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GAS-FIRED VS.

ELECTRIC RESISTANCE MELTING


OF ALUMINUM ALLOYS

by Frank B. Smith Founder and CEO, Rayteq LLC

Early in his career, at the University of pouring temperature, degassed with


California at Berkeleys Department of ultra dry nitrogen, skimmed, and poured
Mechanical Engineering, the author into green sand molds and permanent
participated in fascinating studies molds. To obtain meaningful results,
examining the effects of metal casting hundreds of test bar samples were
variables on light metal casting quality. cast, test bars pulled, and the results
These studies were privately funded by recorded, plotted, and subjected to
several well-known U.S. aerospace statistical analysis.
foundries that were looking for ways to
consistently obtain stronger, better The results were profound: Tensile
castings. strength, yield strength and elongation
properties were almost uniformly
Melting Comparison Studies One superior in the electrically melted
particular UC Berkeley study compared samples regardless of the type of molds
melting in a gas-fired crucible furnace used. The mean mechanical properties
with an electric resistance crucible of test bars melted in the gas-fired
furnace. Primary A356 aluminum alloy furnace reached only 80% of the mean
was melted in silicon carbide crucibles values of electrically melted test bars
in both furnaces, brought to the same (see Figure 1 below).

FIGURE 1 NORMAL PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTION CURVES


FOR TEST BAR CASTINGS PRODUCED FROM ELECTRIC
RESISTANCE AND GAS-FIRED CRUCIBLE FURNACES

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Of perhaps greater significance, the gas-fired furnace was isolated from the
mechanical properties of the electrically furnaces combustion chamber. It
melted castings, in addition to turned out there was no isolation at all.
displaying higher tensile and yield This was because the sealing gasket
strength and elongation values than the between the top of the crucible and the
gas melted samples, were much more underside of the steel furnace cover
uniform and consistent. These was made of compressible fiber
statistical bell curves tell the story insulation to allow the crucible to
the blue bell curve for the electrically expand without cracking, a practice still
melted test bar samples is taller and followed today. Because of the positive
narrower than the red bell curve for the pressure in the combustion chamber
natural gas melted samples. This and the porous fiber gasket,
means that the electrically melted test combustion gasses freely penetrated
bar samples demonstrated mechanical the gasket, immediately coming into
properties that were much more contact with the surface of the metal
consistent and tightly grouped while the bath (see Figure 2 illustration below).
natural gas melted test bars had a
much wider variation in mechanical
properties. Some natural gas melted
test bars tested significantly below the
red curve mean.

Closer examination of the broken test


bars under optical magnification
indicated why: The natural gas melted
test bars almost invariably broke at a
dross inclusion, a hydrogen gas bubble,
or even just a thin film of aluminum
oxide, while the electrically melted test
bars rarely showed any dross, oxide or
hydrogen porosity at the breaks.

When the study began there was a


general expectation that the results for
the gas-fired crucible and electric
crucible furnaces would be the same FIGURE 2 PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION
because it was assumed that the silicon LEAK THROUGH CRUCIBLE GASKET
carbide crucibles effectively isolated the TO REACT WITH MOLTEN ALUMINUM
molten aluminum from the source of the
heat. But when the results were shown
to differ, further investigation Because molten aluminum is highly
discovered why. chemically reactive, it instantly reacts
with the water vapor which is present in
Leakage of Combustion Products all products of combustion according to
The first step was to determine how the following equation:
effectively the molten aluminum in the
2 Al + 3 H2O Al2O3 + 3 H2

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The Al2O3 is, of course, aluminum oxide This phenomenon is well known to
which in its purest form is sapphire, the aluminum foundries operating in the
second hardest substance known to South and other areas of the country
man, and is also referred to as dross that suffer from seasonal high relative
which produces hard spots in castings. humidity. When the dew point reaches
The H2 is hydrogen gas which is highly a certain value, scrap rates due to
soluble in molten aluminum and excessive dross and hydrogen gas can
completely insoluble in solid aluminum, increase to intolerable levels. Aluminum
appearing as porosity in finished alloys containing more reactive elements
castings which can produce surface like magnesium and zinc lose some of
roughness, casting fractures, leaky these elements to oxidation, altering the
castings, unsealable machined alloy composition. Alloys such as
surfaces, etc. Almag 35, which contains magnesium,
develop thick dross layers, putting
Effect of Relative Humidity Since casting quality at risk. One might
the test bar castings were produced by reasonably ask why such foundries
different furnaces on different days, it would worsen the problem by
was possible to measure the relative employing gas-fired melting furnaces
humidity inside the foundry and that increase the relative humidity.
compare it with the outside relative
humidity. With the electric furnace, the Skimming Test Verifies Reaction
relative humidity was always the same with Combustion Products Todays
inside and outside. But with the gas- metal casters can conduct their own
fired furnace, even though it had a flue qualitative tests to verify that
that piped most of the combustion combustion gasses are indeed present
gases outside, the relative humidity and reacting with molten aluminum in
inside the foundry was always gas-fired crucible furnaces. Simply
significantly higher. This meant, in skim the molten metal surface, do not
addition to the combustion gases that further disturb it, and watch what
were penetrating the crucible gasket, happens. The observer should note
there was additional water vapor that the clean, skimmed surface will
present in the air that was coming from slowly darken, the surface will change
various leaks in the burners, from a shiny, reflective surface to a dull,
refractories, flue pipes, etc. which could non-reflective surface, and the oxide
react with the molten aluminum skin which was thin after skimming will
progressively become thicker and
The net result was that the water vapor darker. This is all caused by water
coming from both sources was quickly vapor in the products of combustion
reacting with the molten metal, resulting from the furnace reacting with the
in higher metal losses and much molten aluminum.
greater contamination of castings from
oxide, dross, and hydrogen gas, all of Now do the same test with molten
which degraded the mechanical aluminum in an electric resistance
properties of the test bar castings crucible furnace. After skimming, the
produced from metal taken from the surface will appear highly reflective like
gas-fired crucible furnace. the photo on the following page and the

