Salt bath

Hot bath consisting of molten salts which is used in various heat treatments where the casting to be treated has to be exposed to an isothermal heat treatment stage. The most common process in which a salt bath is used is austempering.

Salts used are sodium nitrate (NaNO3) with a melting point of 306°C, potassium nitrate (KNO3) with a melting point of 337°C, their mixtures as well as sodium nitrite (NaNO2) with a melting point of 271°C.

Additional references:
Hot-bath hardening