Sintering device

Abstract

This utility model belongs to the field of battery material preparation technology and discloses a sintering apparatus. The apparatus includes a sintering container, a heating component, and a cooling component. The sintering container has an openable and closable cavity for filling the material to be sintered. The heating component includes a heating element that can be connected to the outer wall of the sintering container. The cooling component includes a cooling element that can be connected to the outer wall of the sintering container. This sintering apparatus allows the heating element to first heat the sintering container, enabling the material to undergo a sintering reaction within a suitable temperature range. Subsequently, the cooling element directly cools the sintered material, rapidly quenching it after the sintering reaction. The transition from sintering to quenching is highly continuous and fast, effectively improving product preparation efficiency. Furthermore, the sintering apparatus can be scaled down or up as needed to better suit different sintering volumes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery material preparation technology, and in particular to a sintering apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Solid-state batteries have recently garnered significant attention due to their safety, and the solid-state electrolyte is crucial to their development. The preparation of solid-state electrolytes typically involves high-temperature calcination and controlled-temperature cooling to adjust the electrolyte's crystal structure, thereby achieving unique properties.

[0003] Most solid electrolytes, such as anti-calcium iron ore and halides, are sensitive to air and moisture, requiring complete isolation from air and moisture throughout their preparation process. During sintering, samples must be placed in a protective gas atmosphere. Currently, the entire furnace containing the sample is placed in a glove box for sintering, or the sample is directly sealed in a glass tube. However, both of these sintering methods suffer from difficulties in implementing rapid cooling methods such as quenching, significantly hindering the preparation efficiency of solid electrolytes.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a sintering device capable of sintering and rapid quenching to solve the problems existing in the current technology. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a sintering device that can achieve sintering and rapid quenching, thereby improving product preparation efficiency.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A sintering apparatus includes: a sintering container, a heating component, and a cooling component, wherein: the sintering container has an openable and closable cavity for filling with material to be sintered; the heating component includes a heating element that can be connected to the outer wall of the sintering container; and the cooling component includes a cooling element that can be connected to the outer wall of the sintering container.

[0008] Preferably, the sintering container includes a pot body and a pot lid, the pot body is detachably fixedly connected to the pot lid, and the pot body has the cavity, with the heating element and the cooling element connected to the outer wall of the pot body.

[0009] Preferably, the sintering container further includes a sealing gasket, which is attached to the inner surface of the lid, and when the pot body is connected to the lid, the sealing gasket is sealed between the lid and the pot body.

[0010] Preferably, the pot body is made of a material with good thermal conductivity; and / or, the pot body is an inverted conical structure in which the cross-sectional area of ​​the opening gradually decreases along the direction away from the opening end face.

[0011] Preferably, the cooling assembly further includes a solenoid valve, the cooling element has a liquid inlet end and a liquid outlet end, and the solenoid valve is respectively provided at the liquid inlet end and the liquid outlet end; and / or, the solenoid valve is provided at the liquid outlet end.

[0012] Preferably, the cooling assembly further includes a circulation pump, with its two ends connected to the inlet and the outlet, respectively.

[0013] Preferably, the heating element includes a heating wire or a magnetic induction coil, and the cooling element includes a coil.

[0014] Preferably, both the cooling element and the heating element are wound around the outer wall of the sintering container, and the cooling element and the heating element are arranged alternately.

[0015] Preferably, the sintering apparatus further includes a gas control component, which includes a vacuum pump for evacuating the cavity; and / or, the gas control component includes a gas delivery component for inputting and filling the cavity with a target gas.

[0016] Preferably, the sintering apparatus further includes:

[0017] A temperature sensor is disposed on the sintering container and used to detect the temperature inside the cavity; and / or a pressure sensor is disposed on the sintering container and used to detect the pressure inside the cavity.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The sintering apparatus provided in this embodiment connects a heating element and a cooling element to the outer wall of the sintering container. This allows the heating element to first heat the sintering container, ensuring the material to be sintered within the container is sintered within a suitable temperature range. After the sintering reaction is complete, the cooling element directly cools the sintering container, rapidly quenching the material after the sintering reaction. The continuity and speed of the transition from sintering reaction to quenching are strong, effectively improving product preparation efficiency. Furthermore, this sintering apparatus can operate in an air environment, avoiding the size limitations of external equipment such as glove boxes. Compared to glass tubes, the sintering container can be scaled down or up according to actual needs, better adapting to different sintering volumes. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the sintering apparatus provided by this utility model.

