C.a. Litzler Co., Inc.

Philip S Sprague

Richard J Wimberger

James H Rogers

Edward T Albus

Provided is an oven that includes an oven chamber with an oven wall that defines apertures through which the product passes to repeatedly enter and exit the oven chamber during treatment. A vestibule chamber is disposed adjacent to the oven wall and encloses a return air duct that draws in ambient air entering the vestibule chamber and the process gas entering the vestibule chamber from the oven chamber through at least one of the apertures in the oven wall. A nozzle is provided externally of the vestibule chamber and oven chamber in fluid communication with the return air duct. The nozzle receives gas drawn in by the return air duct and directs the combination generally toward at least one aperture formed in the vestibule chamber through which ambient air can enter the vestibule chamber to form an air curtain adjacent to the at least one aperture.

End seal for oxidation oven

An oxidation oven for use in the production of carbon fibers from a polyacrylonitrile precursor fiber. The oven has an oven chamber formed by sides and ends. At least one of the ends has a first opening and a second opening. The product passes through the openings for treatment in the oven chamber. The oven is also provided with a first nozzle adjacent the first opening, a second nozzle adjacent the second opening, and respective first and second diffusers adjacent the first and second openings. The diffusers cooperate with the first and second nozzles respectively to provide first and second inductors. Each nozzle is effective for discharging air from an air flow pathway into the throat of the associate diffuser to thereby induce a positive pressure inducted air flow of ambient air toward the opening to which it is adjacent. The flowrate of the inducted air is adjustable to ensure a zero pressure gradient condition, or a low but positive flux of ambient air into the opening in order to prevent the elution of dangerous gases from the oven chamber during product manufacture.

Oxidation oven

A radiant oven for treating a web of material has oven chambers, electric radiant heaters and buffer plates. The material treated in the oven chamber is isolated from the heaters by the buffer plates. The buffer plates also prevent solvent vapors from reaching the heaters. This invention allows the use of nonclassified electric radiant heaters to treat material in a classified oven chamber.

Radiant oven

An oxidation oven for use in the production of carbon fibers from a polyacrylonitrile precursor fiber. The oven has an oven chamber formed by sides and ends. At least one of the ends has a first opening and a second opening. The product passes through the openings for treatment in the oven chamber. The oven is also provided with a first nozzle adjacent the first opening and a second nozzle adjacent the second opening. Each nozzle is effective for discharging air from an air flow pathway into the oven chamber and forming an air curtain at the opening to which it is adjacent. An air bar defines the air flow pathway.

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North Olmsted, OH, United States of America

Philip S Sprague