Binder trap system
OwnerDonald Francis Heaneyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A binder trap system that has more than one binder trap. All of the binder traps are independently connected to a chill unit. The chill unit provides chilled fluid at a precise temperature to chill contents of the binder traps. All of the binder traps are independently connected to a heat unit. The heat unit provides heated fluid at a precise temperature to heat contents of the binder traps. The binder trap system has the capability to independently be chilled or heated from all of the other binder traps in the system.
Claims12
A method of debinding using a binder trap system having at least two binder traps by removing binder from binder laden gas evacuated from a sintering furnace, comprising:
- cooling the contents of at least one of the binder traps receiving the binder laden gas in order to condense the binder from the binder laden gas inside the binder trap being cooled as the binder laden gas flows through the cooled trap so that the cooled trap retains the binder from the binder laden gas;
- isolating at least one binder trap that has been cooled so that gas flowing from furnace bypasses the isolated binder trap, allowing gas flowing from furnace to continue to flow to other binder traps without shutting down the furnace;
- switching from cooling the isolated trap to heating the isolated trap for melting the binder in the trap and allowing the melted binder to drain;
- and
- switching the isolated trap back to receiving binder laden gas from the furnace, so that another binder trap may be isolated.
A method of debinding using a binder trap system by removing binder from binder laden gas evacuated from a sintering furnace, comprising:
- attaching at least two binder traps to a sintering furnace, so that at least one trap can be isolated from the gas flow from the furnace while continuing to use the other traps;
- connecting all of the binder traps independently to a chill unit, where the chill unit provides chilled fluid at a precise temperature to chill contents of the binder traps;
- connecting all of the binder traps independently to a heat unit, where the heat unit provides heated fluid at a precise temperature to heat contents of the binder traps;
- removing the binder laden gas from the sintering furnace and transferring the binder laden gas to at least one of the binder traps;
- chilling the contents of the binder traps receiving the binder laden gas in order to condense the binder from the binder laden gas inside the traps as the binder laden gas flows through traps so that the traps retain the binder from the binder laden gas by sending chill fluid from the chill unit to the traps;
- switching the flow of the binder laden gas from a first trap to a second trap without shutting down the furnace, chilling the contents of the second trap receiving the binder laden gas in order to condense the binder from the binder laden gas inside the second trap as the binder laden gas flows through the second trap so that the second trap retains the binder from the binder laden gas by sending chilled fluid from the chill unit to the second trap, heating the first trap from where the binder laden gas flow was removed by sending heated fluid from the heat unit to the first trap to melt the binder from the contents of the first trap so that the binder flows to the bottom of the first trap due to gravity;
- and
- switching the flow of the binder laden gas back from the second trap to the first trap without shutting down the furnace, chilling the contents of the first trap receiving the binder laden gas in order to condense the binder from the binder laden gas inside the first trap as the binder laden gas flows through the first trap so that the first trap retains the binder from the binder laden gas by sending chilled fluid from the chill unit to the first trap, heating the second trap from where the binder laden gas flow was removed by sending heated fluid from the heat unit to the second trap to melt the binder from the contents of the second trap so that the binder flows to the bottom of the second trap due to gravity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.