Solar Atmospheres (Souderton, Pa.) successfully annealed 40,000 pounds of oxygen-free copper for General Electric Transportation of Erie, Pa. The copper, which is used to make the windings for electrical engines, was processed at 5 Torr nitrogen partial pressure at 1000°F and 2-bar nitrogen cooled.

Solar Atmospheres has successfully completed a brazing project for Clayton H. Landis Company of Souderton. Solar had to silver braze 1-inch diameter copper rounds into a copper bar that measured 3.5 inches x 3 inches x 71 inches and weighed 225 pounds each. The bars were brazed at 1550°F using a 72% silver/28% copper brazing alloy in soft vacuum in the 10 Torr range using partial pressure nitrogen to avoid copper or braze alloy evaporation. Two-inch-thick graphite plates were used to support the 8,000-pound workload in the furnace. Following brazing, the workload was cooled back to ambient temperature with nitrogen gas at a pressure of 5 psig with a 300-horsepower radial gas blower and water-to-gas heat exchanger.