[0020] In the picture:

[0021] 1. Sintering container; 11. Pot body; 12. Pot lid; 13. Sealing gasket; 14. First gas nozzle; 15. Second gas nozzle; 21. Heating element; 3. Cooling assembly; 31. Cooling component; 32. Solenoid valve; 33. Circulation pump; 4. Temperature detection element; 5. Gas pressure detection element. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and not intended to limit it. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings show only the parts relevant to the present invention, not the entire structure.

[0023] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0024] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0025] In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "right," and "left," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0026] The technical solution provided by this utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] refer to Figure 1As shown, this embodiment provides a sintering apparatus, including a sintering container 1, a heating component, and a cooling component 3. The sintering container 1 has an openable and closable cavity for filling the material to be sintered. During the sintering reaction and quenching process, the cavity needs to be switched from an open state to a closed state to prevent air and moisture from the external environment from entering the cavity and affecting the sintering reaction and quenching process, thereby ensuring the quality of the sintered product. The heating component includes a heating element 21, which can be connected to the outer wall of the sintering container 1 to achieve thermally conductive contact between the heating element 21 and the sintering container 1. The cooling component 3 includes a cooling element 31, which can be connected to the outer wall of the sintering container 1 to cool the sintering container 1.

[0029] Through the above-described configuration, the sintering apparatus provided in this embodiment can first heat the sintering container 1 via the heating element 21 to raise the temperature of the cavity within the sintering container 1 to a suitable temperature range, allowing the material to be sintered to undergo a sintering reaction within this range. Then, the cooling element 31 absorbs heat and cools the sintering container 1, rapidly reducing the temperature of the cavity within the sintering container 1 to quickly quench the material after the sintering reaction. The strong continuity and rapid transition from the sintering reaction to the quenching process effectively improves the product preparation efficiency. When this sintering apparatus is applied to the preparation of solid electrolyte materials, especially amorphous solid electrolyte materials, the quenching process after the sintering reaction can be completed quickly, thereby effectively improving the preparation efficiency of amorphous solid electrolyte materials. Furthermore, since this sintering apparatus can operate in an air environment, it avoids the size limitations of external equipment such as glove boxes that necessitate sintering operations in a glove box. Moreover, compared to existing glass tubes, the sintering container 1 provided in this embodiment can be scaled down or enlarged according to actual needs, thus better adapting to different sintering quantities.

[0030] In this embodiment, the sintering container 1 specifically includes a pot body 11 and a pot lid 12. The pot body 11 has the aforementioned cavity, and the heating element 21 and cooling element 31 are connected to the outside of the pot body 11. The pot body 11 is detachably and fixedly connected to the pot lid 12. When the pot lid is fastened onto the opening of the pot lid 12, the cavity can be changed from an open state to a closed state. After the quenching process is completed, the operator can quickly remove the pot lid 12 from the pot body 11, and then remove the product from the pot body 11.

[0031] Optionally, in this embodiment, the pot body 11 is an inverted conical structure with a gradually decreasing cross-sectional area along the direction away from the opening end face. This gives the pot body 11 good structural strength, ensuring the stability of the pot body 11 structure when the cavity is under high positive or high negative pressure, reducing the possibility of deformation and damage to the pot body 11, thereby helping to extend the service life of the pot body 11. Of course, in other alternative embodiments, the pot body 11 can also be a hemispherical, oval, or elliptical cross-sectional shape with high compressive strength. Therefore, as long as the structural strength of the pot body 11 can meet the requirements under working conditions, it is within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0032] Optionally, in some embodiments, the pot body 11 can be detachably fixed to the pot lid 12 by means of threaded connection or snap-fit ​​connection. This not only ensures the stability of the connection between the pot body 11 and the pot lid 12, but also facilitates the disassembly and assembly of the pot body 11 and the pot lid 12, simplifies the connection structure between the pot body 11 and the pot lid 12, thereby reducing the workload of the operator and improving production efficiency.

