Abstract: An apparatus for producing a particulate metal or alloy having a diameter of less than 5 microns by the reaction of a molten metal or alloy with activated hydrogen. The apparatus has (1) a metal melting hearth for melting a starting metal or alloy placed thereon and supporting the molten metal or alloy, (2) a discharge electrode positioned above, and opposite to, the metal or alloy placed on the melting hearth, (3) a closed vessel for containing the melting hearth and the discharge electrode, and (4) a gas inlet port in the wall of the closed vessel for introducing hydrogen or a hydrogen-containing gas into the vessel.

Abstract: For the loading of evaporators in vapor coating plants with shaped pieces made of vapor coating materials there is used an apparatus which is characterized by rolls having indentations for receiving the shaped pieces, centered on a rotatable shaft and surrounded by a closely fitting housing by a moving part having gradual feed fastened on the shaft and by a swivelable shaft moveable into a resting position and into a loading position, on which there is mounted the shaft having rolls via fastening elements. Thereby the housing of the rolls is provided with a recess corresponding to the shaped pieces, which is located in the loading position directly above the evaporator. Because there is only a short time loading process there is no need to cool and there is avoided influencing of the vaporization by the action of moving.

Abstract: The invention comprises a charging apparatus for melting furnaces, especially for plasma melting furnaces, for the continuous melting of preferably prepared aluminum scrap material.With the help of the proposed solution a controlled and regulated supply of the scrap material along with the prevention of a direct application of the plasma arc or other energy sources directly to the material to be melted, can be accomplished with the simultaneous pre-warming and cleaning of the material to be melted, wherein the metal loss resulting from burning is minimized, the contents of the contaminants within the metallic smelt is reduced and, in addition, an effective environmental protection can be accomplished. This is attained by the provision of an axially movable shaft 4 arranged vertically or tilted in the opening 1 of the furnace and having on the charging side a charging funnel 6 with an exhaust ring nozzle 7.

Abstract: An automatic pig-charging apparatus for hot-chamber pressure-diecasting machines is described, which enable small parts to be manufactured e.g., a Zamak alloy especially under mass production conditions. Excessive fluctuations of the level of the liquid metal melt have prove to have disadvantageous effects on the quality of small parts, and on the service lives of the pressure-diecasting machines and dies. The aim must accordingly be to minimize the fluctuations. The present invention provides a control system, which keeps the liquid metal level within narrow limits. A float switch automatically triggers a charging operation whenever the lower liquid metal level is reached. This operation involves the automatic replenishment of the liquid metal melt by addition of pigs supplied from a replenishing station.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and apparatus for clean, low loss melting of aluminum using heat transfer by convection and radiation in separate stages. Heat input to a melter stage is provided by silicon carbide tubes into which gas-fueled burners fire so that the tubes radiate heat to a molten aluminum bath. Combustion products exiting the silicon carbide tubes pass through recuperators, preheating burner combustion air. The combustion products then are piped to a preheater stage and formed into jets of hot gases. The jets are directed into convective contact with solid aluminum stock as the stock is transported along a conveyor, preheating the stock to a temperature of about 1,000.degree. F. The solid stock then is fed to the charge zone of the melter stage and melted by contact with the molten bath.

Abstract: A furnace for treating sewage sludge, ash from municipal incinerators or other industrial wastes by melting the waste with a high-temperature bed formed from a combustible carbonaceous material for the reuse of the resulting molten product, for example, as aggregate. A gas for combustion is supplied to the bed at an intermediate portion between its upper and lower portions while causing the resulting combustion gas to flow through the bed dividedly upward and downward.

Abstract: A pre-heating assembly to be used for pre-heating ingots being transported to a melting furnace, which includes an inner cylinder constituting a main passage for exhaust gas discharged from a flue of the melting furnace, an outer cylinder which is positioned around the inner cylinder to leave a subsidiary passage for the exhaust gas between the two cylinders, an ingot supplying passage spirally provided along the outermost circumference of the inner cylinder, in which the ingots, each having a spherical configuration like a ball, roll down the passage in succession so that each ingot is pre-heated prior to its introduction into the melting furnace, and a connector support member, on which both cylinders are mounted and the bottom portion of the connector support member is coupled to the outlet of the flue.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding molten metal at a substantially constant rate of at least 3 pounds per minute is disclosed. This apparatus includes a receptacle for holding a maximum volume of molten metal therein, a heater to maintain the metal in a molten state, and an overflow runner through which molten metal flows from the receptacle as the amount of molten metal exceeds the maximum volume of the receptacle. The apparatus further includes a system for advancing a solid charge of metal toward the molten metal holding portion of the receptacle and a control for the advancing system to insure that the melting rate of the solid charge that is advanced toward the receptacle is substantially constant. In the operation of this apparatus the receptacle is filled with molten metal at its maximum volume and subsequent control of the melt rate of the solid charge by controlled advancement thereof results in a substantially constant molten metal feed rate through the over-flow runner.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus for treating the components of a gaseous fuel mixture, to obtain a predetermined mass ratio of the gaseous components, for use in a metallurgical melting furnace. Two streams of gaseous fuel components are temperature equalized in a heat exchanger, pressure equalized by pressure balancing regulators, and mixed together by a mixing valve which controls only the volume flow rates of the two streams. The resulting gaseous fuel mixture has a predetermined oxygen to fuel mass ratio, which is easily maintained near stoichiometric composition and which when combusted, supplies a hot gaseous blast of predetermined composition. When air and a liquified fuel such as liquid propane are the fuel components, the liquified fuel is vaporized and optionally diluted with dry air prior to heat equalizing, pressure equalizing, and mixing. When a gaseous fuel such as natural gas is one of the fuel components, no vaporization or dilution is required.

