LECO Tube Furnaces

The LECO Cornerstone TF Tube Furnaces are versatile, energy-efficient resistance furnaces designed to bake crucibles and significantly reduce contaminants that can interfere with carbon and sulfur analytical results. Engineered for both high- and lower-volume laboratories, the TF series improves data accuracy, repeatability, and operating efficiency while reducing overall energy consumption.

Key Features

• Long-life molybdenum disilicide heating elements with an operating temperature range from 800 °C to 1350 °C
• Integrated digital furnace controller displaying set point or actual temperature with built-in overtemperature protection
• TF4 Quad Tube Furnace
  • Six heating elements
  • Enables simultaneous baking of crucibles in four combustion tubes
  • Ideal for demanding, high-volume installations supporting two to four analytical units
• TF2 Dual Tube Furnace
  • Four heating elements
  • Efficient solution for lower-volume laboratories supporting one to two systems
• Increased crucible capacity and optimized furnace design deliver up to 60% lower energy consumption compared to previous models, significantly reducing operating costs

Impact of Crucible Preheating on Analytical Results

Preheating crucibles in the TF furnaces has a pronounced effect on carbon and sulfur accuracy. When 528-018 crucibles were baked at 1250 °C for 15 minutes, results for a high-purity iron reference material (certified at 5 ppm carbon and 2 ppm sulfur) showed dramatically improved accuracy and reduced variability.

• Baked crucibles produced results close to certified values with low standard deviation
• Unbaked crucibles showed elevated carbon and sulfur levels
• Baked but touched crucibles demonstrated significant contamination, highlighting the importance of proper handling after baking

These results confirm that controlled crucible baking is essential for achieving low-level carbon and sulfur determinations with confidence.

Energy Efficiency

The redesigned TF furnaces use approximately 60% less energy than previous models. At continuous operation with a full crucible load and a furnace temperature of 1350 °C, operating cost comparisons clearly demonstrate substantial savings in power consumption, making the TF series both an analytical and economic advantage for modern laboratories.

Models

• TF4 – Quad Tube Furnace
• TF2 – Dual Tube Furnace