Carbon dropping out of an over-rich atmosphere or a dirty generator as soot on parts, baskets, radiant tubes and probes. Soot insulates parts and causes uneven case depth, fouls oxygen probes, and attacks furnace alloy. Shops clear it with a burnout, running air through the hot furnace or generator retort to burn the carbon away, followed by seasoning before production resumes.
Baskets came out black, the line is sooting, schedule a burnout for Saturday.
Also heard as
- soot
- soot-up
Related terms
Running rich
Shop talk for a furnace atmosphere carrying more carbon than its setpoint and heading toward soot.
Seasoning
Running an empty furnace at carburizing setpoint after a burnout so walls and fixtures soak up carbon first.
Carbon potential
The carbon content a furnace atmosphere would give the surface of plain steel at equilibrium.
Endothermic gas
A carrier atmosphere of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and nitrogen made by reacting natural gas with air.