Carbolite Gero offers a range of furnaces up to 3,000 °C that are suitable for the various requirements of graphitization.
Heat treatment up to 3,000 °C under inert atmosphere induces the structural change from highly disordered or defective carbon atom structures into a perfectly three-dimensional crystal of pure graphite, an important material for a multitude of applications.
A graphite furnace of the LHTG range or the HTK range up to 3,000 °C is suitable for starting material that consists of pure carbon with minor impurities. Both heating elements and insulation of the cold wall vacuum furnaces consist of high-quality graphite materials. The top loader furnace, LHTG, is fitted with a circular mantle heater in a perfectly symmetrical orientation. The HTK GR is a front-loading chamber furnace incorporating symmetrical elements on four sides.
If organic matter of unknown composition or containing a large amount of impurities is used for graphitization, it is recommended to purify the sample by pre-carbonization under inert gas atmosphere before heat treatment in a more sensitive high temperature graphite furnace. This can be done in a low temperature hot wall furnace of the GLO range, up to 1,100 °C. The cold wall GLO is ideal for dirty processes with sequestered elements and a smooth nonporous interior for easy cleaning.
Samples that contain small amounts of impurities are ideal for specialized HTK graphite furnaces with dedicated debinding equipment, where carbonization and graphitization are carried out in one heat-treatment step. Those furnaces are equipped with a retort and an intelligent gas guidance system that assures the impurities are safely discharged from the furnace into the afterburner.
