# US 6,295,309 B1 · Vacuum arc remelting apparatus and process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,295,309 B1 - Document ID: US6295309B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 09/651,962 - Filed: 2000-08-31 - Granted: 2001-09-25 - Earliest claimed: 2000-08-31 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Inventors: Mark Gilbert Benz; Michael Francis Henry; William Thomas Carter, Jr.; Bernard Patrick Bewlay - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6295309B1 ## CPC - H05B 7/07: designed to melt in use - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A VAR process is conducted in an apparatus characterized by a crucible wall that provides a stable shelf anchor. The VAR apparatus includes a furnace chamber, a consumable electrode formed of a material to be remelted within the furnace chamber and a crucible within the furnace chamber. The crucible has a wall that forms a vessel to collect melt material from the consumable electrode. At least part of the wall is textured to provide area for mechanical stabilization of the shelf as the underside of the shelf melts and the upperside of the shelf forms. In a vacuum arc remelting process, a consumable electrode is loaded into a furnace chamber above a cooled crucible having a textured wall that forms a vessel to collect melt material from the consumable electrode. The process includes striking a direct electric current between the electrode and a bottom of the crucible to cause melting of material from a tip of the electrode. Melt material is collected from the tip in the crucible. The melt material is cooled to form an ingot characterized by a shelf of solidified material forming adjacent the textured section of the crucible wall in advance of a lower boundary of solidifying material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vacuum arc remelting apparatus, comprising: a furnace chamber; a consumable electrode formed of a material to be remelted within said furnace chamber; and a crucible within said furnace chamber, said crucible comprising a wall that forms a vessel to collect melt material from said consumable electrode, wherein said wall is textured to provide increased surface area to mechanically stabilize solidifying melt material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall provides anchoring of a shelf of said solidifying melt material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall comprises an uneven or disturbed surface that provides an increased surface area over a plane surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall comprises a ribbed, patterned or corrugated surface with alternating ridges and grooves. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall comprises flutes, pleats, impressions, indents or grooves. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall is contoured with furrows, ripples or ridges. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall is contoured with grooves angled less than 60° from vertical. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall is contoured with grooves angled about 10 to 20 degrees from vertical. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves having a groove depth of from about ⅛ to ¾ inch, a width of from about ⅛ to 2 inches and a groove spacing of from about ⅜ to 4 inches. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves having a groove depth of from about ¼ to ½ inch, a width of from about ¼ to ½ inch and a groove spacing from spacing from about ½ to ¾ inches. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves that are rounded up to about ½ times the groove width. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves that are rounded from about ¼ to ½ times groove width. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves and proportion of depth or width of grooves to crucible circumference is from about 0.001 to 0.05 and frequency of grooves per inch of inside crucible circumference is from about 0.1 to 5. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves and proportion of depth or width of grooves to crucible circumference is from about 0.002 to 0.04 and frequency of grooves per inch of inside crucible circumference is from about 0.3 to 4. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves and proportion of depth or width of grooves to crucible circumference is from about 0.006 to 0.02 and frequency of grooves per inch of inside crucible circumference is from about 0.5 to 3. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall comprises alternating crevices and peaks. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall comprises alternating flattened bottoms and peaks. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall comprises alternating flattened tops and crevices. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said textured wall comprises a rounded undulating topography. ### Claim 21 A vacuum arc remelting process, comprising loading a consumable electrode into a furnace chamber above a cooled crucible comprising a textured wall that forms a vessel to collect melt material from said consumable electrode; striking a direct electric current between said electrode and a bottom of said crucible to cause melting of material from a tip of said electrode; collecting melt material from said tip in said crucible; and cooling said melt material to form an ingot characterized by a shelf of solidified material forming adjacent said textured wall of said crucible in advance of a lower boundary of solidifying material. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall stabilizes said shelf to prevent abrupt dislodging of said shelf from said wall. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall comprises an uneven or disturbed surface that provides an increased surface area over a plane surface. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall is contoured with grooves angled less than 60° from vertical. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall is contoured with grooves angled about 10 to 20 degrees from vertical. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves having a groove depth of from about {fraction (1/8)} to ¾ inch, a width of from about ⅛ to 2 inches and a groove spacing of from about ⅜ to 4 inches. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves having a groove depth of from about ¼ to ½ inch, a width of from about ¼ to ½ inch and a groove spacing from about ½ to ¾ inches. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves that are rounded up to about ½ times the groove width. ### Claim 30 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall is contoured with substantially vertical grooves that are rounded from about ¼ to ½ times groove width. ### Claim 31 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall comprises trapezoidal-shaped grooves at a frequency of a groove per about ⅜ inch to 4 inches of the inside crucible wall. ### Claim 32 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall comprises trapezoidal-shaped grooves and proportion of depth or width of grooves to crucible circumference is from about 0.001 to 0.05 and frequency of grooves per inch of inside crucible circumference is from about 0.1 to 5. ### Claim 33 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall comprises trapezoidal-shaped grooves and proportion of depth or width of grooves to crucible circumference is from about 0.002 to 0.04 and frequency of grooves per inch of inside crucible circumference is from about 0.3 to 4. ### Claim 34 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall comprises trapezoidal-shaped grooves and proportion of depth or width of grooves to crucible circumference is from about 0.006 to 0.02 and frequency of grooves per inch of inside crucible circumference is from about 0.5 to 3. ### Claim 35 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall comprises trapezoidal-shaped grooves at a frequency of a groove per about ½ inch to ¾ inch of the inside crucible wall. ### Claim 36 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall comprises alternating crevices and peaks. ### Claim 37 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall comprises alternating flattened bottoms and peaks. ### Claim 38 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall comprises alternating flattened tops and crevices. ### Claim 39 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein said textured wall comprises a rounded undulating topography.