1200°C Sliding Tube Furnace for Battery Materials

1200 °C Sliding Tube Furnace for Battery Materials Research - TOB-SK2-XY-12TP

Product Overview and Ideal Applications

The TOB-SK2-XY-12TP is a 1200 °C sliding tube furnace for battery materials research and development. Its distinguishing feature is the sliding furnace body: the heating chamber is mounted on a motorized slide and is driven by electric push buttons to move over or away from the quartz tube, while the sample remains at a fixed position inside the tube.

This mechanical arrangement gives the furnace a capability that a fixed-body tube furnace does not have - the ability to start heating by sliding the furnace onto the sample and to start cooling by sliding the furnace away, producing much faster heating and cooling transitions than a chamber that must change temperature as a whole.

The furnace is built around an 80 mm outer-diameter high-purity quartz tube with a 350 mm single-zone heating length, heated by HRE resistance wire up to a maximum temperature of 1200 °C (common working range 0-1100 °C). Temperature is measured by a K-type thermocouple mounted on one side of the flange with a display instrument, and controlled by a Yudian touch-screen intelligent temperature control system that supports 10 programs of 30 segments each, intelligent programmable PID auto-tuning, curve and history viewing, and USB data export. The control accuracy is ±1 °C with 0.25-grade precision.

The process environment is fully controllable: the tube can be operated under vacuum (two-stage mechanical pump, with a maximum vacuum of 10 Pa in the furnace at cold state) or under flowing gas - oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and other inert gases - with one mass flow controller (MFC, 0-300 SCCM) and ball valves on the ports, and the maximum gas pressure inside the tube not exceeding 0.02 MPa. The chamber uses high-temperature cotton on the outer layer and high-quality ceramic fiber board on the inner layer for insulation, and the furnace body uses a double-layer air-cooled structure to keep the outer surface temperature low. The 304 stainless steel flange with double-layer sealing provides oxidation resistance and acid and alkali resistance.

Ideal for:

1. Battery materials laboratories performing calcination, sintering, and annealing of cathode and anode material samples under vacuum or controlled gas atmospheres.
2. Solid-state electrolyte and other battery materials research where rapid heating and rapid cooling transitions are required to control phase formation and avoid unwanted phase transitions.
3. Rapid thermal processing experiments, where the sample must be brought to temperature quickly and removed from the hot zone quickly.
4. Materials research groups that need a programmable, ±1 °C-controlled furnace with data logging (USB export, curves, and history records) and unattended automatic heating and cooling.

Need to confirm whether the 80 mm tube, 350 mm heating zone, and sliding travel match your sample boat and process? Contact our battery materials equipment engineers with your sample holder dimensions and process temperature profile.

Working Principle: The Sliding Furnace Body

A conventional tube furnace keeps the heating chamber fixed around the tube, so the sample changes temperature together with the entire insulated chamber. That works for standard programmed calcination, but it makes fast heating and fast cooling difficult: the whole chamber - the heating elements and the insulation mass around them - must change temperature in step with the sample.

The TOB-SK2-XY-12TP changes the arrangement. The heating chamber is mounted on a slide and driven by electric buttons, and the sample sits at a fixed position inside the quartz tube. This gives two distinct operating modes:

• Heating by sliding the furnace over the sample: the furnace body, at its set temperature, slides over the sample position. The sample enters the hot zone and begins heating immediately, without waiting for the chamber to heat up around it.
• Cooling by sliding the furnace away: the furnace body slides away from the sample position, leaving the sample in the tube without the heating chamber and its insulation around it. The sample then cools from its process temperature much faster than it would inside a fixed furnace, where the chamber's thermal mass holds the temperature up.

This sliding arrangement is what supports rapid thermal processing and quenching-style experiments at up to 1200 °C: the sample position in the tube stays constant - only the furnace moves - so the sample can be loaded, brought to temperature, and pulled out of the hot zone mechanically, and the rapid transitions are produced by the machine movement itself rather than being limited by the chamber's heating and cooling rates. The furnace module can also be withdrawn from a sample during the end of a programmed run when a fast quench is required.

The sliding system is stated in the machine specification as electric button sliding, with the furnace body sliding. The heating rate programming (0-20 °C/min, arbitrarily settable) applies to the controlled ramps of the heating chamber; the sliding motion provides the discrete, rapid transitions that complement the programmed profile.

