Salt Baths

Presentation:

Introduction
The receptacle containing the salts (or

mixtures of salts) which when heated, melt to form a liquid medium for heat treatment processes.
Depending on the nature of the salt used for: Quenching medium Heat treatments Case hardening Dip Brazing

Construction of Salt Baths

General Design Requirements
Sound construction and without points of

weakness.
Integral joints and corners be rounded off. Important parts are
Suitable refractory lining Outer shell Bath cover Catch pits Heating system Labeling

Construction of Salt Baths

1) Bath Covers & outer shell
The provision of suitable

sliding or hinged and counterbalance covers.

These covers shall be of non-

combustible material and should be fitted into guides.

The covers should be in place

whenever the bath is not in use, and in particular during the heating up and melting of solid salts.

Outer shell of Steel

Construction of Salt Baths

2) Catch Pits
Of suitable non-combustible material. Catch pits capable of containing the contents

of the bath in the event of any leakage occurring. For small sized baths.
If the salt is in direct contact with the heating

source then it is not necessary.

For large baths it will normally be impractical;

for this situation provision should be made to channel leaking salts to a safe area free of combustible material where they can solidify.

Construction of Salt Baths

3) Labeling
Every bath shall be clearly labeled with a sign

indicating whether nitrate or cyanide salts bath.

4) Heating system
Direct or indirect heating of the salt in bath. Electrical and oil/gas fired heating The fuel for combustion is provided through

pipes from top or bottom.

Construction of Salt Baths

5) Refractories
Fire bricks For lining salt baths, especially high-

temperature baths, high-alumina refractory MKO-72 (TU 14-8-71) with high-alumina VT-1 mortar for the joints. The use of MKO-72 sharply increases the service life of salt baths.

Construction of Salt Baths

Construction of Salt Baths

Quench baths
Located at least 24 inches from any salt bath. It should be lower in height than the salt

bath.
The provision of a suitable screen may be

used instead of above two.

Safe discharge of quench bath water to a

suitable drain.
Cyanide salts contaminated water must be

chemical treatment before being discharged.

Installation Requirements for Salt Baths

1) Location and flooring of salt baths
Salt baths shall preferably be located at

ground-floor level.
If on an upper level, a bath should be placed

on a suitable strengthened concrete floor. Where practicable, the section containing the salt baths shall be separated from other sections of the workplace by means of fireresisting walls.

Installation Requirements for Salt Baths

2) Provision for Accidental Entry of Water
Provision shall be made

to ensure that water cannot accidentally enter a salt bath.

Fire sprinkler systems

shall not be fitted in heat treatment areas containing salt baths.

Installation Requirements for Salt Baths

3) Working Space
In rooms where one or more

salt baths are situated, the baths shall be so placed as to provide adequate working space in the vicinity of each bath for every person working in that part of the premises.

Storage of Salts
General provisions
Storage rooms - should be dry

and clean.
No smoking area - allowed in

that area. A suitable sign should be displayed to indicate this.

Containers
All salts should be stored in

appropriately labeled containers which are moisture-proof.

Storage and Handling of Cyanide Salts

Cyanides should not be stored together with

nitrates, and acids or acidic materials MUST NOT be allowed to come into contact with cyanide salts.
The cyanide store shall be locked and in the

charge of a responsible person extraordinarily.

Cyanide containers should be opened only in

the room in which the salt is to be used.

Dry gloves should be worn whenever cyanide

salts are handled, and a scoop is recommended for transference.

Storage and Handling of Nitrate / Nitrite Salts

Nitrates should be stored away from

oxidisable materials and sources of direct heat.

Storage containers should be of

noncombustible material.
If nitrate or nitrite salts are delivered in

combustible bags, the salts should be transferred to suitable containers and the bags washed after emptying or burnt under controlled conditions.
These salts are not much sensitive to

transference of salt with scoop.

Why do we use salt baths?

The salt baths have following advantages over

conventional heat treatment furnaces:

Fast and uniform heating Controlled cooling conditions during

quenching
Low surface oxidation and decarburization Good control of case depths Short treatment times

Fast and Uniform Heating and Cooling

Conduction (combined with

convection) through the liquid media (salt bath).

The heat transfer rate in a liquid

media is much greater than the gases.

Convection in liquid salt bath

produces uniform heating and cooling conditions.

Controlled cooling conditions during Quenching

In conventionalquenchingoperation
Either water oroilare used as the

quenching media.
Cracks and distortions Oil removal problem No control over cooling rate. Not suitable for hi carbon steels. Less hardenable steels cant be

quenched.

Controlled cooling conditions during Quenching

Salt

bath quenching offers

Control over the quenching

rate/severity.
Uniform quenching and no thermal

stresses.
Particularly suitable for High Carbon

steels and less hardenable steels.

Interrupted quenching technique

prevents the work part from cracking and distortion.

Salt Bath Quenching

Main Variables in Salt Quenching

Temperature, Agitation, Water content, Residence time Steel composition Austenitizing temperature Section thickness Configuration of parts

Other Variables

Low surface oxidation and de C

Good control over the salt bath

atmosphere.
The contact of the hot work

part with the atmosphere is minimized when the part is treated in the salt bath.
So, no iron oxide formation

and de C chances.

