A vacuum arc remelt apparatus comprising a crucible having a wall, said wall having an interior and an exterior opposite said interior; an electrode within the crucible proximate the interior; an ingot within the crucible and below the electrode, wherein said ingot includes a crown and shelf; and a vibration source at the exterior of the crucible proximate the crown and shelf.

The present invention provides an automated device for degassing and/or foaming of metals and their alloys and process thereof. Said automated device for degassing and/or foaming of molten metals and their alloys and a process facilitates in controlled degassing and/or foaming of molten metals and thereby increases tensile strength, impact strength, hardness, malleability, corrosion resistance, conductivity of metals and their alloys and further eliminates the use of harmful chemicals and injectable gases in degasification of metal and alloys. Present automated device mainly comprises of plurality of sonic generator 1, controller 2, first assembly 3, second assembly 4, third assembly 5, fourth assembly 6. Said process comprises of steps including; 1. Selecting the mode of operation and setting parameters; 2. Activating said assemblies and facilitating Formation of ultrasonic cavitation in metal and their alloys; 3. Degassing of the molten metal and their alloys due to formation of micro bubbles.

A method of preparing metal hydroxides from industrial wastes or alkaline rocks is provided. The method comprise subjecting a mixture comprising a solvent and a solid substrate to a stimulus in order to leach a metal cation from the solid substrate into the solvent, thereby forming a solution comprising the metal cation in the solvent; and contacting the solution of comprising the metal cation with a cathode, thereby electrolytically precipitating the metal hydroxide from the solution. The stimulus may be chemical, mechanical, or both.

The method includes the following steps: a) providing a tubular sonotrode (1) formed in a material substantially inert to liquid aluminum, such as a ceramic, for example, silicon oxynitride, the sonotrode comprising a first open end region (2) and a second optionally closed end region (3), b) submerging at least some of the open end region (2) of the tubular sonotrode (1) in the liquid aluminum alloy, and c) applying power ultrasound on the liquid aluminum alloy by means of the tubular sonotrode (1).

The method comprises the following steps: a) Providing a sonotrode (1) formed from an essentially inert material with respect to the liquid metal, such as a ceramic, and preferably a silicon nitride or a silicon oxynitride, such as SIALON, or a metal essentially inert to said liquid metal, b) Immersing at least partially the sonotrode (1) in a bath of said metal, c) Applying to the sonotrode (1) power ultrasounds, particularly ultrasounds having a power greater than 10 watts to obtain the wetting of said sonotrode by said metal, d) Applying continuously to the sonotrode (1) measurement ultrasounds, also known as testing ultrasounds, particularly ultrasounds wherein the frequency is between 1 and 25 MHz, e) Applying intermittently to the sonotrode (1) power ultrasounds, particularly ultrasounds having a power greater than 10 watts, to maintain said wetting.

The method comprising the following steps: a) Providing a first bath of a liquid metal (1) comprising aluminium with a content X and magnesium with a content Y, the magnesium content Y being different to zero, b) Immersing at least partially a sonotrode (3) formed from a material inert to liquid aluminium, in the first bath of liquid metal (1), and c) Applying power ultrasounds to the sonotrode (3) so as to excite the liquid metal (1) until wetting (5) of the sonotrode (3) by the liquid metal (1) is obtained. d) Cooling the first liquid metal (1) of the first bath until solidification of the first liquid metal (1) around the sonotrode (3) is obtained, generating an intimate bond (6) between the sonotrode (3) and the solidified first liquid metal (1) having a bonding strength substantially equal to that of brazing between two metals. e) Machining the solidified first metal (1) in the form of a flange (7) configured for the attachment of a mechanical amplifier and/or of a transducer (4).

An acoustic rotary liquid processor coupled with high-intensity ultrasonic vibration, rotary stiffing, gas purging, and melt surface stabilizing is described. The processor can be used for the synthesis of particulate reinforced composite materials, scavenging dissolved gases in molten materials, and preparation of a slurry containing a small fraction of non-dendritic solid particles for semi-solid material processing.

A hydrogen, lithium, and lithium hydride processing apparatus includes a hot zone to heat solid-phase lithium hydride to form liquid-phase lithium hydride; a vacuum source to extract hydrogen and gaseous-phase lithium metal from the liquid-phase lithium hydride; a cold zone to condense the gaseous-phase lithium metal as purified solid-phase lithium metal; and a heater to melt the purified solid-phase lithium metal in the cold zone and form refined liquid-phase lithium metal in the hot zone.

A molten metal processing device including an assembly mounted on the casting wheel, including at least one vibrational energy source which supplies vibrational energy to molten metal cast in the casting wheel while the molten metal in the casting wheel is cooled, and a support device holding the vibrational energy source. An associated method for forming a metal product which provides molten metal into a containment structure included as a part of a casting mill, cools the molten metal in the containment structure, and couples vibrational energy into the molten metal in the containment structure.

A method for purifying a powder including grains and contaminants, includes preparing a suspension including the metal powder and a solvent; then while applying mechanical energy to the suspension; dispersing the grains and the contaminants in the solvent; removing the contaminants and the solvent, and drying the grains under a controlled atmosphere.