This invention patent application addresses a thermal launder that allows the transport of white metal (WM) or other molten material to a converter or furnace or from these to a transfer pot while keeping it molten, with a viscosity that allows the material to continue flowing en route.

Provided is a ZrO.sub.2—CaO—C based refractory material which is capable of maintaining high adhesion resistance over a long period of time, while exhibiting significant slaking resistance, and suppressing self-fluxing, i.e., exhibiting corrosion-erosion resistance. The refractory material comprises a CaO—ZrO.sub.2 composition containing a CaO component in an amount of 40% by mass to 60% by mass, wherein a mass ratio of the CaO component to a ZrO.sub.2 component is 0.67 to 1.5, and wherein the CaO—ZrO.sub.2 composition includes a eutectic microstructure of CaO crystals and CaZrO.sub.3 crystals, wherein a width of each of the CaO crystals observable in a cross-sectional microstructure is 50 μm or less.

A device includes a molten metal pump and a metal-transfer conduit. A clamp may be used to attach the metal-transfer conduit to the pump. The pump has a pump base including an indentation configured to receive the metal-transfer conduit and align the pump outlet with the transfer inlet. The pump outlet may be formed in the indentation and preferably near the center of the indentation in order to better align with the transfer inlet. As the pump operates it moves molten metal through a pump outlet that is in communication with a transfer inlet in the metal-transfer conduit. The molten metal enters the transfer inlet, moves upwards in a passage in the metal-transfer conduit, and out of a transfer outlet.

A furnace has a melting chamber with a periphery defined by a surrounding wall structure. The furnace is provided with a purge system configured to direct inert gas to flow downward in the melting chamber in the configuration of a curtain that adjoins the wall structure and reaches only partially around the periphery of the melting chamber.

A furnace has a melting chamber with a periphery defined by a surrounding wall structure. The furnace is provided with a purge system configured to direct inert gas to flow downward in the melting chamber in the configuration of a curtain that adjoins the wall structure and reaches only partially around the periphery of the melting chamber.

Methods and systems for the production and delivery of lithium metal of high purity are provided herein. In one or more embodiments, a liquid lithium delivery system contains a liquid lithium delivery module fluidly coupled to a lithium refill container. The liquid lithium delivery module contains a lithium storage region operable to store liquid lithium and containing a fluid supply line fluidly coupling an outlet port of a liquid lithium storage tank, and a flow meter positioned downstream from the lithium storage region along the fluid supply line and operable to monitor the flow of the liquid lithium through the fluid supply line.

The present invention provides an electric furnace including: a cylindrical furnace wall; a furnace cover that is provided at an upper end of the furnace wall; and a furnace bottom that is provided at a lower end of the furnace wall and includes a deep bottom portion and a shallow bottom portion as a region having a height of 150 mm to 500 mm from a deepest point of the deep bottom portion, in which a slag pouring port into which molten slag or a solidified slag lump is capable of being poured from a slag transport container directly or through a tilting trough is provided, the slag pouring port overlaps the shallow bottom portion in a plan view, and the area ratio of the shallow bottom portion to the furnace bottom in a plan view is 5% to 40%.

The present invention provides an electric furnace including: a cylindrical furnace wall; a furnace cover that is provided at an upper end of the furnace wall; and a furnace bottom that is provided at a lower end of the furnace wall and includes a deep bottom portion and a shallow bottom portion as a region having a height of 150 mm to 500 mm from a deepest point of the deep bottom portion, in which a slag pouring port into which molten slag or a solidified slag lump is capable of being poured from a slag transport container directly or through a tilting trough is provided, the slag pouring port overlaps the shallow bottom portion in a plan view, and the area ratio of the shallow bottom portion to the furnace bottom in a plan view is 5% to 40%.

Certain embodiments of the inventive technology may be described as apparatus for melting and reshaping metal from a first shape into a second shape in a microgravity or zero gravity environment, such as a space foundry, where such apparatus includes feedstock input componentry (5) configured to accept conductive metal feedstock (7) having the first shape, a furnace and a furnace pre-stage (22) established upflow of the furnace, a plurality of electromagnetic field generators (10), each of which is configured to generate an electromagnetic field, to, e.g., steer, melt and/or move the metal, whether melt or otherwise, and casting componentry (15) configured to reshape molten metal to the second shape. Certain embodiments may achieve a high degree of control over electromagnetic fields by offering individual adjustment of one or more electrical parameters of the electromagnetic field generators (10).

Certain embodiments of the inventive technology may be described as apparatus for melting and reshaping metal from a first shape into a second shape in a microgravity or zero gravity environment, such as a space foundry, where such apparatus includes feedstock input componentry (5) configured to accept conductive metal feedstock (7) having the first shape, a furnace and a furnace pre-stage (22) established upflow of the furnace, a plurality of electromagnetic field generators (10), each of which is configured to generate an electromagnetic field, to, e.g., steer, melt and/or move the metal, whether melt or otherwise, and casting componentry (15) configured to reshape molten metal to the second shape. Certain embodiments may achieve a high degree of control over electromagnetic fields by offering individual adjustment of one or more electrical parameters of the electromagnetic field generators (10).