Plasma arc remelting furnace for refining metals - which includes a mould contg. a consumable electrode and a plasma torch

摘要

A plasma arc refining furnace consists of a cooled mould contg. a hollow consumable electrode with a non-consumable electrode of a plsma torch disposed in the bore of the consumable electrode. The mould is secured to a chamber by a seal with the pressure in the chamber and mould controlled. A plasma generating gas is fed into the chamber to respective system while the mould and consumable electrode are connected to respective terminals of a source of AC or DC. At the end of a refining operation the power supply is switched to the plasma torch electrode for maintaining the top of a cast ingot in a molten state during solidification of the ingot in the mould.