[0033] Optionally, in this embodiment, the sintering container 1 further includes a sealing gasket 13, which is attached to the inner surface of the lid 12. When the pot body 11 is connected to the lid 12, the sealing gasket 13 is sandwiched between the lid 12 and the pot body 11, thereby further enhancing the sealing and insulation effect between the sintering container 1 and the external environment. It should be noted that the sealing gasket 13 can be a graphite gasket, a rubber gasket, a PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) gasket, or other structures with corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance, and this utility model is not limited to this.

[0034] Optionally, in this embodiment, the pot body 11 is constructed of a material with good thermal conductivity to enhance the heat exchange performance of the pot body 11 and improve the heat exchange performance between the cooling component 31 and the pot body 11, thereby making the cooling effect of the sintering container 1 more excellent. For example, the pot body 11 can be made of stainless steel, cast iron, low carbon steel, or copper.

[0035] refer to Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the heating element 21 is an electric heating wire. The heating element 21 is detachably connected to the outer wall of the pot body 11. For example, the heating element 21 is spirally wound around the outer wall of the pot body 11, which can effectively improve the heat transfer uniformity of the heating element 21 to the pot body 11, ensure that the material in the pot body 11 is heated evenly, and facilitate disassembly and assembly. When heating is required, the heating element 21 is connected to the pot body 11, and when cooling is required, the heating element 21 can be removed from the pot body 11, thus eliminating the influence of the residual temperature of the heating element 21 on the quenching process.

[0036] Furthermore, during use, the heating element 21 can be connected to an external power supply, directly converting the incoming current into heat energy to heat the pot body 11. The heating wire has high heating efficiency, thus rapidly raising the temperature of the pot body 11 and accelerating the sintering reaction rate. In addition, the heating wire's temperature can be quickly and precisely controlled by adjusting the incoming current, greatly improving the sintering device's ability to accurately control the sintering reaction temperature. This helps optimize product molding quality, reduces operating costs, and is energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

[0037] refer to Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the cooling element 31 is a coil. Similar to the heating element 21, the cooling element 31 is spirally wound around the outer wall of the pot body 11, which can effectively improve the uniformity of cooling of the pot body 11 by the cooling element 31 and accelerate the heat dissipation efficiency of the material. Preferably, the heating element 21 and the cooling element 31 are staggered to achieve the purpose of uniform heating of the outer wall of the pot body 11 by the heating element 21 and uniform cooling of the outer wall of the pot body 11 by the cooling element 31.

[0038] In addition, in some operating conditions, the cooling component 31 can also be detachably connected to the outer wall of the pot body 11. In order to avoid the heat generated during the sintering reaction being transferred to the cooling component 31, which would result in an insignificant effect when the cooling component 31 is used to cool the pot body 11, the cooling component 31 can be removed from the pot body 11 before the sintering reaction begins and quickly wrapped around the outer wall of the pot body 11 after the sintering reaction, thereby ensuring a high quenching efficiency to a certain extent.

[0039] It should be added that when the cooling element 31 is a coil, a high-temperature liquid can also be introduced into the cooling element 31 to further heat the pot body 11 during the sintering reaction, thereby improving the heating efficiency.

[0040] Optionally, in this embodiment, the cooling assembly 3 further includes a solenoid valve 32, and the cooling element 31 has a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet. In one implementation of this embodiment, a solenoid valve 32 is provided at each of the liquid inlet and liquid outlet, allowing the solenoid valve 32 to automatically open or close according to the operating state of the sintering apparatus. For example, before the sintering reaction process, the solenoid valve 32 can disconnect the liquid inlet and liquid outlet, thus avoiding interference and influence of the coolant during the sintering reaction stage; afterwards, after the sintering reaction stage is completed, the solenoid valve 32 can open the liquid inlet and liquid outlet, allowing the coolant to flow through the cooling element 31, thereby achieving a rapid quenching process for the sintered product, reducing human intervention, and improving production efficiency.

[0041] It should be added that during the sintering reaction, the two solenoid valves 32 can also be in the open state, allowing the high-temperature liquid to enter the cooling element 31 for auxiliary heating.

