System for reforming levitated molten metal into metallic forms
AssigneeNuclear Metals, Inc.
InventorPeter R. Roberts
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for manufacturing solidified metallic forms from levitated molten metal including a levitation conduit having an interior surface for accommodating the metal to be levitated, and a device for introducing the metal to the levitation conduit. Induction coils induce a moving magnetic field in the levitation conduit to levitate the metal upwardly through the conduit, and to maintain the outer surface of the levitated metal while molten out of pressured contact with the interior surface of the levitation conduit. The molten metal output is provided to a chamber in which a device re-forms the molten metal output and solidifies it.
Claims35
An apparatus for manufacturing solidified metallic forms from levitated molten metal comprising:
- a levitation conduit having an interior surface for accommodating metal to be levitated;
- means for introducing the metal to said levitation conduit;
- induction coil means for inducing a moving magnetic field in said levitation conduit to levitate the metal and move it upwardly through said conduit, and to maintain the outer surface of the levitated metal while molten out of pressured contact with said interior surface of said levitation conduit;
- a chamber for receiving molten metal output of said levitation conduit;
- and
- means, disposed in said chamber, for reforming and solidifying the molten metal output into a different shape to define the solidifidied metallic forms.
An apparatus for manufacturing solidified metallic froms from levitated molten metal comprising:
- a levitation conduit having an interior surface for accommodating metal to be levitated;
- means for introducing metal to said levitation conduit;
- induction coil means for inducing a moving magnetic field in said levitation conduit to levitate the metal and move it upwardly through said conduit, and to maintain the outer surface of the levitated metal while molten out of pressured contact with said interior surface of said levitation conduit;
- a chamber for receiving molten metal output of said levitation conduit;
- and
- means, disposed in said chamber, for atomizing the molten metal output into a powder.
An apparatus for manufacturing solidified metallic forms from levitated molten metal comprising:
- a levitation conduit having an interior surface for accommodating metal to be levitated;
- means for introducing metal to said levitation conduit;
- induction coil means for inducing a mvoing magnetic field in said levitation conduit to levitate the metal and move it upwardly through said conduit, and to maintain the outer surface of the levitated metal while molten out of contact with said interior surface of said levitation conduit, said induction coil means maintaining the levitated metal in the molten state in a first cross-sectional dimension;
- a chamber for receiving molten metal output of said levitation conduit;
- and
- means, disposed in said chamber, for rapidly cooling by conduction the molten metal output to solidify it into a thin form which has a second cross-sectional dimension.
An apparatus for manufacturing solidified metallic forms from levitated molten metal comprising:
- a levitation conduit;
- means for providing solid metal to the input end of said levitation conduit;
- induction coil means for inducing a moving magnetic field in said levitation conduit to levitate the metal and move it upwardly through said conduit, and to maintain the outer surface of the levitated metal while molten out of contact with said interior surface of said levitation conduit;
- a chamber for receiving molten metal output of said levitation conduit;
- and
- means disposed in said chamber, for re-forming the molten metal output and solidifying it.
An apparatus for manufactuiring an alloy low in impurities, comprising;
- a levitation conduit;
- means for providing to the input end of said levitation conduit a plurality of solid metals in a ratio selected to produce an alloy;
- induction coil means for inducing a moving magnetic field in said levitation conduit to levitate the metal and move it upwardly through said conduit, to maintain the outer surface of the levitated metal while molten out of contact with said interior surface of said levitation conduit, and to accomplish mixing of the metals to provide a molten alloy;
- and
- means for solidifying the molten alloy.
A method of manufacturing solidified metallic forms from levitated molten metal comprising:
- introducing metal to a levitation conduit;
- inducing a moving magnetic field in the levitation conduit to levitate the metal and move it upwardly through the conduit, and to maintain the outer surface of the levitated metal while molten out of pressured contact with the interior surface of the levitation conduit;
- receiving molten metal output of the levitation conduit;
- and
- re-forming and solidifying the molten metal output into a different shape to define the solidified metallic forms.
A method of producing an alloy of metals in a levitation column comprising;
- introducing a plurality of solid metals into a levitation conduit wherein the metals are in a ratio selected to produce a predetermined alloy;
- inducing a moving magnetic field in the levitation conduit to levitate the metal and move it upwardly through the conduit, to maintain the outer surface of the levitated metal while molten out of contact with the interior surface of the levitation conduit, and to accomplish mixing of the metals to provide a molten alloy;
- and
- solidifying the molten alloy.
An apparatus for manufacturing solidified metallic forms from levitated molten metal comprising:
- a levitation conduit disposed in an inclined position and having an interior surface for accommondating metal to be levitated;
- means for introducing the metal to said levitation conduit;
- induction coil means for inducing a moving magnetic field in said levitation conduit to levitate the metal and move it upwardly through said conduit, and to maintain the outer surface of the levitated metal while molten out of pressured contact with said interior surface of said levitation conduit;
- a chamber for receiving molten metal output of said levitation conduit;
- and
- means, disposed in said chamber, for re-forming and solidifying the molten metal output into a different shape.
An apparatus for manufacturing solidified metallic forms from levitated molten metal comprising:
- a levitation conduit having an interior surface for accommodating metal to be levitated;
- means for introducing the metal to said levitation conduit;
- induction coil means for inducing a moving magnetic field in said levitation conduit to levitate the metal and move it upwardly through said conduit, and to maintain the outer surface of the levitated metal while molten out of pressured contact with said interior surface of said levitation conduit;
- a hermetically sealed chamber for receiving molten metal output of said levitation conduit;
- and
- means, disposed in said chamber, for reforming and solidifying the molten metal output into a different shape.
A method of manufacturing solidified metallic forms from levitated molten metal comprising:
- introducing metal to a levitation conduit;
- inducing a moving magnetic field in the levitation conduit to levitate the metal and move it upwardly through the conduit, and to maintain the outer surface of the levitated metal while molten out of pressured contact with the interior surface of the levitation conduit;
- receiving molten metal output of the levitation conduit;
- and
- re-forming and solidifying the molten metal output, including atomizing the molten metal output into a powder.
A method of manufacturing solidified metallic forms from levitated molten metal comprising:
- introducing metal to a levitation conduit;
- inducing a moving magnetic field in the levitation conduit to levitate the metal and move it upwardly throught the conduit, and to maintain the outer surface of the levitated metal while molten out of pressured contact with the interior surface of the levitation conduit;
- receiving molten metal output of the levitation conduit;
- and
- re-forming and solidifying the molten metal output, including rapidly cooling by conduction the molten metal output to solidify it into a thin form.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.