By Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden - IFW Dresden
Our facilities allow to melt metals and alloys under high-purity conditions and to realized high solidification rates in the casting process. In addition, our devices are suitable for the processing of reactive and high-temperature alloys (max. 2200°C). Melt of metals and alloys by various techniques Cold crucible casting: Contact-free inductive melting. Technical data: Manuf.: in-house development of IFW-Research Technology Department; Contact-free inductive melting under protective gas or vacuum – no crucible; Also suitable for reactive metals; Casting in copper mold (rod diameter: 10 to 12 mm, length ca. 10 cm); Subsequent addition of further constituents to alloy feasible. Arc melting/ Suction casting: Melting process via electric arc in small water cooled copper slots. Technical data: Manuf.: Co. E. Buehler; Melting process via electric arc in small water-cooled copper slots (ca. 10 g) under argon atmosphere; Also suitable for reactive metals; Subsequent suction casting in copper molds with small diameters or small rectangular cross section (e.g. rod diameter: 1.5 to 6 mm, rod length: 7 cm) to ensure high cooling rates. Arc melting: Melting process via electric arc. Specifications: Manuf.: Co. ALD; Melting process via electric arc in water cooled copper sheets (ca. 50 g) under argon atmosphere; Also suitable for reactive metals. Centrifugal casting: For smaller melt volumes. Technical data: Manuf.: Co. Linn High Therm; For smaller melt volumes (ca. 2 cubic centimeters); Melt process under protective gas or vacuum; Excellent capability for mold filling and high cooling rates effective during centrifugal coating in a copper mold with small diameter (1.5 to 6 mm); Eventual turbulences in melt can lead to „marbling“. Strip casting/ Melt spinning: Inductive melting in e.g. SiO2 -and graphite crucibles. Technical data: Manuf.: Co. E. Buehler; Inductive melting in e.g. SiO2 -and graphite crucibles under protection gas or vacuum; Also suitable for reactive metals; Casting on copper wheel; High cooling rates up to 106 K/s; Attainable Ribbon thickness: 15 to ca. 50 µm. Induction casting: For larger melt volumes. Technical data: Manuf.: Co. Balzers; For larger melt volumes (ca. 100 cubic centimeters); Melt process under protection gas or vacuum; Casting in molds of different material (copper, steel…) and different forms (cylinder, cuboid…).