[0042] It is understood that in other alternative embodiments of this example, a solenoid valve 32 may be provided only at the liquid outlet end. This can also meet the usage requirements under some actual working conditions, as long as it is ensured that the cooling component 31 can receive coolant or high-temperature liquid in a timely and rapid manner when needed, so as to achieve the purpose of rapid quenching or auxiliary heating.

[0043] Optionally, in this embodiment, the cooling assembly 3 further includes a circulation pump 33, with its two ends connected to an inlet and an outlet, respectively. Under the action of the circulation pump 33, the coolant within the cooling component 31 can circulate, thereby helping to improve cooling performance. Furthermore, by providing the circulation pump 33, the optimal cooling effect can be achieved by adjusting the flow rate of the coolant.

[0044] Optionally, in this embodiment, the sintering apparatus further includes a gas control component, which is connected to the cavity and provides the pressure environment required for the reaction. It should be noted in advance that, depending on the characteristics of the material to be sintered, the material to be sintered can be placed in the cavity in an inert atmosphere or a dry air environment (i.e., the pot lid 12 is sealed to the pot body 11), in which case the cavity is in an inert atmosphere or a dry air environment.

[0045] For example, in this embodiment, the gas control component includes only a vacuum pump, which can evacuate the cavity to create a vacuum or negative pressure environment. Optionally, the lid 12 is provided with a first gas nozzle 14 for connecting the vacuum pump and the cavity.

[0046] Optionally, the sintering apparatus further includes a temperature detection element 4, which is mounted on the lid 12 of the sintering container 1. The temperature detection element 4 can detect the temperature inside the cavity during the sintering reaction. In this embodiment, the temperature detection element 4 is communicatively connected to the power supply element, which is electrically connected to the heating element 21. The temperature detection element 4 sends the temperature inside the cavity to the power supply element in real time. After receiving the temperature, the power supply element processes and analyzes it. When the actual temperature inside the cavity deviates from the temperature range required for the sintering reaction, the power supply element can automatically adjust the current supplied to the heating element 21, thereby achieving the purpose of automatically correcting and adjusting the actual temperature inside the cavity to the temperature range required for the sintering reaction, ensuring the stable progress of the sintering reaction.

[0047] Optionally, the temperature sensing element 4 can be an RTD (resistance temperature detector), thermocouple, glass thermometer, or infrared temperature sensor, etc., and this utility model is not limited to this.

[0048] In other alternative embodiments, the temperature detection element 4 can also send the detected temperature signal to a display terminal, which is electrically connected to the power supply element. This allows for manual adjustment of the heating power of the power supply element, providing greater operational flexibility. Therefore, both of these methods fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0049] It should be further noted that the temperature detection element 4 provided in this embodiment can also be connected to the aforementioned circulating pump 33, so that the circulating pump 33 can also receive the temperature signal detected by the temperature detection element 4, and thereby adjust the flow rate of the cooling medium (coolant). Through the above settings, during the quenching process of the sintering device, the circulating pump 33 can adaptively adjust the flow rate of the coolant through the cooling element 31 per unit time according to the temperature signal captured by the temperature detection element 4 in the cavity. For example, when the temperature in the cavity is too high, the circulating pump 33 can increase its power to accelerate the flow rate of the coolant in the cooling element 31, thereby improving the heat absorption and cooling effect of the cooling element 31 on the outer wall of the pot body 11, and thus ensuring the efficiency of the quenching process.

[0050] Optionally, the sintering apparatus further includes a pressure detection element 5, which is mounted on the lid 12 of the sintering container 1. The gas control component can adjust the flow rate of the target gas introduced into the container based on the pressure information within the cavity, thereby regulating the pressure of the inert atmosphere or dry air environment. Optionally, the pressure detection element 5 can be a piezoresistive pressure sensor, a capacitive pressure sensor, etc., and this invention is not limited to this.

