Annealing - to hold at elevated temperatures followed by a slow cool to room temperature in order to relieve stress, increase ductility and toughness to produce a specific microstructure.

Bake-Out - the slow process of heating a furnace in order to dry out the insulation and purify the ceramics; vapors and odors are given off at this time

Brazing - the method of joining two metals by melting an alloy to the joint, (similar to soldering but at a much higher temperature)

Box Furnace - four sided furnace with door

Ceramics - a class of materials that possess a diversity of uses and properties as a result of the large number of atomic structures and infinite substitutions of other atoms into a given crystal lattice; (uses include abrasives, insulators, glasses, clays, refractories, coatings, capacitors, superconductors, varistors, engine components, fiber optics and magnetic devices

Corrosion - the interaction of an alloy with its environment involving electrical, physical and chemical processes resulting in deterioration of the material.  Corrosion occurs when a oxidation reaction and reduction reaction occur in concert.

Crucible furnace - furnace with opening on either top or bottom with or without a door

Diffusion - spontaneous movement of particles in a fluid from a region  at a high concentration to a  uniform concentration, until a uniform concentration is achieved throughout.

Direct Current - (DC) Electrical current that flows consistently in one direction only.
 

Furnace - heating vestibule in many shapes, (box, tube, crucible, split, round) that can maintain a given temperature over time.

Heat Shield - a heat protecting coating or system used to diffuse or redirect heat

Heat Treatment - in industry, the subjection of metals and alloys to controlled heating and cooling to relieve internal stress (methods include annealing, quenching and tempering)

Inert Gas - (also noble gas) any of six elements (helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon) {named because originally believed not to enter any chemical reactions.  This is now known to be incorrect}  The extreme un-reactivity of the inert gases is due to stability of the electronic structure.  The energy levels of inert gas atoms are full.

Joule -  The basic of thermal energy. The work done by the force of one newton acting through a distance of one meter.

Ohmic Conductors - conductor's that obey Ohm's Law

Refractory - lining consisting of material with a high melting point; used to line the inside walls of a furnace

Silicon Carbide - is  highly wear resistant, has high temperature strength and thermal shock resistance; used as a technical ceramic (SiC)

Sintering - to use pressure and heat below the melting point to bond and partly fuse masses of metal

Split Furnace - furnace that opens or splits down the center allowing the user access to the bore

Stress Relief - low temperature thermal heat treatment to relieve internal stresses without affecting previous cold-working

Thermocouples - temperature sensors composed of two dissimilar metals fused together that produce a change in voltage when heated (the change in voltage is interpreted as a change in temperature)

Tube Furnace - "tubular" shaped furnace designed for length of bore