Method of melting solid materials
OwnerJames E. Hansen, Leo E. Thompson +1inventors
InventorsJames E. Hansen, Leo E. Thompson, Patrick S. Lowery
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Abstract
A method of melting solid materials while controlling melt shape, without the expenditure of energy to melt unwanted quantities of surrounding materials, and an apparatus to effect the method. The method comprises the use of a planar starter path between electrodes so as to initiate melting and/or vitrification in a plane rather than in a discrete linear path between electrodes. Because melting is initiated along a significant portion of the linear dimension of the electrodes, creating a melted zone that is deeper than it is thick, the aspect ratio (depth "Y"/width "Z") of the melted mass is greater than 1.0.
Claims7
A method of producing a designed melt shape during melting of solid material, comprising the steps of:
- a. inserting a plurality of spaced-apart electrodes into the solid material to be melted, said electrodes having a linear dimension within said solid material;
- b. emplacing a planar starter path of electrically conductive resistance materials between at least two of said electrodes, said planar starter path traversing the distance between said electrodes, such that said starter path is in contact with the electrodes over a substantial portion of the linear dimension of the electrodes and defines a substantially vertically-oriented plane between said electrodes with a depth dimension ("Y") greater than the width ("Z") dimension;
- c. applying electricity to said planar starter path such that said solid materials are melted in a plane having "X" (length) and "Y" dimensions substantially greater than the "Z" dimension.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.