Device and method for melt treatment of aluminium alloys having excessive inclusions, impurities and unwanted gases to be removed, by (a) cooling the melt at an appropriate cooling rate to a temperature below the liquidus by shearing the melt associated with the introduction of at least one type of inert gases into the melt to form fine bubbles and high shear in the melt, and (b) purifying inclusions in the melt by floating them to the top surface, degassing the undesirable gases by reacting with the inert gas, and forming solid intermetallics containing impurity elements and transferring the melt mixture by the shearing device into a holding furnace, and (c) maintaining the melt in the holding furnace at a temperature below the liquidus and above the solidus temperature to settle the solid intermetallics formed by impurity elements as sediment at the bottom of the holding furnace while flowing the melt with much reduced inclusions, impurities and unwanted gases out of the holding furnace as applicable materials. The method is advantageously applicable for upgrading aluminium alloys from recycled and/or scrapped materials.

Device and method for melt treatment of aluminium alloys having excessive inclusions, impurities and unwanted gases to be removed, by (a) cooling the melt at an appropriate cooling rate to a temperature below the liquidus by shearing the melt associated with the introduction of at least one type of inert gases into the melt to form fine bubbles and high shear in the melt, and (b) purifying inclusions in the melt by floating them to the top surface, degassing the undesirable gases by reacting with the inert gas, and forming solid intermetallics containing impurity elements and transferring the melt mixture by the shearing device into a holding furnace, and (c) maintaining the melt in the holding furnace at a temperature below the liquidus and above the solidus temperature to settle the solid intermetallics formed by impurity elements as sediment at the bottom of the holding furnace while flowing the melt with much reduced inclusions, impurities and unwanted gases out of the holding furnace as applicable materials. The method is advantageously applicable for upgrading aluminium alloys from recycled and/or scrapped materials.

An improved method of manufacturing a powder metal material by water, gas, plasma, or rotating disk atomization is provided. The method includes adding at least one additive to a melted metal material before or during the atomization process. The at least one additive forms a protective gas atmosphere surrounding the melted metal material which is at least three times greater than the volume of melt to be treated. The protective atmosphere prevents introduction or re-introduction of contaminants, such as sulfur (S) and oxygen (O.sub.2), into the material. The atomized particles produced include at least one of the following advantages: median circularity of at least 0.60, median roundness of at least 0.60, less internal pores, less internal oxides, and an increased sphericity of the microstructural phases and/or constituents.

Provided is a method for melting copper scrap and/or refining blister copper, comprising the steps of: (a) charging of copper scrap into an empty anode furnace and melting the copper scrap; (b) charging molten blister copper into the anode furnace; (c) optionally charging more copper scrap into the anode furnace and melting the copper scrap; (d) optionally repeating steps (b) and/or (c) one or more times until the anode furnace is full and a desired amount of copper scrap has been charged and melted until a final copper batch is obtained; and (e) refining the final copper batch to obtain anode copper.

Provided is a method for melting copper scrap and/or refining blister copper, comprising the steps of: (a) charging of copper scrap into an empty anode furnace and melting the copper scrap; (b) charging molten blister copper into the anode furnace; (c) optionally charging more copper scrap into the anode furnace and melting the copper scrap; (d) optionally repeating steps (b) and/or (c) one or more times until the anode furnace is full and a desired amount of copper scrap has been charged and melted until a final copper batch is obtained; and (e) refining the final copper batch to obtain anode copper.

Methods of preparing Zr based metallic using Zr sponge refined by a refining process are described. An exemplary method includes heating Zr sponge in a processing chamber with an electron-beam-heating apparatus or an arc-melting apparatus under a desired pressure condition to release volatile contaminants from the Zr sponge, introducing a purge gas into the processing chamber and permitting the purge gas to intermingle with at least some of the released volatile contaminants, evacuating the processing chamber to extract at least some of the purge gas and released volatile contaminants, repeating the heating of the Zr sponge, the introducing of the purge gas, and the evacuating of the processing chamber release and evacuate additional volatile contaminants from the Zr sponge to provide a processed Zr sponge with enhanced purity, and melting the processed Zr sponge with multiple other alloy constituents to provide a Zr-based metallic alloy.

A collection crucible for use in a phase separation system, the collection crucible comprising: a body having a sidewall portion extending along a longitudinal axis. The body at least partially defines a cavity and an aperture extending to the cavity. The cavity is tapered along the longitudinal axis. The collection crucible further includes an ejector at least partially positioned in the aperture. The ejector is movable along the longitudinal axis between a first position and a second position to facilitate removal of collected material in the collection crucible.

A collection crucible for use in a phase separation system, the collection crucible comprising: a body having a sidewall portion extending along a longitudinal axis. The body at least partially defines a cavity and an aperture extending to the cavity. The cavity is tapered along the longitudinal axis. The collection crucible further includes an ejector at least partially positioned in the aperture. The ejector is movable along the longitudinal axis between a first position and a second position to facilitate removal of collected material in the collection crucible.

The invention relates to a scrap remelting line comprising at least one storage silo configured to store scrap, at least two induction furnaces for remelting the scrap and obtaining the remelted liquid metal, a means for supplying the scrap to the at least two induction furnaces, at least one furnace receiving the liquid metal (6), and a means for transporting the remelted liquid metal (5, 15) to the receiving furnace. The invention also relates to the method for obtaining liquid metal from scrap remelted in induction furnaces.

A system for adding gas to and transferring molten metal from a vessel and into one or more of a ladle, ingot mold, launder, feed die cast machine or other structure is disclosed. The system includes at least a vessel for containing molten metal, an overflow (or dividing) wall, a device or structure, such as a molten metal pump, for generating a stream of molten metal, and one or more gas-release devices.