What Is an Industrial Furnace?
An industrial furnace is used to heat ores and other materials at very high temperatures, generally above 400 °C. A typical industrial furnace is a blast furnace, which is used in the smelting process to extract metals from ores.
The specifications of industrial furnaces vary depending on the application, the fuel used, and the method of starting combustion. Also, each company installs industrial furnaces of the appropriate material, shape, and volume according to the production line and production volume. It is especially important to select a furnace with sufficient heat resistance at the operating temperature to prevent deterioration of the insulation and walls of the industrial furnace.
Types of Industrial Furnaces
Industrial furnaces are used in a wide variety of applications and processes, depending on the industry and the product to be manufactured. Generally, they are operated at 400 °C or higher, but they can be customized depending on the process, and some are used at temperatures in the range of 100 °C or lower.
The most commonly used types of industrial furnaces are blast furnaces, converter furnaces, combustion furnaces, resistance furnaces, and induction furnaces. They can also be classified by fuel type, such as gas, liquid fuel, and electricity.
Blast furnaces, the most commonly used type, are cylindrical furnaces used in the smelting process to extract metals from ores. Ores, fuels, and limestone filled to the top of the furnace are heated and react as they move inside the cylinder to produce molten metals and slag. Blast furnaces are designed to operate continuously for 10 years or more, and once they are shut down, a large amount of cost and time are required to restart operations.