Abstract: Apparatus for melting metal chips comprising a preheating chamber, a prereducing chamber, and a melting chamber, the latter comprising a metallurgical vessel having a refractory wall with arc heater means mounted on the wall and extending therethrough which arc heater means provides an electric plasma arc which extends through an opening in the refractory wall, and the arc heater means comprising a downstream cylindrical electrode extending through the refractory wall for improved heating efficiency.

Abstract: Molten slag discharged from a metallurgical furnace and flowing down from a slag trough is atomized by air jet into a primary heat-exchanger of rotary cylindrical type and hot slag granules thus obtained and air are caused to pass in a co-current therethrough so as to exchange the heat of the slag to the air flow to obtain a primary hot blast, then the hot slag granules discharged from the primary heat-exchanger are supplied to a secondary heat-exchanger connected to the primary heat-exchanger where the hot slag granules are brought into contact with a counter flow of cold air supplied from outside the system, or with a counter flow of a mixture of the above cold air and a part of the primary hot blast exhausted from the primary heat exchanger to effect heat-exchange and to recover a secondary hot blast.

Abstract: A method is provided for the continuous purification of an impure metal in a column consisting of a slurry of metal crystals in liquid metal, said column having a relatively hot zone and a continuous temperature gradient between said zones; the temperature of the cool zone being such as to permit coexistence of liquid and crystalline metal, and said hot zone being at a temperature sufficient to melt the crystals. A portion of the column in the said cool zone is chilled to form a coherent mass of crystals of the metal; then incipient melting in the mass is allowed to occur to release crystals from the mass into the column of the crystals in the liquid metal in the cool zone of said column. The crystals are transported through the temperature gradient and into the hot zone, wherein melting of the crystals occurs and the hot zone thereby becomes enriched with the pure liquid metal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to form a metal containing degenerate dendrites are disclosed. Molten metal is cooled in a receiving means and agitated by rotating blades connected to a rotating shaft. Solid metal, such as dendrites, deposited on inner wall portions of the receiving means are removed by suitable means, such as a scraping blade, in operable combination with the rotating blades. The so produced metal can be cast by conventional metal casting processes.

Abstract: Magnesium metal is made by injecting sodium metal beneath the surface of a magma of MgCl.sub.2 and withdrawing molten magnesium metal from the magma surface.

Abstract: A reverberatory furnace which has an external passage for recycling hot exhaust gases from the furnace chamber back to the main burner port, means for introducing additional air or oxygen into the recycling passage, and a main burner which supplies fuel plus up to 50 percent of the air or oxygen required for total combustion into the furnace chamber so that the air or oxygen added to the recycling passage is thereby preheated by the exhaust gases and mixes with the fuel-rich mixture from the burner to provide complete combustion of the exhaust gases while simultaneously reducing the cost of the fuel requirement because of the preheating effect of the exhaust gases on the additional supply of air or oxygen.

Abstract: An improved metal reduction process permits the efficient production of metal from reducible metal compounds by means of reducing metal. Broadly, the invention relates to conducting the reaction between a reducible metal compound and a reducing metal in approximately stoichiometric amounts in an inner beneficial metal container, separated from the exterior reactor walls by an insulating material. In a preferred embodiment, the reducible metal compound and stoichiometric amount of a reducing metal are introduced into a container formed from a metal the same as the desired metal being produced or a metal alloyable therewith. The container is retained in a reaction vessel being separated from the walls of the reaction vessel by an inert insulating material. The container is then heated to a temperature which is above the melting point of the reducing metal but below the temperature at which a reduction reaction between the reducible metal compound and the molten reducing metal will proceed spontaneously.

Abstract: This invention provides a furnace system for and method of melting metal charges which utilizes hot gases generated by a burner, and are ordinarily discharged from the furnace as waste, for the dual purpose of preheating metal to be subsequently melted and preheating combustion air which is used to provide more efficient operation of the furnace burner.

Abstract: In a method for melting a material in a vertical shaft furnace having an upper portion, a lower combustion zone portion and an intermediate post-burning portion, said upper and lower portions being separated by a restriction and wherein coke is burned and the material melted in said lower combustion zone by introducing a blast of air close to the bottom of the lower combustion zone to produce combustion gases containing CO and/or H.sub.