Experiment No.

7
Induction Furnace Melting Practice

Aim – Study of Induction Furnace Melting Practice.

Theory:
The high frequency induction furnace is essentially an air transformer in which the primary is a
coil of water cooled copper tubing and the secondary is the metal charge. Furnace capacity rarely
exceeds 1 ton. The shell of the furnace consists of asbestos board, and is supported on trunions
on which the furnace pivots when pouring. Inside the shell is placed the circular winding of
copper tubing. Firebrick is placed on the bottom portion of the shell, and the space between that
and the coil is rammed with grain refractory. The furnace chamber may be a refractory crucible,
or it may consist of a rammed and sintered lining. The general practice is to use ganister rammed
around a steel shell which melts down with the first heat, leaving a sintered lining. Basic linings
are often preferred and in this case either the lining may be rammed, using magnesia grain, or a
clay bonded magnesia crucible may be used.

The process consists in charging the furnace with steel scrap and then passing a high
frequency current in the charge, which results in heating the metal charge by resistance. As soon
as a pool of metal is formed, very pronounced stirring action in the molten metal takes place,
which helps to accelerate melting. In this process, melting is quite rapid, so much so that there is
only a slight loss of the easily oxidized elements. If a capacity melt is required, steel scrap is
added continually during the melting down period. As soon as melting is complete, the desired
superheat temperature is obtained and the metal is deoxidized and tapped into ladle.

The time of melting depends upon the size of the furnace, the weight of the charge, and
the power input. Since a period of only 10 or possibly 15 min elapses from the time the charge is
melted down until the heat is tapped, there is not sufficient time for chemical analysis. Thus the
charge is usually carefully selected from scrap and alloys of known composition so as to produce
the desired analysis in the finished steel. A very close control of elements can be obtained in this
manner.

In most cases, no attempt is made to melt under a slag cover, since the stirring action of
the bath makes it difficult to maintain a slag blanket on the metal. However, a slag cover is not
necessary since oxidation is slight.

The induction furnace is proving valuable to the steel foundry, particularly in the
production of small lots of alloy castings, where the number of alloy types desired may be large.
The fact that high alloy content metal can be remelted in these furnaces without loss of the alloy
content through oxidation makes it particularly valuable melting furnace.

Induction Furnaces are mainly of two types:-

1) Coreless type (or high frequency) Induction Furnace
2) Core Type (or low frequency) Induction Furnace

A. CORELESS TYPE (OR HIGH FREQUENCY) INDUCTION FURNACE

--
Construction –
A high frequency induction furnace consists of a refractory crucible placed centrally
inside water cooled copper coiled and packed into position by ramming dry refractory tightly
between the crucible and the copper coil which is precovered with wet refractory dried into a
hard mass. A high frequency induction furnace can be of tilting type or lift coil type with regards
to tapping methods.

Principle Of Operation –
Steel scrap is placed in furnace as charge. A high frequency current is passed through the
coil which acts as the primary of the transformer and the charge becomes secondary. Heavy
alternating secondary currents thus induced in the metal charge by EMI create heat because of
the resistance offered by the metal charge to the flow. This heat developed in the skin of metal
reaches inside due to conduction. The charge is thus melted. The secondary current associated
with it a magnetic field which provides a magnetic stirring action on the molten metal, speeds up
the melting process and mixes up the metal charge uniformly. The time taken by the charge to
melt is short. Once melted, the metal is deoxidised and poured into the ladle either by tilting the
furnace or by lifting away the furnace shell along with the coils. High frequency currents can be
generated by using spark gap convertor or by using a motor generator set
.
Advantages –
 It can melt relatively small amounts of wide variety of metals and alloys in a very short
time.
 Magnetic stirring of the melt ensures excellent chemical homogeneity.
 Simple construction as compared to core type.
 Operates without core and no need of channels of molten metal.
 Rate of energy input can be readily controlled.
 Easy control over furnace atmosphere.
 Does not need warming up time.
 Alloys can be melted one after the other.
 Additions of elements like Ni, Co, Cr, W, Mo, V can be made easily and conveniently.

Limitation –
 As compared to core type induction furnace, has lower thermal efficiency (60%).
 High capital cost and additional cost of its auxillary equipments.
 Limited to melting high quality metals and in smaller quantities.
 Less time to analyse melt composition.
 Metal charge should match desired composition.

Application – For melting general, special alloys and high quality steels.
B. CORE TYPE (OR LOW FREQUENCY) INDUCTION FURNACE –
A core type induction furnace operates as an ordinary transformer. The primary coil has
many turns and is wound on a laminated steel core whereas secondary has one turn which is the
molten metal channel or loop in the furnace. This furnace uses AC supply of 60 cycles per
seconds. The secondary currents are induced in the metal bath around the core and the heat is
generated due to electrical resistance of the metal to the flow of secondary currents. The channel
of molten metal around the coil connects to the main metal contain above which holds the metal
charge. The metal is the channel gets heated and circulated through and stirs the entire bath.
Once metal reaches pouring temperature, it can be ladled out from pouring spout.

Advantages –
 Thermal efficiency = 80%
 Melting is rapid and clean.
 No combustion products and no oxidation losses.
 Melt composition can be easily controlled.
 Magnetic stirring ensures uniformity of melt.
 Furnace operation is economical.

Limitations –
 Furnace cannot be operated on solid metal charge. Furnace operation can be started only
after filling the channels with molten metal procured from some other furnace.
 If the metal gets solidified in the channels, it cannot be remelted by heating created by
secondary coils.
 It is restricted to melt one alloy only and that too continuously so that the liquid metal can
always be maintained.
 Not suitable for intermittent operations.

Applications –
 Used for melting nonferrous metals and their alloys where relatively long periods of
continuous operations are required and it also used for production of malleable cast iron.
 It is used as a holding furnace for permanent mould and die casting.
 Laboratory Induction Furnace Melting Set-up

Aluminium Scrap being melted in a clay graphite crucible by induction heating

Experimental Details –

The crucible used for the experiment was Induction heated Clay graphite crucible
(induction heated)
Temperature of furnace: 680oC to 720oC
Weight of melt-550 to 700 g
Time for heating/Super-heating= 10 min
 Steps in Induction furnace melting practice

Sr. No. Image Process

1. DEGASSING

2. ADDITION OF
FLUX

3. REMOVAL OF
SLAG