Arc Melting
Royce at the University of 91̽»¨ combines computational material design, high-throughput materials discovery, rapid scale-up, and material property screening, to deliver a step-change in the manner novel materials are developed for specific applications.
Our capabilities support the key technical challenge of innovating processes to efficiently fabricate and test material libraries, whilst simultaneously capturing sufficient information which can be shared with manufacturers to enable rapid deployment to occur.
ARCAST ARC 200 - ARC MELTER
Arc melting furnace with tilt-casting option for alloy manufacture.
USES/APPLICATIONS
This equipment makes it possible to manufacture samples of:
- Ti alloys for aerospace and medical applications
- Co alloys for medical applications
- Alloys of refractory materials such as W for nuclear applications
- Zr alloys for medical and nuclear applications
- Metallic glasses
- High entropy alloys
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Arc melting furnace can melt metals and alloys at over 3000°C with the aid of the electric arc between the non-consumable tungsten electrode and the copper crucible. Therefore, the arc furnace is a very useful device for the rapid production of Ti, Zr, Fe, Co, Ni-based alloys and also the high entropy alloys (HEA) containing refractory metals. It is capable of melting non-reactive and reactive metals up to 200g.
The furnace is equipped with a diffusion pump that shortens the time required for reaching high vacuum levels. The electromagnetic stirring function that is applied during the melting is very effective for obtaining homogenous alloys. The furnace also has a manipulator for flipping the samples without breaking the vacuum. Liquid metal can either be solidified inside the crucible or tilt casted into the copper mould that is attached to the copper crucible.
DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS
Equipped with a diffusion pump for rapid vacuuming up to 10-6 mbar, lift-arc start, foot pedal controlled arc intensity, highly effective electromagnetic stirring of alloys, casting mould with a rectangular cavity.
CAPACITY: 200g Nominal
CRUCIBLE/HEARTH: Copper water cooled
CHAMBER: 304 Stainless Steel
ARC/TORCH TIP: Thoriated Tungsten rod
MELT TEMPERATURE: Over 3000°C
LOCATION
Royce Discovery Centre, Harry Brearley Building, 5 Portobello Street, 91̽»¨, S1 4ND
ENQUIRE HERE: royce@sheffield.ac.uk