Method for agitating metals and producing alloys
First Claim
1. A method for the agitation of a melt of a base metal or alloy whereby dross formation is reduced which comprises the steps of establishing a melt of base metal or alloy in a vessel;
- submerging a rotatable device in said melt;
said rotatable device comprising a hollow cylinder having a side wall with an upper end and a lower end, said cylinder being open at the upper end and closed at the lower end, said side wall having an array of equispaced openings adapted to allow said melt to pass through said openings, and said cylinder having a diameter relative to the diameter of the vessel in the range of about 1.5;
1 to about 3.5;
1;
rotating said cylinder at a predetermined speed in the range of about 100 to about 600 revolutions per minute sufficient to draw at least a partial vortex in said melt into said rotatable device, causing said melt to flow into the top of said device and out through said side wall openings; and
withdrawing melt from said vessel.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for the agitation of base metal on alloy melts, and for the agitation and alloying of base metal melts with at least one alloying metal. A rotatable device is suspended in a melt of base metal and the device is rotated to draw at least a partial vortex in the melt. The device comprises a hollow cylinder having an open top and a closed bottom. An array of openings in the cylinder side wall is adapted to allow melt of the base metal to pass through. In the agitation of a base metal or alloy melt, the amount of dross formed on the melt is reduced. In alloying, the at least one alloying metal may be added directly to the melt or may be added in particulate form into the vortex in the device, the latter being particularly useful when the melting point of the alloying metal is higher than that of the base metal or alloy. When added into the device, the openings in the cylindrical wall are adapted to retain the particulates in the device to be washed with base metal until the particulates are substantially dissolved. Alloys produced using the device have narrow standard deviations from their specification. The alloying proceeds more efficiently with formation of less dross and less off-specification material, proceeds faster and in less time than heretofore possible, and allows production on a continuous basis.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for the agitation of a melt of a base metal or alloy whereby dross formation is reduced which comprises the steps of establishing a melt of base metal or alloy in a vessel;
- submerging a rotatable device in said melt;
said rotatable device comprising a hollow cylinder having a side wall with an upper end and a lower end, said cylinder being open at the upper end and closed at the lower end, said side wall having an array of equispaced openings adapted to allow said melt to pass through said openings, and said cylinder having a diameter relative to the diameter of the vessel in the range of about 1.5;
1 to about 3.5;
1;
rotating said cylinder at a predetermined speed in the range of about 100 to about 600 revolutions per minute sufficient to draw at least a partial vortex in said melt into said rotatable device, causing said melt to flow into the top of said device and out through said side wall openings; and
withdrawing melt from said vessel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- submerging a rotatable device in said melt;
Specification