Where It Fits in Battery Materials Research and Development

In battery materials R&D, a tube furnace is the standard tool for the elevated-temperature steps that decide a material's structure and performance:

• Powder synthesis and calcination: precursor powders are heated under air, oxygen, or inert gas to form the target crystal phase.
• Sintering and densification: pressed pellets of cathode materials, solid electrolytes, or ceramics are sintered to the desired density.
• Annealing and surface treatment: after synthesis, a thermal step adjusts the crystal structure, removes defects, or diffuses surface coatings.
• Testing the effect of thermal history: in many materials studies, the heating and cooling rates and the atmosphere during the thermal step - not only the peak temperature - determine the phase that is retained at room temperature.

The TOB-SK2-XY-12TP addresses the fourth point directly. Because the sample can be brought rapidly into and out of the hot zone, the material's thermal history can be set sharply, allowing the researcher to compare, for example, a slow-cooled sample with a rapidly quenched one on the same machine. Combined with the programmable Yudian control system (10 programs, 30 segments, PID auto-tuning) and the vacuum and gas control, the furnace supports the full range of atmosphere- and rate-controlled processes used in battery materials development:

• Calcination and sintering of cathode and anode materials on the 0-1100 °C common working range, up to the 1200 °C maximum.
• Rapid thermal processing and quenching experiments for phase control.
• Processing under vacuum (to a maximum of 10 Pa in the furnace, cold state) or under flowing oxygen, nitrogen, argon, or other inert gases, with gas flow set by the MFC.
• Annealing and crystallization studies with recorded and exportable temperature profiles.

How the TOB-SK2-XY-12TP Operates

The operating workflow of the furnace follows the sequence below.

1. Sample loading: the sample is placed in a crucible or boat at the fixed position inside the quartz tube, using the standard accessories supplied with the machine - the crucible hook and high-temperature gloves. Tube plugs are used where the process requires them.
2. Atmosphere setup: for vacuum operation, the outlet end is connected to the vacuum pump through bellows, ball valves, and clamps; for gas operation, the gas line is connected at the inlet end through the ball valves, and gas flow is set on the MFC (0-300 SCCM). The pressure gauge at the gas inlet shows the supply pressure, and all ports are fitted with ball valves; the maximum gas pressure inside the tube must not exceed 0.02 MPa.
3. Program setting: the process profile is set on the Yudian touch-screen control system - up to 10 programs of 30 segments, with the heating rate within the 0-20 °C/min settable range and a single segment time of up to 1000 hours. PID auto-tuning is supported for the setup.
4. Heating: the furnace body slides over the sample position and the program runs - automatic heating, automatic cooling, and unattended operation are supported through the one-key operation of the control system.
5. Rapid cooling (as required): where a fast transition is needed, the furnace body is slid away from the sample position so that the sample cools without the heating chamber around it. The electric button sliding system drives the furnace body movement.
6. Cooling and unloading: the program or the sliding action brings the sample to the unloading temperature, and the sample is removed from the tube with the crucible hook and gloves.
7. Data review and export: temperature curves and historical records can be viewed on the controller and exported through the USB interface for the research record.

Safety protection is active throughout: over-temperature protection and thermocouple break protection are provided as standard, and the furnace body's double-layer air-cooled structure keeps the outer surface temperature low during operation.

