Vaporization of the components of nickel alloys in a vacuum induction furnace

Abstract

When nickel alloys are smelted in a vacuum induction furnace, the challenge is to refine the metal and retain the alloying elements and the nickel. In the present work, a model is developed for the behavior of all the components of complex alloys during refining in a vacuum induction furnace. The limiting stage is assumed to be the transfer of the components to the gas phase. In that case, the flux of each alloy component to the gas phase is determined from the Langmuir equation. The model adequately predicts the evaporation of the components of complex nickel alloys during refining in a vacuum induction furnace. The proposed algorithm may be used to calculate the change in mass and composition of nickel alloys over time in the course of refining in a vacuum induction furnace of specific capacity, with specified residual pressure and temperature.