Method of and apparatus for melting and casting reactive metals

A method of melting and pouring a highly reactive high-melting metallic material which comprises the steps of:

• (a) providing a tiltable crucible in an evacuatable enclosure;
• (b) evacuating said enclosure to a pressure of 10.sup.-1 to 10.sup.-2 torr;
• (c) introducing said material into said enclosure and depositing same in said crucible;
• (d) directing a first electron beam source from a high voltage glow discharge, focused upon the material in said crucible by the geometry and relative disposal of the cathode, thereby melting said material;
• (e) introducing a mold through a vacuum lock into said enclosure alongside said crucible;
• (f) preheating said mold by directing another glow discharge electron beam thereon in said enclosure;
• (g) tilting said crucible to pour the molten material from said crucible into the pre-heating said mold;
• and
• (h) removing said mold after said molten material has been poured into it through said lock by initially enclosing the mold containing said material in said lock, equalizing said lock to atmospheric pressure with inert gas and withdrawing the mold containing said material from said lock.