Key Engineering Characteristics of the TOB-SK2-XY-12TP

1. Sliding Furnace Body Driven by Electric Buttons
   The furnace body slides on its rail, driven by electric button control. The sample position inside the tube remains fixed, so the process atmosphere and sample placement do not change when the furnace moves. This is the defining feature of the TOB-SK2-XY-12TP.
2. Rapid Heating and Rapid Cooling by Mechanical Motion
   Sliding the furnace over the sample starts heating immediately; sliding it away lets the sample cool without the thermal mass of the heating chamber around it. Rapid thermal processing and quenching-style experiments become possible - sharp thermal transitions produced by machine motion rather than limited by the chamber's own heating and cooling rates.
3. 1200 °C Maximum Temperature, 0-1100 °C Common Working Range
   The HRE resistance wire heating elements and K-type thermocouple support a maximum temperature of 1200 °C, with a common working range of 0-1100 °C. The 350 mm single-zone heating length and 80 mm outer-diameter high-purity quartz tube define the usable hot zone and sample envelope.
4. ±1 °C Temperature Control with the Yudian Touch-Screen System
   The Yudian touch-screen intelligent temperature control system supports 10 programs of 30 segments with intelligent programmable PID auto-tuning. Curves and historical records can be viewed, and data can be exported through the USB interface. Control accuracy is ±1 °C with 0.25-grade precision, and a single segment time can be set up to 1000 hours. One-key operation provides automatic heating and automatic cooling without the need for attendance.
5. Programmable Heating Rates from 0 to 20 °C/min
   The heating rate is arbitrarily settable within the 0-20 °C/min range, so the temperature profile can be matched to the material and the process - with the sliding motion available for the rapid transitions outside the programmed ramp.
6. Vacuum Operation with a Two-Stage Mechanical Pump
   The furnace operates under vacuum using a two-stage mechanical pump, with the pump connected through bellows, ball valves, and clamps. The maximum vacuum in the furnace is 10 Pa (cold state), and the pump system's ultimate vacuum is 6 x 10⁻² Pa (cold state), providing a controlled low-pressure environment for the process.
7. Gas Atmosphere Control with MFC
   The inlet end has one gas inlet with one MFC (0-300 SCCM), and each gas inlet is equipped with a ball valve and connected with a pressure gauge. Oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and various inert gases can be used, and all ports are fitted with ball valves; the maximum gas pressure inside the tube does not exceed 0.02 MPa.
8. High-Purity Quartz Tube and 304 Stainless Steel Flanges with Double-Layer Sealing
   The process tube is a high-purity quartz tube (80 mm outer diameter), and the flange is made of 304 stainless steel: convenient for loading and unloading, oxidation resistant, acid and alkali resistant, and double-layer sealed to ensure the sealing performance required for vacuum and gas operation.
9. Thermal Efficiency: Ceramic Fiber Insulation and Double-Layer Air-Cooled Body
   The furnace chamber uses high-temperature cotton on the outer layer and high-quality ceramic fiber board on the inner layer for a good insulation effect. The chamber structure is an integrated compact design with a step-type splicing structure conforming to mechanical principles - uniform stress during heating and heat not easily lost. The double-layer air-cooled furnace body structure keeps the outer surface temperature low.
10. Safety Protection and Complete Standard Package
    The furnace provides over-temperature protection and thermocouple break protection. Its standard accessories cover the operating essentials - 2 tube plugs, 1 quartz tube, 1 gas tube, 1 flange set, 2 spare sealing rings, 1 crucible hook, 1 pair of high-temperature gloves, 1 vacuum pump, and 1 operation manual - and the furnace is packed in a wooden box with foam filling inside and the furnace body wrapped in plastic film.

Complete Technical Specifications

The following tables reproduce the provided specifications.

1. Main Technical Parameters

2. Temperature Control System

3. Gas and Vacuum System

4. Warranty, Standard Accessories, and Packaging

Practical Operation Recommendations

• Sample placement: place the sample in a crucible or boat at the fixed position in the quartz tube, and use the supplied crucible hook and high-temperature gloves for loading and unloading. Since the sample position stays fixed while the furnace slides, define the sample position first and keep it consistent between runs.
• Tube plugs: use the supplied tube plugs as required by the process - for example to reduce heat radiation toward the tube ends and the seals. Confirm the arrangement in the operating manual for your process.
• Vacuum operation: connect the vacuum pump through the bellows, ball valves, and clamps. Inspect the sealing rings before use (2 spare sealing rings are supplied), and confirm the achievable vacuum against the specified maximum of 10 Pa in the furnace (cold state).
• Gas operation: set the flow on the MFC within the 0-300 SCCM range, and check the pressure gauge at the inlet. Do not exceed the maximum gas pressure inside the tube of 0.02 MPa, and keep all ports closed with their ball valves except those required by the process.
• Program setup: set the profile on the Yudian touch-screen controller - up to 10 programs of 30 segments, heating rates within 0-20 °C/min, segment times up to 1000 hours. Run PID auto-tuning when setting up a new profile or after changing the tube or sample arrangement.
• Sliding procedure: slide the furnace body over the sample only when ready to begin the thermal step, and slide it away when a rapid cooling transition is intended. Use the electric button control to move the furnace body, and confirm the travel is clear before each run.
• Temperature limits: for routine work, keep the process within the common working range of 0-1100 °C; the 1200 °C maximum applies to short, compatible operation. Allow the furnace to cool within its supported conditions before unloading.
• Cooling and safety: do not block the air-cooling path of the double-layer air-cooled body. Keep the over-temperature and thermocouple break protections enabled, and wear high-temperature gloves when handling hot samples, crucibles, and the tube.
• Maintenance: inspect the quartz tube and sealing rings periodically, replace worn seals (spares are supplied), and check the thermocouple and its display instrument. The furnace body has a one-year warranty (excluding wearing parts) with lifetime technical support.

