to be carried out accurately and effectively.
INDUSTRIES THAT USE ASHING PROCESSES
The ashing process is widely used in various industries to analyze and test the composition of materials. In the food production and pharmaceutical industries, ashing is often used as part of quality control checks to determine the amount of inorganic, indigestible matter in samples of products.
These samples may be ground down or milled to increase the surface area and facilitate mixing with other compounds prior to heating in an ashing furnace.
The petrochemical industry also frequently uses ashing to analyze samples of hydrocarbon materials and determine the amounts of metals and other inorganic chemicals present.
This is important because certain metals and minerals may cause damage to refining equipment or later processes, and ashing allows the industry to identify and address these potential issues.
APPLICATIONS
There are a wide variety of materials and processes that make use of an ashing furnace. Some examples of materials that are commonly ashed in furnaces include food, soil and peat, plastic containers, rubber, animal feed and cereals, wool and natural fiber, paper, flour, pharmaceutical products, vegetable oils, paint, polyester and fiberglass, gelatin, sewage sludge, wood, and ceramics.
Other processes that may use an ashing furnace include sulphated ash determination, combustion of coke and sulfur in spent catalysts, loss on ignition measurement, removal of mercury chloride residues, filler content determination in paper, removal of soot from samples of fumed silica grease, cleaning ICP torches, volatile suspended solids analysis in effluent, ash determination of coal samples, and resin burn-off of CFC test specimens. These are just a few examples of the many uses of ashing furnaces in a variety of industries and applications.
KINDLE TECH ASH FURNACE
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