1. Overview of Equipment and Application Fields

The 1kg compact vacuum suspension melting system is a cutting-edge experimental apparatus specifically engineered for high-purity material research, reactive metal processing, and advanced alloy development. Unlike conventional furnaces that employ graphite or ceramic crucibles, this equipment utilizes state-of-the-art containerless electromagnetic suspension melting technology. Through the powerful electromagnetic field generated by high-frequency induction coils, metallic materials are directly suspended and melted in a vacuum or inert gas environment.

This revolutionary design completely eliminates contact between molten metal and container walls, thereby preventing crucible material contamination (such as carbon addition, oxygen addition, or inclusion introduction) and ensuring the highest purity and precise composition of the final product. The equipment integrates a vacuum-sealed secondary feeding mechanism, high-temperature stirring system, and automatic pouring device, enabling users to perform alloying, degassing, refining, and forming operations in a completely oxygen-free environment. Its compact 1kg-capacity design is particularly suitable for trace experiments and small-batch prototyping of precious and rare metals, serving as an ideal platform for processing high-purity metals, reactive metals (e.g., titanium, zirconium), refractory metals (e.g., tungsten, molybdenum), and special high-temperature alloys.

Widespread application areas:

· High-purity metal preparation: Purification of precious metals such as copper, silver, gold, and platinum, as well as base metals like iron, nickel, and cobalt, with the removal of gaseous impurities and inclusions.

· Research on reactive metals: Melting highly reactive metals such as titanium, zirconium, hafnium, and rare earth elements to avoid oxidation and contamination.

· Difficult-to-melt metal processing: Processing high-melting-point metals such as tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, and niobium, achieving uniform melting through suspension heating.

· Development of new alloys: Research and development of high-entropy alloys, amorphous alloys, and single-crystal superalloys to ensure precise and controllable composition.

· Semiconductor and photoelectric materials: preparation of high purity silicon, germanium and compound semiconductor master alloys.

· Universities and research institutions: Research on physical metallurgical mechanisms, measurement of physical properties of liquid metals (such as surface tension and viscosity), and validation of solidification theories.

2. Working Principle and Core Features

Operating Principle: This equipment operates under ultra-high vacuum (maximum vacuum: 10⁻⁶ Torr) or high-purity protective atmosphere. Upon startup, a high-frequency induction power supply energizes a specially designed water-cooled copper coil, generating an alternating electromagnetic field. The metal material at the coil's center generates eddy currents due to electromagnetic induction, producing heat while being stably suspended in the coil's center by electromagnetic forces, maintaining complete non-contact. As the temperature rises above the melting point (up to 2000°C+), the metal forms freely suspended molten droplets. At this stage, users can add alloy elements through a secondary feeding mechanism and activate stirring to ensure uniform composition. Finally, the automated pouring mechanism adjusts the coil angle or opens the bottom baffle to pour the pure melt into the lower mold, completing the casting process.

Core product features:

Zero-pollution core of crucibleless suspension melting technology

o Comprehensive anti-contamination: The molten material remains suspended throughout the process without any container contact, fundamentally eliminating chemical contamination and physical impurities caused by refractory materials (e.g., graphite, alumina, zirconia) in the crucible.

o Ultra-high purity: Particularly suitable for preparing metal materials with a purity of 99.999% or higher, or active alloys that are extremely sensitive to impurities.

o The study of supercooling: The suspension state allows the melt to reach a high degree of supercooling, which is an excellent platform for the study of non-equilibrium solidification, metastable phase formation and nucleation mechanism.

Ultra-high vacuum and atmosphere control

o Ultimate Vacuum: Featuring a molecular pump system, it achieves an ultra-high vacuum of 10⁻⁶ Torr (approximately 1.33×10⁻⁴ Pa), effectively removing gaseous impurities such as hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen from the melt.

o Flexible atmosphere: Supports filling with high-purity argon, helium, and other protective gases, with adjustable pressure to meet the melting requirements of various metals.

multifunctional process integration

o Vacuum secondary feeding: Equipped with a dedicated feeding hopper, it enables precise addition of easily oxidizable or volatile alloy elements without compromising vacuum conditions.

o Electromagnetic/mechanical stirring: An optional stirring mechanism can be equipped to vigorously stir the suspended melt using electromagnetic force or mechanical rods, ensuring uniform microstructure and eliminating segregation.

o Automatic casting system: A precision-controlled pouring mechanism that enables smooth and rapid automated casting, compatible with various molds including water-cooled copper molds and graphite molds.

