Thanks: 0
Likes: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Results 1 to 7 of 7
-
2nd Dec 2021, 10:36 AM #1Diamond Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2006
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 1,106
Ceramic board furnace for aluminium melting, will it work?
Hi all,
Just after some advice, I plan to make an aluminium melting furnace powered by propane and was just wondering if using cermamic board would be suitable as the lining instead of using cermamic blanket and then coating it with a high heat resistant coating.
Any advice/suggestions would be good.
Thanks
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
-
3rd Dec 2021, 02:28 PM #2Diamond Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2006
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 1,106
Ok, so here is a photo of the ceramic board I was thinking about using, it is 35mm thick.
Would something like this work?
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
-
3rd Dec 2021, 05:39 PM #3Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2017
- Location
- Geelong, Australia
- Age
- 57
- Posts
- 2,668
I can't see why not. You're only dealing with ~700degC and from a quick Google search it looks like most ceramic fibre boards are good to at least 1000C.
If you want more insulation use a couple of layers, or back it with Hebel brick.
Steve
-
3rd Dec 2021, 05:44 PM #4Diamond Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2006
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 1,106
The only issue I can see is that it won't be round like most other setups I have seen around.
It will have to be hexagon shaped, not sure if this will make it less efficient or not.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
-
3rd Dec 2021, 09:57 PM #5Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2017
- Location
- Geelong, Australia
- Age
- 57
- Posts
- 2,668
Square probably wouldn't be the best, but hexagonal or octagonal I'm sure would be perfectly fine.
I've seen quite a few furnace builds online where they used bricks so ended up with a faceted inner surface and had no problems.
Also, plenty of horizontal gas forges around with vertical burners and 4 sides (albeit with the ends open) - happily heating steel to yellow hot (1000C ?)
Different story if you were looking for higher temperatures for melting materials like bronze but for aluminium you could probably just throw the crucible in a drum, poke in your burner and forget about the refractory altogether!
Steve
-
3rd Dec 2021, 10:14 PM #6Diamond Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2006
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 1,106
Yeah for the time being I'd be happy if it could just melt aluminium as I have a large pile of scrap that needs some downsizing
Maybe if it works out I can look into building a more serious setup that can run at higher temperatures and melt different materials, maybe even look into a waste oil type setup.
I've been meaning to build a melting furnace for probably the last 10 years if not more but it's always ending up in the too hard basket and I loose interest.
I will post a photo of my burner and crucible tomorrow and hopefully can get some suggestions on dimensions to build it.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
-
4th Dec 2021, 08:57 PM #7Diamond Member
- Join Date
- Aug 2006
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 1,106
Ok so here are some photos of the burner and crucible that I just took.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Similar Threads
-
Treadmill motor for belt grinder- will this board work?
By Pete O in forum ELECTRICALSReplies: 50Last Post: 10th Feb 2022, 04:12 AM -
Help with melting silver
By Danbre Macase in forum JEWELLERYReplies: 2Last Post: 1st Oct 2018, 03:23 PM -
Budget Crucuble ideas wanted - Aluminium melting
By MWP in forum THE FOUNDRYReplies: 3Last Post: 9th May 2013, 08:01 AM -
Aluminium window frames (sort of metal work!)
By nadroj in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 11Last Post: 12th Jul 2011, 10:02 PM -
Melting aluminium
By Ch4iS in forum THE FOUNDRYReplies: 32Last Post: 15th Aug 2009, 12:17 AM