What experiments can be conducted using a high-temperature tube furnace for small-scale experiments?

Small experimental high-temperature tube furnaces, with their precise temperature control, flexible atmosphere regulation, and compact structural design, can be widely used in multiple fields such as materials science, chemical engineering, semiconductors and electronics, energy and environment. The following is a detailed explanation of its typical experimental application scenarios and specific cases:

1. Materials Science Experiment
Ceramic material sintering
Experimental objective: To densify ceramic powder through high-temperature sintering and study the relationship between its mechanical properties (such as hardness and fracture toughness) and microstructure.
Typical case:
Aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O3) ceramics: sintered at 1600 ℃ and studied the effect of different insulation times on grain size.
Silicon nitride (Si ∝ N ₄) ceramics: sintered at 1800 ℃ in a nitrogen atmosphere to prepare high-strength and high-temperature resistant engineering ceramics.
Key parameters: temperature uniformity (temperature difference in constant temperature zone ≤ ± 3 ℃), atmosphere purity (nitrogen flow accuracy ± 1sccm).
Heat treatment of metal materials
Experimental objective: To improve the conductivity, hardness, or toughness of metals through processes such as annealing and quenching.
Typical case:
Annealing of titanium alloy: Keep at 800 ℃ for 2 hours under argon protection to eliminate processing stress and improve ductility.
Quenching of steel: rapidly heating to 900 ℃ in air and then quenching with water to study the effect of martensitic transformation on hardness.
Key parameters: heating rate (such as 10 ℃/min), cooling method (natural cooling or forced air cooling).
Preparation of composite materials
Experimental objective: To investigate the interfacial bonding strength between the matrix and the reinforcing phase, as well as the properties of composite materials.
Typical case:
Carbon fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite material: sintered at 1600 ℃ under vacuum, analyze the interface reaction between carbon fiber and ceramic matrix.
Metal based composite materials: Reduce a mixture of metal oxides and carbon powder in a hydrogen atmosphere to prepare high thermal conductivity composite materials.
Key parameters: Vacuum degree (≤ 10 ⁻ ³ Pa), rotating furnace tube (improves sample heating uniformity).

2. Chemical Engineering Experiment
Preparation and characterization of catalysts
Experimental objective: To reduce metal oxides in a specific atmosphere, prepare efficient catalysts, and study their activity.
Typical case:
Nickel based catalyst: Reduces NiO at 500 ℃ in a hydrogen atmosphere for methane reforming to produce hydrogen.
Platinum based catalyst: treated at 800 ℃ in inert gas to study its CO oxidation activity.
Key parameters: gas flow control (such as H ₂ flow rate of 50sccm), reduction time (1-4 hours).
Study on Chemical Reaction Dynamics
Experimental objective: To study the reaction rate and mechanism under high temperature and high pressure conditions.
Typical case:
Methane cracking: Decompose methane at 1000 ℃ in a nitrogen atmosphere to produce hydrogen gas and carbon nanotubes.
Calcium oxide sulfur fixation: Study the reaction kinetics of CaO and SO ₂ at 900 ℃ in CO ₂ atmosphere.
Key parameters: pressure control (such as 0.1-10MPa), temperature gradient (simulating actual reaction conditions).
Waste disposal and resource utilization
Experimental objective: To achieve harmless disposal or resource recovery of waste through high-temperature decomposition.
Typical case:
Plastic pyrolysis: Decompose polyethylene in nitrogen at 500 ℃ to generate fuel precursor.
Waste battery recycling: Roast the positive electrode material of lithium-ion batteries at 600 ℃ in the air to recover metals such as lithium and cobalt.
Key parameters: atmosphere selection (inert or oxidizing), product collection system (to prevent secondary pollution).