[0051] The following are the specific steps for using the sintering apparatus provided in this embodiment:

[0052] The pot body 11 is made of stainless steel, and the cooling element 31 is made of copper tubing. Before sintering begins, the solenoid valve 32 disconnects the cooling element 31 from the circulating pump 33. A crucible containing the material to be sintered is placed inside the pot body 11 in the material room to prevent a chemical reaction between the material and the pot body 11. It is understood that in other reaction conditions, if the material to be sintered does not react chemically with the pot body 11, it can be placed directly inside the pot body 11. Subsequently, the pot lid 12 is fastened onto the pot body 11 and connected to it via a threaded seal. At this time, the cavity is closed, and the ambient air pressure inside the cavity before the sintering reaction begins is detected by the pressure sensor 5. Optionally, in this embodiment, the pot lid 12 is also provided with a second air nozzle 15 and a pressure valve. One end of the second air nozzle 15 is connected to the cavity, and the other end is provided with a pressure valve. When the pressure detection element 5 detects that the pressure in the cavity exceeds the required pressure range, the opening of the pressure valve can be adjusted by manual intervention so that all excess air in the cavity can be discharged, thereby ensuring the stability of the ambient pressure in the cavity before vacuuming.

[0053] The vacuum pump is activated to evacuate the cavity to a vacuum environment or a preset negative pressure environment. After evacuation is complete, the first gas nozzle 14 is closed, disconnecting the vacuum pump. The solenoid valve 32 connects the cooling unit 31 and the circulating pump 33, but the circulating pump 33 remains closed. Then, the heating unit 21 is activated to heat and sinter the material to be sintered. Simultaneously, the temperature inside the cavity is detected by the temperature sensor 4. Upon receiving the temperature signal, the power supply unit adjusts the input current of the heating wire according to the relationship between the actual temperature and the target temperature, ensuring that the temperature inside the cavity reaches the target sintering temperature. The pressure inside the cavity is detected by the pressure sensor 5. The pressure sensor 5 works in conjunction with the pressure valve to ensure that the negative pressure environment inside the cavity meets the target pressure requirement.

[0054] After the sintering process, the sintered material is quenched. Solenoid valve 32 controls the start of circulating pump 33, causing coolant (e.g., liquid nitrogen) to circulate between circulating pump 33 and cooling component 31 to cool the pot body 11. During quenching, circulating pump 33 receives temperature signals from temperature sensor 4 and adjusts the coolant flow rate in real time according to the actual temperature inside the cavity to maintain the actual temperature within the target quenching temperature range.

[0055] After quenching, close the two solenoid valves 32, disconnect the cooling component 31 from the circulating pump 33, then move the entire sintering device to the next process, open the pressure valve to break the vacuum, and finally open the pot lid 12 and take out the quenched material for the next process.

[0056] Example 2

[0057] In this embodiment, the composition of the gas control component differs from that in Embodiment 1. The gas control component provided in this embodiment only includes a gas delivery component, which is connected to the first gas nozzle 14. The gas delivery component can input the required gas into the cavity, thereby regulating the composition and pressure of the atmosphere within the cavity. For example, the gas delivery component can be used to inject the target atmosphere into the cavity through the first gas nozzle 14. The second gas nozzle 15 on the lid 12 is used to connect the cavity with the external environment. At this time, the original gas in the cavity can be discharged outward through the second gas nozzle 15 until the original gas in the cavity is completely discharged, ultimately forming a positive pressure or target atmosphere environment equal to atmospheric pressure within the cavity. Of course, the gas delivery component can also be used to directly inject the target atmosphere into the cavity through the first gas nozzle 14, with the second gas nozzle 15 closed, ultimately forming a positive pressure target atmosphere environment within the cavity.

[0058] Furthermore, the heating element 21 provided in this embodiment uses a magnetic induction coil, which makes the heating process of the pot body 11 by the heating element 21 faster and more efficient, and the speed is higher than that of the electric heating wire used in Embodiment 1. In addition, the heating process of the magnetic induction coil can be adjusted by adjusting the frequency and power, thereby ensuring the temperature stability during the heating process and avoiding the temperature from exceeding the suitable range.

