Abstract: A ceramic high temperature vacuum furnace heating element standoff 10 is provided to hold a portion of an electrical high temperature heating element 62 inside the hot zone of a vacuum furnace. The standoff 10 comprises a heating element holder 18 and an anchoring rod 16. The heating element holder 18 is designed as a single ceramic piece constructed to retain the vacuum furnace heating element. The anchoring rod 16 has a straight end 50 and a hooked end 52. The straight end 50 is inserted into a neck 34 of the heating element holder 18 where the rod is retained by a pin 60. The standoff 10 is held to the vacuum furnace wall 58 by engagement of the hooked end 52 with a transverse pin 86 in a pipe-like member 82 welded to the vacuum furnace wall 58.

Abstract: A heat resistant, structurally stable member is provided for in high temperature, heat treatment processing. It includes a core which has a high melting point higher than the processing temperature but which crystallizes, and so becomes frangible, at temperatures lower than the processing temperature. It is encased in a covering of a weldable, non-crystallizing alloy which may begin to soften at lower than processing temperatures, but is thick enough to be welded and to prevent loss of strength of the core due to crystalline shattering. Consequently, this structural member retains rigidity during high temperature usage.A plurality of structural members are welded together to form racks or baskets for holding parts during heat treatment in high temperature processing.