FIELD: chemical thermal treatment in metallurgy and mechanical engineering. SUBSTANCE: method provides that during control of ionized atmosphere characteristics and following evaluation of parameters the process they use as characteristic of ionized atmosphere its electromagnetic radiation. Control of the process parameters is exercised by separation of electromagnetic radiation, corresponding to active components and total number of particles of ionized atmosphere in given frequency intervals. Evaluation of the process parameters is exercised according to number of active components of ionized atmosphere, that is obtained by comparison of electrical signals produced as the result of conversion with one them, taken as basic one and corresponding to intensity of radiation from total number of particles of ionized atmosphere. Apparatus has primary converter, connected through electrical signal converter to functional converter unit, is made as unit of electromagnetic radiation separation. Unit of electromagnetic radiation separation from active components and total number of particles of ionized atmosphere is made as filtering members, mounted with capability of following positioning in zone of receiving electromagnetic radiation in front of receiver of electromagnetic radiation. Unit of electromagnetic radiation separation is made in the form of turning disk with radially located in it filtering members and provided with drive of rotation and filtering members positioning unit. EFFECT: method and apparatus improved quality of steels and alloys chemical thermal treatment in glow discharge process diagnostics. 12 cl, 6 dwg, 1 tbl