Heat Treatment Processes in Salt Baths

Austempring Martempring Hardening and annealing Nitriding and nitrocarburizing Carbonitriding Carburizing and carbonitriding Solution treatment of aluminum alloys Cleaning of metallic parts

Classification of salt baths

Nitrate salt baths Mixture of nitrate and nitrite salts Chloride baths Cyanide baths Alkali metal hydroxides

Nitrate/Mixture with nitrites Salt baths

Sodium/potassium salt baths For Martempering of steels, Normal tempring. For austempring. For solution treatment of

aluminum alloys.
Nitrate salt baths have also found

application in the vulcanization of rubber.

Safe range of use 160-550C.

Nitrate Salt baths

Salt bath Compositi Melting on point Bath I Bath II KNO3100 337C % NaNO3100 370C % Work temperat ure range 350-500C 400-600C

Nitrate-nitrite Mixture salts

Compositions Approx. Melting Point KNO3 50-60% NaNO2 50-40% 135C Work temperature range 160-550C

NaNO3 50-60% NaNO2 50-40% KNO3 50-60% NaNO3 50-40%

145C 225C

150-500C 260-600C

Chloride Salt Baths

For For

Hardening. Tempering

Bath Type

Composition

Melting point

Work temperature range

II

III

NaCl 10- 400C 15% KCl 2030% BaCl2 4050% CaCl2 1520% NaCO3 45450C 55% KCl 5545% BaCl2 50% 540C

500-800C

550-900C

570-900C

Cyanide Salt Baths

Extremely Toxic !!! Applied for:
Liquid Nitriding

A Molten 27 -34 % of Sodium Cyanide Salt bath

Liquid Carbonitriding

A molten salt containing 20-25% of sodium cyanide

Cyanide salt baths

Liquid Carburizing

A molten salt containing10-25% of sodium cyanide

Only liquid surface treatments.

Mixture of Alkali Metal Hydroxides

Polymeric contamination on metal parts

surfaces may be effectively removed by immersion of the part into a molten salt.
Polymers decompose and burn at the

temperature of the molten salt.

Mixtures of hydroxides and nitrates as

salt baths.
A temperature within 343-510C are used

for cleaning operation.

Alkali Metal Hydroxides

Salt bath Compositi Melting on point Bath I NaOH 75% 140C KOH 19% H2O 6% KOH 50280C 60% NaOH 5040% Work temperat ure range 160-280C

Bath II

300-400C

Compatible Materials for Salt Baths

Steels Aluminum and aluminum alloys. Titanium and its alloys at high

temperature.
Following are not suitable:
Magnesium alloys Zinc and its alloys

Operation of Salt Bath

Charging of salt/mixture of salt in pre-

determined amount.
A continuous supply of fresh salt must

be provided in the burner tube zone while firing to ensure that the burner tubes are completely covered in salt at all times.
As salt around the burner tubes melts,

more salt must be added to ensure complete coverage of the tubes and elimination of hot spots.

Operation of Salt Bath

Put the member to be heat treated

in it for the predetermined time for required heat treatment process.

To close the lid. Removal of member from the salt

bath.
Transfer to Salt Bath Quenchant. After residence time (according to

the required treatment), member is cooled.

Desludging of the salt bath.

Reaction Control Issues

Explosive generation of steam due to water or moisture

being inadvertently introduced into the molten salt.

Overheating and eventual explosive decomposition of

nitrate salts at temperatures above 550 deg C. aluminium or magnesium alloys under certain conditions.

Explosive reactions between molten nitrates and

Molten nitrates and cyanides may decompose

explosively if mixed together.

Fires caused through the hot molten salts coming into

contact with combustible materials.

Precautions for reaction control

Good exhaust around the bath is highly recommended. Water sprinklers shouldnotbe installed in and around

any molten salt system.

Installing audio/visual alarms that go off when bath

temperature exceeds a preset limit.

Avoid mixing of nitrate salts and the cyanide salts. Salt should be stored in well marked, closed containers,

which should be kept in a dry location segregated from incompatible materials such as cyanide salts. foam, or aqueous

No vaporizing liquid such as carbon tetrachloride, water, extinguishing agent shall be used for fighting fires near

molten salt baths.

Temperature control of the Salt bath

Good temperature control for electrical

and fuel fired heating salt baths.

Every salt bath shall be equipped with an

efficient audible and visual alarm device capable of giving a clear warning in the event of the temperature of the salt exceeding a safe predetermined level.
Electrical heating gives better heating

efficiency.

Gas/Oil Heating
Low maintenance cost Not Better Temperature Uniformity and

Controllability
Can Be Used for Higher Temperature Processes and

with this operating cost increases.

Explosion Hazards Flue Gases to Deal With Pollution or Emissions of NO Hi Initial Cost for Furnace Relatively complex to Install and Operate

x Etc.

Electrical Heating
100 % Efficient Better Temperature Uniformity and Controllability Can Be Used for Higher Temperature Processes Safe - No Explosion Hazards No Flue Gases to Deal With No Pollution or Emissions of NO Lower Initial Cost for Furnace Easy to Install and Operate Can Be Easily Automated Hi maintenance cost.

x Etc.

Atmospheric Control of Salt bath

Good atmospheric control is

achieved in the salt baths.

Avoiding de-C and oxidation of

the surface of steels.

Health/Environmental Hazards
Cyanide salts may be proved to be health and

environmental enemy.

Production of highly toxic hydrogen cyanide

gas from reaction of acids, or water (under certain conditions), with cyanide salts.

Burns resulting from contact with the molten

salt. These are especially hazardous when caused by molten cyanides since absorption via body tissues can lead to fatal poisoning.

Accidental ingestion of cyanide salts. Gassing caused by inhalation of fumes given off

in the heat treatment process.