Various embodiments provide apparatus and methods for melting materials and for containing the molten materials within melt zone during melting. Exemplary apparatus may include a vessel configured to receive a material for melting therein; a load induction coil positioned adjacent to the vessel to melt the material therein; and a containment induction coil positioned in line with the load induction coil. The material in the vessel can be heated by operating the load induction coil at a first RF frequency to form a molten material. The containment induction coil can be operated at a second RF frequency to contain the molten material within the load induction coil. Once the desired temperature is achieved and maintained for the molten material, operation of the containment induction coil can be stopped and the molten material can be ejected from the vessel into a mold through an ejection path.

This disclosure relates to determining a material transition point such as a melt-point, and to determining an annealing parameter based on the determined material transition point. Changes in a parameter associated with an electromagnetic circuit coupled to an object subject to heating are monitored. A material transition point is determined upon detecting a predetermined change in the parameter. The annealing parameter is derived from the determined material transition point.

Disclosed herein is a method comprising disposing a container containing a metal and/or ferromagnetic solid and abrasive particles in a static magnetic field; where the container is surrounded by an induction coil; activating the induction coil with an electrical current, to heat up the metallic or ferromagnetic solid to form a fluid; generating sonic energy to produce acoustic cavitation and abrasion between the abrasive particles and the container; and producing nanoparticles that comprise elements from the container, the metal and/or the ferromagnetic solid and the abrasive particles. Disclosed herein too is a composition comprising first metal or a first ceramic; and particles comprising carbides and/or nitrides dispersed therein. Disclosed herein too is a composition comprising nanoparticles comprising chromium carbide, iron carbide, nickel carbide, γ-Fe and magnesium nitride.

A heating device and/or method to heat a slab, and in particular its edges, by electromagnetic induction, including an electric coil and a magnetic concentrator associated with the electric coil.

A method of cooling an electric induction furnace for melting and holding a reactive metal or alloy is provided where the electric induction furnace has an upper furnace vessel and an induction coil in a modular inductor furnace is positioned below the upper furnace vessel with a melt-containing vessel positioned inside the induction coil with a gap between the outside surface of the melt-containing vessel and the inside surface of the induction coil that is used to circulate a cooling fluid for cooling the melt-containing vessel to inhibit leakage of the reactive metal or alloy melt from the melt-containing vessel. The melt-containing vessel can be integrated with a cooling system for cooling the melt-containing vessel. Modularity of the melt-containing vessel, induction coil and cooling system facilitates servicing of the modular inductor furnace without disassembly of the entire electric induction furnace.

Disclosed herein is a method comprising disposing a container containing a metal and/or ferromagnetic solid and abrasive particles in a static magnetic field; where the container is surrounded by an induction coil; activating the induction coil with an electrical current, to heat up the metallic or ferromagnetic solid to form a fluid; generating sonic energy to produce acoustic cavitation and abrasion between the abrasive particles and the container; and producing nanoparticles that comprise elements from the container, the metal and/or the ferromagnetic solid and the abrasive particles. Disclosed herein too is a composition comprising first metal or a first ceramic; and particles comprising carbides and/or nitrides dispersed therein. Disclosed herein too is a composition comprising nanoparticles comprising chromium carbide, iron carbide, nickel carbide, γ-Fe and magnesium nitride.

Disclosed herein is a method comprising disposing a container containing a metal and/or ferromagnetic solid and abrasive particles in a static magnetic field; where the container is surrounded by an induction coil; activating the induction coil with an electrical current, to heat up the metallic or ferromagnetic solid to form a fluid; generating sonic energy to produce acoustic cavitation and abrasion between the abrasive particles and the container; and producing nanoparticles that comprise elements from the container, the metal and/or the ferromagnetic solid and the abrasive particles. Disclosed herein too is a composition comprising first metal or a first ceramic; and particles comprising carbides and/or nitrides dispersed therein. Disclosed herein too is a composition comprising nanoparticles comprising chromium carbide, iron carbide, nickel carbide, γ-Fe and magnesium nitride.

An electric induction furnace for melting and holding a reactive metal or alloy is provided with an upper furnace vessel, an induction coil positioned below the upper furnace vessel, and a melt-containing vessel positioned inside the induction coil with a gap between the outside surface of the melt-containing vessel and the inside surface of the induction coil that can be used to circulate a cooling fluid for cooling the wall of the melt-containing vessel to inhibit leakage of the reactive metal or alloy melt from the vessel. The melt-containing vessel can be integrated with a cooling system for cooling the melt-containing vessel. The melt-containing vessel, induction coil and cooling system can be provided as modular components to facilitate servicing of the melt-containing vessel, the induction coil and the cooling system.

A method for ironmaking by smelting reduction in a stir-generated vortex includes: (1) placing a pig iron in an induction furnace, and then heating the pig iron to a molten state to form a molten iron, and maintaining the molten iron to be greater than or equal to 1450° C.; (2) stirring a center of the molten iron to form a vortex with a height-to-diameter ratio of 0.5-2.5, and continuously performing stirring; (3) mixing and grinding on an iron-containing mineral, a reducing agent and a slag-forming agent in a mass ratio of 1:(0.1-0.15):(0.25-0.4) to obtain a powder mixture, spraying and blowing the powder mixture to a center of the vortex, performing a reduction reaction, and stopping the stirring after the molten iron and molten slags are obtained, wherein a waste gas is produced; and (4) discharging the molten iron and the molten slags respectively, and exhausting a treated waste gas.

To provide a single crystal production apparatus capable of efficiently producing a single crystal of relatively high quality, by cooling a melting zone, the device including: a heating part that forms the melting zone from a raw material by irradiation of light; and a supporting part that supports the melting zone in a non-contact manner.