Editing Heat treating (section)

=== Salt bath furnaces ===
Salt baths are used in a wide variety of heat treatment processes including neutral hardening, liquid carburising, [[Nitriding#Salt bath nitriding|liquid nitriding]], [[austempering]], [[martempering]] and [[tempering (metallurgy)|tempering]].

Parts are loaded into a pot of [[molten salt]] where they are heated by [[conduction (heat)|conduction]], giving a very readily available source of heat. The core temperature of a part rises in temperature at approximately the same rate as its surface in a salt bath.<ref name=":0" />

Salt baths utilize a variety of salts for heat treatment, with cyanide salts being the most extensively used. Concerns about associated occupation health and safety, and expensive waste management and disposal due to their environmental effects have made the use of salt baths less attractive in recent years. Consequently, many salt baths are being replaced by more environmentally friendly fluidized bed furnaces.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Made in the Midlands {{!}} Fluidised beds: A Green Alternative to Salt Baths|url = http://claytonholdings.madeinthemidlands.com/news/fluidised-beds-a-green-alternative-to-salt-baths/813|website = claytonholdings.madeinthemidlands.com|access-date = 2015-06-02|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160207021500/http://claytonholdings.madeinthemidlands.com/news/fluidised-beds-a-green-alternative-to-salt-baths/813|archive-date = 2016-02-07}}</ref>