Abstract: The invention relates to a gas quenching method of the type that makes use of (i) a quenching cell (V1) which is intended to receive objects to be quenched with a quenching gas and (ii) a buffer capacity (V2) which is designed to contain the quenching gas.

Abstract: An apparatus for the treatment of components by means of a gas mixture, comprising mainly a first light gas and minor amounts of a second gas being heavier than the first gas, has a treatment chamber (10) in which the treatment occurs and a concentration, and purification device (19, 29, 30) in which the gas mixture is concentrated and purified to increase the concentration of the first gas. The treatment chamber (10) comprises an outlet member (19) provided in an upper part of the treatment chamber (10) and means (14, 15) being arranged to move the gas mixture upwardly and out through the outlet member (19). Said means may comprise an inlet member (14) provided in a lower part of the treatment chamber (10) and arranged to supply additional gas and to admit a laminar inward flow of said additional gas.

Abstract: An exhaust gas of hydrocarbon is converted to an exothermic generated gas when it is burnt with air in a burner. The exothermic generated gas which has been dehydrated, is employed as a furnace atmosphere for decarburization or carburizing heat treatment, by the addition thereto of cracked methanol gas so that CO and H.sub.2 contents of the atmosphere gas may get near 1:1.

Abstract: An aluminum material is surface-treated with an aqueous solution containing 0.005 mol/lit. or more of a chelating agent and 5 g/lit. or more of an organic amine and having 100 ppm or less of phosphoric acid radical ion concentration and 500 ppm or less of sulfuric acid radical ion concentration, until its surface has a color tone (S) of:S=(X.sup.2 +(3.388Z-3Y.sup.2).sup.1/2.gtoreq.70wherein X, Y and Z represent the tristimulus values of color.The aluminum material can be surface-treated while setting the treating conditions on the basis of a specific color tone detectable by colorimetry, without relying on experience and intuition. The surface-treated aluminum material can have a good anticorrosion, have good color change preventive properties, a good adhesion of coatings and a beautiful surface appearance.

Abstract: This is a method for heat assisted forming, annealing, and hardening 360.degree. sheet metal shapes in a clean environment in a single facility that results in dimensionally correct, cost-effective, contaminant free parts.

Abstract: Process for heat treating articles by hardening them in a recirculating gas medium which is in contact with the treated articles, the hardening gas being cooled by means of a heat exchanger, of the type in which helium is used as hardening gas, and is stored under holding pressure in a buffer container, wherein at the end of a hardening operation, a helium load is extracted from the treatment enclosure, in final phase by means of pump until a primary vacuum is obtained, the extracted helium is brought to purifying pressure by means of a compressor associated to a mechanical filter, and the helium under purifying pressure is sent to a purifier in which impurities are removed, after which it is transferred, if desired, after recompression in the buffer container.