An electric induction furnace for heating and melting electrically conductive materials is provided with a lining wear detection system that can detect replaceable furnace lining wear when the furnace is properly operated and maintained. In some embodiments of the invention the lining wear detection system utilizes an electrically conductive wire assemblage embedded in a wire assemblage refractory disposed between the replaceable lining and the furnace's induction coil.

A cold crucible structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cold crucible structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a cold crucible unit including hollow top and bottom caps, a plurality of segments connecting the top cap and the bottom cap, slits disposed between the segments, and a reaction area surrounded by the segments; and an induction coil unit disposed to cover the outer side of the cold crucible unit and disposed across the longitudinal directions of the segments and the slits, in which the diameter of the reaction area is defined as a crucible diameter, the crucible diameter is 100 to 300 mm, and gaps of the slits are defined by

[00001]$d_{\mathrm{slit}}0.3\frac{}{50}$

(mm)(where d.sub.slit is the gap between the slits and is the crucible diameter).

A heater is provided with a heating element that generates heat by electrical connection, anode and cathode plates each formed in a plate shape and are installed such that the heating element is sandwiched between the anode and cathode plates from both sides thereof, and a discharging unit installed in a heating element non-provided region and that discharges a surge current. The heating element non-provided region is included in a facing portion where the anode plate faces the cathode plate and differs from a heating element provided region where the heating element is provided.

An electric induction furnace for heating and melting electrically conductive materials is provided with a lining wear detection system that can detect replaceable furnace lining wear when the furnace is properly operated and maintained. In some embodiments of the invention the lining wear detection system utilizes an electrically conductive wire assemblage embedded in a wire assemblage refractory disposed between the replaceable lining and the furnace's induction coil.

An electric induction furnace for heating and melting electrically conductive materials is provided with a lining wear detection system that can detect replaceable furnace lining wear when the furnace is properly operated and maintained. In some embodiments of the invention the lining wear detection system utilizes an electrically conductive wire assemblage embedded in a wire assemblage refractory disposed between the replaceable lining and the furnace's induction coil.

The present invention discloses a device for plasma arc melting through magnetostatic soft-contact stirring and compounding, which includes a furnace body, where a water-cooled copper crucible and a tungsten electrode are mounted in the furnace body, the tungsten electrode is located above the water-cooled copper crucible, and a groove for containing a metal raw material is opened in the water-cooled copper crucible; and a drive shaft penetrates through a side wall of the water-cooled copper crucible, one end, located at the exterior of the water-cooled copper crucible, of the drive shaft is connected with a stepper motor, one end, located in the water-cooled copper crucible, of the drive shaft is sleeved with two rotary tables, magnets having reverse magnetisms are interleaved in the rotary table, and the rotary tables are located on two sides of the groove. The present invention further provides a melting method utilizing the above device for plasma arc melting through magnetostatic soft-contact stirring and compounding, where an objective of melting unmelted metal at the bottom of a water-cooled copper crucible is achieved by the magnetostatic soft-contact stirring without using turning over metal.

The present invention discloses a device for plasma arc melting through magnetostatic soft-contact stirring and compounding, which includes a furnace body, where a water-cooled copper crucible and a tungsten electrode are mounted in the furnace body, the tungsten electrode is located above the water-cooled copper crucible, and a groove for containing a metal raw material is opened in the water-cooled copper crucible; and a drive shaft penetrates through a side wall of the water-cooled copper crucible, one end, located at the exterior of the water-cooled copper crucible, of the drive shaft is connected with a stepper motor, one end, located in the water-cooled copper crucible, of the drive shaft is sleeved with two rotary tables, magnets having reverse magnetisms are interleaved in the rotary table, and the rotary tables are located on two sides of the groove. The present invention further provides a melting method utilizing the above device for plasma arc melting through magnetostatic soft-contact stirring and compounding, where an objective of melting unmelted metal at the bottom of a water-cooled copper crucible is achieved by the magnetostatic soft-contact stirring without using turning over metal.

An electric induction furnace for heating and melting electrically conductive materials is provided with a lining wear detection system that can detect replaceable furnace lining wear when the furnace is properly operated and maintained.

An electric induction furnace for heating and melting electrically conductive materials is provided with a lining wear detection system that can detect replaceable furnace lining wear when the furnace is properly operated and maintained.

An induction coil assembly associated with controlling the flow of molten material used in casting or deposition of precious and/or non-precious metals on a substrate is disclosed. The assembly comprises one or more induction coils associated with induction melting of electrically conductive material by applying a predetermined current value. The assembly further comprises a crucible comprising the electrically conductive material in which an electromagnetic field is generated therein by the predetermined current value applied to the induction coils. The electromagnetic field associated with the electrically conductive material is modulated; and is used to generate smaller units of the electrically conductive material by interrupting velocity of a flow of the material in order to produce grains or apply layers on the substrate. Corresponding methods are also disclosed.