What are the classifications of tube sintering furnaces used in laboratories?

There are various classification methods for tubular sintering furnaces used in laboratories, and the following are some common classifications:

Classified by temperature and heating element:
Resistance wire tube furnace: usually used in lower temperature ranges, such as below 1200 ℃.
Silicon carbon rod tube furnace: suitable for medium temperature range, such as around 1400 ℃.
Silicon molybdenum rod tube furnace: capable of withstanding higher temperatures, such as 1600 ℃ or even higher.

Classified by furnace tube material:
Quartz tube furnace: suitable for experiments with high temperature and low atmosphere requirements.
Stainless steel tube furnace: It has good corrosion resistance and mechanical strength.
Corundum tube furnace: high temperature resistant, suitable for sintering special materials.

Classified by heating section structure:
Open tube furnace: The furnace tube can be easily opened and closed, making it convenient for placing and removing samples.
Integrated tube furnace: With a compact structure, the furnace tube and heating system are integrated together.

Classified by furnace structure:
Horizontal tube furnace: The furnace tube is placed horizontally, suitable for long samples or experiments that require horizontal placement.
Vertical (vertical) tube furnace: The furnace tubes are placed vertically, saving space and suitable for most conventional experiments.
Multi station tube furnace: It has multiple heating zones and can sinter multiple samples simultaneously.
Tilted tube furnace: The furnace tube is tilted at a certain angle, suitable for specific process requirements.
Rotating tube furnace: The furnace tube can rotate, making the sample heated more evenly.
Sliding rail tube furnace: The furnace tube can move along the sliding rail for easy access and replacement of samples.

Classified by temperature control area:
Single temperature zone tube furnace: The entire furnace tube has only one temperature control zone, and the temperature uniformity may be poor.
Multi temperature zone tube furnace: such as dual temperature zone, triple temperature zone, five temperature zone, etc., can achieve temperature control in different zones and improve temperature uniformity.

Classified by purpose:
Rapid annealing tube furnace: used for rapid annealing treatment.
CVD tube furnace: used for chemical vapor deposition experiments.
PECVD tube furnace: used for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition experiments.
Vacuum/Atmosphere Tube Furnace: Sintering experiments can be conducted under vacuum or specific atmosphere conditions.
Belt type continuous tube furnace: used in continuous production processes, where samples move through the heating area on a conveyor belt.

In addition, there are some special types of tube sintering furnaces, such as high-frequency induction tube furnaces and microwave tube furnaces, which have unique heating methods and characteristics and are suitable for specific experimental needs.