Engineering FAQ

Q1: What is a sliding tube furnace, and how does it differ from a standard tube furnace?

In a standard tube furnace, the heating chamber is fixed around the tube, so the sample and the whole chamber change temperature together. In the TOB-SK2-XY-12TP, the furnace body is mounted on a slide and moves by electric button control, while the sample stays at a fixed position inside the quartz tube. Sliding the furnace over the sample starts heating; sliding it away lets the sample cool without the heating chamber around it. This enables much faster heating and cooling transitions - useful for rapid thermal processing and quenching-style experiments.

Q2: What is the temperature range, and how is it controlled?

The maximum temperature is 1200 °C, with a common working range of 0-1100 °C. Heating is provided by HRE resistance wire, and the temperature is measured by a K-type thermocouple with a display instrument on one side of the flange. The Yudian touch-screen system controls up to 10 programs of 30 segments with PID auto-tuning, at a control accuracy of ±1 °C and 0.25-grade precision. Heating rates are settable within 0-20 °C/min, and a single segment time can be up to 1000 hours.

Q3: What atmospheres can the furnace operate in?

The furnace can run under vacuum or with flowing gases. The compatible gases are oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and various inert gases; the inlet end has one gas inlet with one MFC (0-300 SCCM), and the maximum gas pressure inside the tube must not exceed 0.02 MPa. Under vacuum, the two-stage mechanical pump gives an ultimate vacuum of 6 x 10⁻² Pa (cold state), and the maximum vacuum in the furnace is 10 Pa (cold state).

Q4: Is the vacuum pump included with the furnace?

Yes. The standard accessories include 1 vacuum pump (two-stage mechanical pump), together with 2 tube plugs, 1 quartz tube, 1 gas tube, 1 flange set, 2 spare sealing rings, 1 crucible hook, 1 pair of high-temperature gloves, and 1 operation manual.

Q5: What are the tube and heating zone dimensions?

The heating tube outer diameter is 80 mm, and the heating zone length is 350 mm (single zone). The tube material is a high-purity quartz tube.

Q6: How is the sealing of the tube ensured?

The furnace uses a 304 stainless steel flange with double-layer sealing. The flange is convenient for loading and unloading and is oxidation resistant and acid and alkali resistant, which together maintain the sealing performance required for vacuum and gas operation. Two spare sealing rings are supplied with the machine.

Q7: What safety protections does the furnace provide?

The furnace provides over-temperature protection and thermocouple break protection. The furnace body uses a double-layer air-cooled structure that keeps the outer surface temperature low, and the chamber insulation - outer high-temperature cotton and inner high-quality ceramic fiber board - contributes to thermal efficiency and safe touch conditions.

Q8: What data functions does the control system offer?

The Yudian touch-screen system allows the temperature curves and historical records to be viewed, and data can be exported through the USB interface. Automatic heating and automatic cooling can be started with one-key operation, and the process can run without attendance - useful for long dwell times (up to 1000 hours per segment) typical of sintering and annealing runs.

Q9: What is the warranty?

The furnace body has a one-year warranty, excluding wearing parts such as heating elements, the quartz tube, sealing rings, and thermocouples. Lifetime technical support is provided.

Ready to add rapid-heating, rapid-cooling thermal processing to your battery materials laboratory? Request a quotation for the TOB-SK2-XY-12TP with your sample holder dimensions, process temperature profile, and required atmosphere (vacuum or gas type and flow). Our battery materials equipment engineers can advise on configuration, sliding procedure, and process setup.

tob.amy@tobmachine.com | +86 181 2071 5609

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