Information

A summary of the qualities of most conventional and the new Plasma Aluminum Melt furnaces:
Theoretical 445BTU/lb. Efficiency is calculated on the basis of:

Furnace
Main advantages
Energy used (kWh/lb)
Metal loss dross
Energy efficiency
Main complaints
Remedy
Indirect fixed crucible
  • simple
  • low cost of capital equipment
  • easy to maintain
  • gas is cheap
3,300 BTU/lb (0.9969 kWh/lb)
~3-8%
13%
  • Low pot life
  • High energy loss
  • Emissions
  • Noise
  • Leave a heel
  • No remedy
  • No remedy
  • No remedy
Direct fixed (open flame)
  • very simple
  • low cost
  • easy to maintain
  • gas is cheap
4,000 BTU/lb (1.172 kWh/lb)
~5-12%
11%
  • Low pot life
  • Very high energy loss
  • High uncontrolled emission
  • Very high noise
  • Leave a heel
  • No remedy
  • No remedy
  • No remedy
 
Sloping dry hearth
 none
3,000-5,000 BTU/lb (0.879-1.465 kWh/lb)
~5-12%
9-15%
  • Noise
  • Very high melt loss
  • High energy loss
  • Emissions
  • Improve flame impingement
  • Charge better scrap
  • No remedy
Wet bath reverboratory
 none
3,000 BTU/lb (0.879 kWh/lb)
3-5%
15%
  • High energy loss
  • Emissions/flue
  • No remedy
Electric radiant reverboratory
  • cold start possible
  • no flue
  • no agitation
  • no noise
820 BTU/lb (0.2403 kWh/lb)
1-3%
54%
  • Very high currents
  • Very small sizes
  • High cost of electricity
  • Pot life suspect if one element burns
  • No remedy
  • Three base
  • No remedy
  • Constant monitoring
Electric induction channel type
  • rapid melting
  • cold start possible
0.29 kWh/lb
High
45%
  • Too much of mixing of dross
  • Very expensive equipment & large space
  • Only for holding furnace
  • Non-metallics in channels
  • High dross
  • Electromagnetic field
  • Noise
  • Use only when holding furnace needed
Coreless induction melting
  • rapid melting
  • cold start possible
0.29 kWh/lb
High
45%
  • Very expensive equipment
  • High dross
  • Electromagnetic field
  • Noise
  • Large space needed
  • Use fluxing covering salts extensively
Plasma Airtorch™ Cover
(Ionizer)
  • extremely rapid melting
  • highly energy efficient
  • excellent for ingot, sprue and scrap melting
  • least iron contamination with sprue melting
  • no chemistry adjustment since Zn, Mg, Li will not have time to vaporize
  • no noise
  • no emissions
  • less space
0.2 kWh/lb
Insignificantly low, < 1%.
65%
 
  • No significant drawback
  • Nothing
 
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