当前申请(专利权)人地址：
5 Block 1A, The Casino, Dublin Road, Malahide, Co Dublin K36 TI81, Ireland
摘要：
Thermal processing apparatus 1 comprises a containment vessel 2 which provides a controlled atmosphere or vacuum. The containment vessel contains an elongate path 5 in gaseous communication with the containment vessel. The path 5 consists of path segments 8 joined together by support segments 9. Radiation emitters 12 heat process material 3 within at least a portion of the path using radiation 13. The path segments 8 comprise a material which is transparent to radiation within a bandwidth emitted by the emitters. The emitters may be microwave emitters. A helical screw (17, Fig. 16) may move material along the path and provide additional heating. Vibrational exciters (39, Fig 18) may be attached to the path segments or support segments. Additional process materials may be introduced at intermediate inlets (38, Fig. 17). A method of processing material is also claimed, which may comprise calcination, thermal desorption, sintering, agglomerating, reduction roasting, drying, or pelletizing the process material.
权利要求：
Claims
i Thermal processing apparatus, comprising:
a containment vessel for providing a controlled atmosphere or a vacuum, the containment vessel elongated in a first direction and containing:
a path for process materials, the path being elongated in the first
direction and defined by a plurality of path segments which are jointed to one
another by a plurality of support segments, wherein the path is in gaseous
communication with the rest of the containment vessel;
one or more radiation emitters configured to heat process materials
within at least a portion of the path using radiation within a bandwidth;
wherein the path segments comprise a first material which transmits radiation within the bandwidth.
2. Thermal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the support segments are connected to the containment vessel so as to suspend the path at a distance from the sides of the containment vessel.
3. Thermal processing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the path has a non-circular cross-section.
4. Thermal processing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more radiation emitters comprise microwave emitters.
5. Thermal processing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more radiation emitters are configured to heat process materials within at least a portion of the path according to a predetermined or dynamically programmable profile.
6. Thermal processing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the path segments comprise one or more flat plates or sheets of the first material.
io Thermal processing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein an upper region of the path is not enclosed along at least a portion of the length of the path.
8. Thermal processing apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a helical screw enclosed within the path and configured to assist in moving process materials along the path.
9. Thermal processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the helical screw is heated.
10. Thermal processing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first material is a refractory material.
11. Thermal processing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the first material is aluminium oxynitride.
12. Thermal processing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the support segments are formed of a second material, wherein the second material is a refractory material.
13. Thermal processing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the support segments are formed by 3D printing.
14. Thermal processing apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising one or more additional material inlets configured to introduce additional process materials at one or more intermediate positions along the path.
15. Thermal processing apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising one or more vibrational exciters attached to one or more path segments and/or one or more support segments.
16. A method comprising:
introducing process materials into a first end of a path for process materials, the path being elongated in a first direction and defined by a plurality of path segments which are jointed to one another by a plurality of support segments, wherein the path is enclosed within a containment vessel for providing a controlled atmosphere or a vacuum, and wherein the path is in gaseous communication with the rest of the containment vessel;
heating processed materials within at least a portion of the path using radiation within a bandwidth, wherein the path segments comprise a first material which transmits radiation within the bandwidth;
extracting process materials from a second end of the path.
17. The method may comprise one or more of calcination of process materials, thermal desorption of one or more volatile substances present in the process materials, sintering the process materials, agglomerating the process materials, reduction roasting of the process materials, drying the process materials and or pelletizing the process materials.
18. The method may be carried out using the thermal processing apparatus
according to any one of claims 1 to 15.