Method for continuous heat-treatment of metals under argon atmosphere

Abstract

In heat-treating a metallic alloy containing volatile metals such as zinc, manganese, chromium, aluminium, and so on in a tunnellike continuous furnace, argon is employed as a furnace atmosphere so that a pressure selectively produced by the argon atmosphere in the furnace is utilized for preventing the volatile metals from evaporating out of the metallic alloy during its heat-treatment. The argon employed as the furnace atmosphere and having a specific gravity higher than the air prevents also the air from entering into the furnace, and works also to purge the air which has happened to come into the furnace together with the metallic alloy, whereby the furnace atmosphere is kept constantly inert.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.