Excellent performance parameters

o Ultra-high temperature capability: The melting temperature easily exceeds 2000℃, capable of processing refractory metals such as tungsten and molybdenum.

o Moderate capacity: With a nominal maximum melting capacity of 1kg (calculated by Fe density), it achieves optimal balance between experimental cost and sample representativeness, making it ideal for precious material research.

o Wide applicability: covers the entire spectrum of materials, from low-melting-point non-ferrous metals to high-melting-point refractory metals.

Intelligent Control and Safety Design

o PLC Automation: The integrated PLC control system enables one-click automation for the entire process, including vacuum extraction, heating, suspension, feeding, stirring, and casting.

o Multi-level protection: Equipped with hydraulic pressure, overheat, overcurrent, vacuum interlock, access control security, and emergency stop mechanisms to ensure experimental safety.

o Modular scalability: The architecture is designed for easy maintenance and future upgrades.

3. Technical Parameters and Specifications

4. Detailed Explanation of Typical Application Scenarios

Preparation of High-purity Metals and Electronic Materials

o Ultra-high purity copper/silver refining: Utilizing crucible-free technology and ultra-high vacuum, this process removes oxygen, sulfur, and non-metallic inclusions from industrial-grade copper/silver, producing 5N/6N grade high-purity metals for high-end conductors or targets.

o Semiconductor master alloy: Refining high-purity silicon, germanium, or gallium arsenide precursors to eliminate carbon and oxygen impurities introduced by quartz or graphite crucibles, thereby enhancing the performance of semiconductor devices.

Research on Active Metals and Refractory Metals

o Titanium/zirconium alloy smelting: Traditional graphite crucibles cause severe carbonation in titanium/zirconium alloys. This equipment completely resolves this issue through suspension smelting, producing high-performance titanium alloy samples with low carbon content.

o Tungsten/molybdenum high temperature treatment: Suspended melting of tungsten and molybdenum at 2000℃ or above, study of their liquid properties or preparation of non-inclusion refractory alloy, no need to worry about crucible melting or reaction.

Fundamental Physical Metallurgy Research:

o Deep undercooling and nucleation study: Using the containerless property of suspension droplet, the melt is cooled to a temperature far below the equilibrium melting point without crystallization, and the nucleation mechanism, growth kinetics and metastable phase formation are studied.

o Liquid physical property measurement: combined with optical diagnostic system, the surface tension, viscosity, density and specific heat capacity of molten metal are measured accurately in suspension state.

Development of New High Performance Alloys:

o High entropy alloys/amorphous alloys: Precise control of multi-component alloy composition uniformity, utilizing rapid cooling (with water-cooled molds) to prepare amorphous or nanocrystalline structures, exploring superior mechanical properties.

o Single crystal/oriented solidification: The prototype of single crystal superalloy for aero-engine blade is prepared by precise control of casting temperature and mold cooling rate.

5. Why choose the 1kg compact vacuum suspension smelting system?

The 1kg compact vacuum suspension smelting system represents the pinnacle of purity standards in laboratory metal smelting technology. Its core crucible-free suspension technology has revolutionized the history of container contamination, offering an unparalleled solution for high-purity metals, reactive alloys, and refractory materials research. The ultra-high vacuum environment of 10⁻⁶ Torr combined with high-temperature capability exceeding 2000°C ensures extreme purity and broad applicability throughout the smelting process. Integrated secondary feeding, stirring, and automatic casting functions simplify complex alloying and refining processes. Whether exploring fundamental physical mechanisms or developing advanced new materials, this system delivers zero-contamination, high-precision, and intelligent performance to help you push material performance limits and obtain the most authentic and reliable experimental data. Choosing this system means selecting a pure, precise, and forward-looking scientific research tool.