[0059] The following are the specific steps for using the sintering apparatus provided in this embodiment:

[0060] The pot body 11 is made of cast iron, and the cooling element 31 is made of copper tubing. Before the sintering process begins, the solenoid valve 32 disconnects the cooling element 31 from the circulating pump 33. The crucible containing the material to be sintered is placed inside the pot body 11 in the material room. The pot lid 12 is fastened onto the pot body 11 and sealed to the pot body 11 by means of a threaded connection. At this time, the cavity is in a closed state.

[0061] Open the first gas nozzle 14, the second gas nozzle 15, the gas supply component, and the pressure valve. The gas supply component is a gas cylinder. The gas supply component injects an inert protective gas (such as argon) into the cavity through the first gas nozzle 14, while the air in the cavity is discharged out through the second gas nozzle 15. After the gas in the cavity is replaced with argon, close the pressure valve and continue to inject argon to create a positive pressure inert atmosphere in the cavity. Then close the first gas nozzle 14 and disconnect the gas cylinder. At this time, the pressure in the cavity can still be detected by the pressure detection component 5 to ensure the stability of the pressure in the cavity before the sintering reaction begins. When the pressure is too high, a portion of the argon in the cavity can be discharged through the second gas nozzle 15 to relieve the pressure by opening the pressure valve again.

[0062] Solenoid valve 32 connects cooling component 31 and circulation pump 33, but circulation pump 33 is still in the off state at this time. Then, heating component 21 is started to heat and sinter, causing eddies to be generated inside the pot body 11, thereby generating heat and sintering. Similar to the embodiment, temperature detection component 4 and pressure detection component 5 can be used to ensure that the temperature and pressure environment inside the cavity meets the requirements of the sintering reaction. The working principle of temperature detection component 4 and pressure detection component 5 will not be described in detail here.

[0063] After the sintering process is completed, the heating element 21 is turned off, the two solenoid valves 32 are opened, and the circulation pump 33 is started to circulate the coolant (e.g., cooling water) between the circulation pump 33 and the cooling element 31 to cool the pot body 11. Similar to the embodiment, the circulation pump 33 can adjust the flow rate of the coolant based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 4, so that the actual temperature value inside the cavity can be maintained within the target quenching temperature range.

[0064] After quenching, close the two solenoid valves 32, disconnect the cooling component 31 from the circulating pump 33, then move the entire sintering device to the next process, open the pressure valve to discharge the argon gas, and finally open the pot lid 12 and take out the internal materials for the next process.

[0065] Example 3

[0066] In this embodiment, unlike Embodiments 1 and 2, the gas control component provided includes a vacuum pump and a gas delivery component. The vacuum pump is connected to the first gas nozzle 14, and the gas delivery component is connected to the second gas nozzle 15. A pressure valve can also be installed between the gas delivery component and the second gas nozzle 15. When the ambient atmosphere during feeding is a preset atmosphere, but a different target atmosphere is required during sintering, the original preset gas in the cavity is first evacuated using the vacuum pump to create a vacuum environment. Then, the pressure valve is opened, and the target gas is injected into the cavity using the gas delivery component until a target atmosphere environment with positive pressure, equal to atmospheric pressure, or negative pressure is formed in the cavity. This helps to accelerate the gas discharge efficiency in the cavity.

[0067] The following are the specific steps for using the sintering apparatus provided in this embodiment:

[0068] In this embodiment, the heating element 21 is a magnetic induction coil, the pot body 11 is made of low-carbon steel, and the cooling element 31 is made of aluminum tube. Before the sintering process begins, the solenoid valve 32 disconnects the cooling element 31 from the circulating pump 33. In the material room, the crucible containing the material to be sintered is placed in the cavity of the pot body 11, and the pot lid 12 is fastened to the pot body 11 and fixedly connected to the pot body 11 through a snap-fit ​​structure.

[0069] Open the first gas nozzle 14 and the vacuum pump, close the pressure valve on the second gas nozzle 15, and evacuate the cavity using the vacuum pump. After evacuation, close the first gas nozzle 14 and disconnect the vacuum pump. Then open the pressure valve and inject the target gas into the cavity using the gas delivery device until a target atmosphere environment with positive pressure, equal to atmospheric pressure, or negative pressure is formed inside the cavity. During this process, the gas delivery device can determine whether the cavity has reached the target atmosphere environment by detecting the gas pressure through the pressure detection device 5. In addition, before the sintering reaction begins, the gas delivery device can maintain communication with the cavity. The pressure valve can be a two-way valve, so that when the gas pressure inside the cavity is too high, the gas delivery device can extract a portion of the target gas, and when the gas pressure inside the cavity is too low, the gas delivery device can continue to input a portion of the target gas into the cavity, thereby maintaining the gas pressure inside the cavity within the target gas pressure range.

