METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE CONTROLLED FORMING AND FEEDING OF A GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE HAVING AT LEAST TWO COMPONENTS, AND APPLICATION IN PLANTS OF THERMAL OR CARBURIZING TREATMENT

PCT No. PCT/EP94/02918 Sec. 371 Date Mar. 25, 1996 Sec. 102(e) Date Mar. 25, 1996 PCT Filed Sep. 2, 1994 PCT Pub. No. WO95/08387 PCT Pub. Date Mar. 30, 1995A method for the forming and feeding of a gaseous atmosphere having two components, at least one of which under the form of vapour obtained from liquid, envisages to bubble a first gaseous component within a liquid component kept under controlled conditions of pressure and temperature and then to remove the gas-vapour mixture having controlled composition. In order to realise the method according to the invention, a device is foreseen that comprises a saturator reservoir containing the liquid component, means to keep the level of the liquid in the reservoir substantially constant, means to bubble a flow of gaseous component within the saturator, as well as means to control pressure and temperature inside the saturator itself. The invention can be applied in particular to the forming of carburizing atmospheres and of atmospheres used in thermal treatments of steel materials, specially gas carburizing treatments.