Argon is used in furnaces for several reasons:
1. Providing an inert atmosphere: Argon is an inert gas, meaning it does not react with other substances under normal conditions. By introducing argon into a furnace, the risk of oxidation of the component parts being heat-treated is reduced. This is important because oxidation can negatively affect the properties of the metal being treated.
2. Safety measure: In addition to reducing oxidation, the inerting process with argon is also done as a safety measure. Argon and other inert gases are used to purge flammable gases, oxygen, and water from the furnace, creating a safer environment for the heat treatment process.
3. Cooling: Argon is used to quickly cool the treated metal back to non-metallurgical levels after the desired process in the furnace. This is achieved by pressurizing the argon to two times atmospheric pressure or more and circulating it through the hot zone area to pick up heat. The heated argon then passes through a heat exchanger to remove heat before being circulated again. This process continues until the desired temperature is reached.
4. Steelmaking process: Argon is used in conjunction with oxygen in a process called argon oxygen decarburization (AOD) in the steelmaking process. During the decarburization stage of AOD, liquid metal is transferred into a vessel and refined by injecting an argon-oxygen gas mix. This helps to remove carbon and impurities from the molten metal.
It is important to note that while argon is commonly used in furnaces, nitrogen is also utilized for certain applications. Nitrogen is another inert gas that provides an inert atmosphere and is cheaper than argon. However, nitrogen has some drawbacks such as being slightly decarburizing for steels and forming nitrates at high temperatures, which is why some industries, like aerospace, prefer to avoid its usage as a cooling gas in certain situations.
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