[0070] The cooling component 31 and the circulating pump 33 are connected via the solenoid valve 32, but the circulating pump 33 is still in the off state at this time. Then, the heating component 21 is started, which generates eddies inside the pot body 11 and thus generates heat, thereby carrying out sintering. Similar to Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2, the temperature detection component 4 and the pressure detection component 5 can be used to ensure that the temperature and pressure environment inside the cavity meets the requirements of the sintering reaction. The working principle of the temperature detection component 4 and the pressure detection component 5 will not be described in detail here.

[0071] After the sintering process is completed, the heating element 21 is turned off, the two solenoid valves 32 are opened, and the circulation pump 33 is started to allow the coolant (e.g., cooling oil) to circulate between the circulation pump 33 and the cooling element 31 to cool the pot body 11. Similar to the embodiment, the circulation pump 33 can adjust the flow rate of the coolant based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 4, so that the actual temperature value within the cavity can be maintained within the target quenching temperature range.

[0072] After quenching, close the two solenoid valves 32, disconnect the circulating pump 33, and transfer the entire sintering container 1 to the next process. Remove the gas supply components, open the pressure valve to break the vacuum in the cavity, and finally open the lid 12 and remove the internal materials for the next process.

[0073] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "some embodiments," "other embodiments," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0074] Obviously, the above embodiments of this utility model are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present utility model, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art can make various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions without departing from the protection scope of this utility model. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. Sintering apparatus, characterized in that include: The sintering vessel (1), the heating assembly, and the cooling assembly (3) are as follows: The sintering container (1) has an openable and closable cavity for filling the material to be sintered. The heating assembly includes a heating element (21) which can be connected to the outer wall of the sintering container (1); The cooling assembly (3) includes a cooling element (31) which can be connected to the outer wall of the sintering container (1).

2. The sintering apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by The sintering container (1) includes a pot body (11) and a pot lid (12). The pot body (11) is detachably fixed to the pot lid (12), and the pot body (11) has the cavity. The outer wall of the pot body (11) is connected to the heating element (21) and the cooling element (31).

3. The sintering apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by The sintering container (1) also includes a sealing gasket (13), which is attached to the inner surface of the lid (12). When the pot body (11) is connected to the lid (12), the sealing gasket (13) is sealed between the lid (12) and the pot body (11).

4. The sintering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The pot body (11) is made of a thermally conductive material; and / or, the pot body (11) is an inverted conical structure with a gradually decreasing cross-sectional area along the direction away from the opening end face.

5. The sintering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The cooling assembly (3) further includes a solenoid valve (32), the cooling component (31) has an inlet end and an outlet end, and the solenoid valve (32) is respectively provided on the inlet end and the outlet end; and / or, the solenoid valve (32) is provided on the outlet end.

6. The sintering apparatus according to claim 5, wherein The cooling assembly (3) also includes a circulation pump (33), the two ends of which are connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet, respectively.

7. The sintering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The heating element (21) includes a heating wire or a magnetic induction coil, and the cooling element (31) includes a coil.

8. The sintering apparatus according to claim 7, wherein The cooling element (31) and the heating element (21) are both wound around the outer wall of the sintering container (1), and the cooling element (31) and the heating element (21) are arranged alternately to each other.

9. The sintering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The sintering apparatus further includes a gas control component, which includes a vacuum pumping component for evacuating the cavity; and / or, the gas control component includes a gas delivery component for inputting and filling the cavity with a target gas.

10. The sintering apparatus according to claim 9, wherein The sintering apparatus further includes: A temperature detection element (4) is disposed on the sintering container (1) and used to detect the temperature inside the cavity; and / or a pressure detection element (5) is disposed on the sintering container (1) and used to detect the pressure inside the cavity.

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