3. Semiconductor and Electronics Experiment
Thin film deposition and crystal growth
Experimental objective: To deposit metal, semiconductor, or insulating thin films at high temperatures, or to grow single crystal materials.
Typical case:
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD): Deposition of silicon thin films at 900 ℃ under vacuum for solar cells.
Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD): Metal thin films are prepared by evaporating metal targets at 1200 ℃ in argon gas.
Single crystal silicon growth: Growth of silicon single crystals at 1100 ℃ by CVD and study of crystal defect control.
Key parameters: Vacuum degree (≤ 10 ⁻⁴ Pa), gas ratio (such as SiH ₄/H ₂=1:10).
Device packaging and reliability testing
Experimental objective: To test the reliability of electronic components by high-temperature sintering packaging or simulating extreme environments.
Typical case:
Power device packaging: Sintering silver paste at 300 ℃ in nitrogen gas to achieve electrical connection between the chip and the substrate.
High temperature storage test: Aging LED devices in air at 150 ℃ to study their lifespan decay mechanism.
Key parameters: temperature stability (± 1 ℃), atmosphere control (preventing oxidation or corrosion).

4. Energy and Environment Experiment
Research and development of battery materials
Experimental objective: To sinter the positive and negative electrode materials of lithium-ion batteries and optimize their electrochemical performance.
Typical case:
Lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO ₂) positive electrode: sintered at 900 ℃ in an oxygen atmosphere to improve crystal structure stability.
Graphite negative electrode: Graphitized at 1000 ℃ in argon gas to enhance charge and discharge capacity.
Key parameters: atmosphere purity (O ₂ flow rate ± 0.5sccm), sintering time (4-12 hours).
Preparation of Fuel Cell Materials
Experimental objective: To prepare electrolyte or electrode materials for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).
Typical case:
Yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte: sintered at 1500 ℃ in air to study ion conductivity.
Nickel yttrium oxide stabilized zirconia (Ni YSZ) anode: reduced in hydrogen at 1300 ℃, tested for carbon deposition resistance.
Key parameters: temperature uniformity (constant temperature zone length ≥ 200mm), atmosphere switching speed (second level response).
Research on Photovoltaic Materials
Experimental objective: To sinter solar cell thin films and improve photoelectric conversion efficiency.
Typical case:
Copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin film: Selenization at 550 ℃ in a selenium atmosphere to optimize the crystal quality of the absorption layer.
Perovskite solar cells: annealed at 100 ℃ in nitrogen to investigate the relationship between film morphology and device efficiency.
Key parameters: atmosphere control (Se vapor pressure), annealing time (5-30 minutes).

5. Other characteristic experiments
Nanomaterial synthesis
Experimental objective: To control the size and morphology of nanoparticles through high-temperature reactions.
Typical case:
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires: Heat evaporate zinc powder at 600 ℃ in air to grow one-dimensional nanostructures.
Carbon quantum dots: Carbonate citric acid at 300 ℃ in argon gas to prepare fluorescent nanoparticles.
Key parameters: temperature gradient (temperature difference between substrate and source material), atmosphere flow rate (such as Ar flow rate of 100 sccm).
High temperature corrosion experiment
Experimental objective: To investigate the degradation mechanism of materials in high-temperature corrosive gases.
Typical case:
High temperature oxidation of metals: Oxidation of nickel based alloys at 800 ℃ in air and analysis of the growth kinetics of the oxide layer.
Ceramic corrosion: Corrosion of alumina ceramics at 1000 ℃ in SO ₂ atmosphere, and study the effect of anti-corrosion coatings.
Key parameters: gas composition (such as SO ₂ concentration), corrosion time (10-100 hours).
Rapid Heat Treatment (RTP)
Experimental objective: To study the dynamic response of materials through second level heating/cooling.
Typical case:
Semiconductor doping: Quickly raise the temperature to 1000 ℃ in nitrogen and then quench to achieve impurity atom diffusion control.
Thin film stress relief: rapidly annealing metal thin films on glass substrates under vacuum to reduce warping.
Key parameters: heating rate (≥ 50 ℃/s), cooling method (water cooling or air cooling).