Induction Machine Accessories-Crucibles

Product Description

A crucible is a container use to hold metal for melting in a furnace.

A crucible is needed to withstand the extreme temperatures encountered in melting metals. The crucible material must have a much higher melting point than that of the metal being melted and it must have good strength even when white hot.

It is possible to use a home made steel crucible to melt metals such as zinc and aluminum, because these metals melt at a temperature well below that of steel. However scaling (flaking) of a steel crucible interior surface is a problem. This scale can contaminate the melt and thin the crucible walls rather quickly. These crucibles can be coated with a special alloy to provide some degree of protection between the steel and the metal being melted. Steel crucibles will work if you are just getting started and don't mind dealing with the scaling.

Common refractory materials used in crucible construction are clay-graphite, and carbon bonded silicon-carbide. These materials can withstand the highest temperatures in typical foundry work. Silicon carbide has the added advantage of being a very durable material.

Our Clay Graphite Bilge Shape crucibles are rated for 2750 F (1510 C).
The "A" shaped crucibles are useful for metals up to 2000 F (1093C). All of our crucibles are designed for "non-ferrous" work. Non-ferrous means containing no iron. They will handle zinc, aluminum, brass / bronze, silver and gold alloys.

The "A Shape" crucibles are a bit "rough" around the edges. The surface finish is somewhat coarse and there are dents and dings in the rims and body. They don't have as finished an appearance as the bilge types, but in view of the price difference I would be inclined to overlook this issue. This roughness doesn't detract from the performance in any way.

We have Clay-Graphite crucibles, Vesuvius Tercod (tm) (Bilge Shaped) Silicon-Carbide crucibles and low cost "A" shaped crucibles in both Clay-Graphite and Silicon-Carbide