Patent ID: 9182174
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: C21D,F27B,F27D

Abstract:
1. A process for the treatment of a component using a fluidised bed of solid particles, the process comprising: forming the fluidised bed in a treatment chamber and retaining the fluidised bed in the treatment chamber by one or more containment surfaces; placing at least one treatment part of the component in the fluidised bed and locating at least one non-treatment part of the component outside the chamber and out of contact with the fluidised bed; and maintaining the at least one treatment part in a stationary position with respect to the treatment chamber during treatment, wherein the boundary between the at least one treatment part and the at least one non-treatment part of the component is defined by a boundary containment surface of the treatment chamber at a fixed location with respect to the component, the boundary containment surface being a sealing surface directly contacting the component when the at least one treatment part is placed in the fluidised bed, the component is initially installed in the treatment chamber before the solid particle bed is fluidised so that the at least one treatment part of the component is located above the surface of the solid particle bed before fluidisation, and on fluidisation, the at least one treatment part of the component is then completely submerged under the rising surface of the fluidised bed.