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shiny surface will remain that way much in the same air space) the surface will
longer than on the gas-fired furnace. slightly darken but at nowhere near the
Also, the oxide skin will remain thin rate of the gas-fired furnace. This
much longer. After a lengthy period of demonstrates that the metal stays
time, depending on the relative humidity much cleaner substantially longer in an
of the air inside the shop (particularly if electric resistance melting furnace.
there are gas-fired furnaces operating

SIMPLE SKIMMING TEST DEMONSTRATES ALUMINUM SURFACE REACTION WITH PRODUCTS


OF COMBUSTION. NOTE CLEAN, HIGHLY REFLECTIVE SURFACE IN ELECTRIC MELTING
FURNACE ABOVE. PHOTO COURTESY SKS DIE CASTING & MACHINING, ALAMEDA, CALIF.

Metal Loss in Gas-Fired Reverbs It Impressed and inspired by the results


should be noted that the contamination during his personal participation in
is substantially worse in gas-fired reverb these revealing studies, the author
furnaces of both the dry hearth and wet made a major course change in his
bath types, and the amount of metal lost career path by deciding to start a new
to dross and oxide is even higher than business building reliable electric
crucible-type furnaces. This is because resistance furnaces to supply to metal
the molten aluminum is in constant casters interested in consistently
direct contact with the products of obtaining the best possible mechanical
combustion which include water vapor. properties in aluminum alloys.

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Gas vs. Electric Case Study The melted in the authors new electric
authors first electric resistance melting resistance furnaces easily met IBMs
furnace customer was Jerry Keating, stringent quality requirements and Mr.
president of SKS Die Casting, now Keating became a believer. He then
located in Alameda, California in the replaced all of his gas-fired furnaces
San Francisco Bay Area. SKS was with the authors electric resistance
supplying die cast aluminum slip rings melters. Some years later he
for IBM commercial computer systems purchased what turned out to be the
which had to meet IBMs very difficult 1,000th electric resistance furnace
QC requirements. These small manufactured by the author. All of
aluminum rings were cast from 380 these electric furnaces including old #1
alloy in a multi-cavity die and packed in are in full production operation today.
cartons containing 2,000 rings each.
According to the terms of the contract, if Major Industry Shift to Electric
IBM found only two castings in the box Melting In subsequent years the
which did not meet their inspection authors company supplied the light
criteria, the entire box of 2,000 was metal casting industry around the world
returned to SKS for remelting and with more than 2,000 electric resistance
recasting. melting and holding furnaces and
launder system modules for use in
At the time, while SKS melted most of producing aluminum and magnesium
their aluminum alloy in gas-fired alloy castings for the automotive,
crucible furnaces, they also operated electrical equipment, electric motor,
three antique electric channel aircraft, aerospace, military, home
induction furnaces. They quickly appliance, hand tool, hardware and
discovered that they could not meet fittings industries, as well as the primary
IBMs quality requirements using the metals industries and universities and
gas-fired furnaces because of hard research laboratories. Along the way
spots, dross inclusions, and changing the authors company replaced literally
alloy composition. They could, hundreds of gas-fired furnaces of all
however, produce acceptable castings types with clean, quiet and efficient
with the electric channel furnaces. electric resistance furnaces for all the
Unfortunately, when the channel reasons outlined above.
furnace refractory supplier stopped
mixing asbestos fibers in the channel What has changed in the years
lining cement because of the health between the authors pioneering
hazard, the unreinforced refractory in university studies, which were followed
the furnaces quickly failed and ran out by a major migration over to clean
making the channel furnaces unreliable. electric melting in all phases of the
metal casting industry, and today?
Anxious to retain his IBM contract, Natural gas-fired furnaces still generate
SKSs Mr. Keating purchased the the same percentage of water vapor in
authors first electric resistance melting their products of combustion as before,
furnace to replace the failing channel molten aluminum alloy is just as
furnaces and the rest became history. chemically reactive as before, and
The IBM parts produced from metal when the two come into contact with

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each other the formation of dross, Melting aluminum ingot in Rayteq
oxide, hydrogen porosity, hard spots in electric furnaces keeps metal losses
castings, higher levels of scrap low, typically 1% to 1% of the metal
castings, change in alloy composition, melted, while gas-fired crucible
etc. continues as before. One thing furnaces with porous crucible gaskets
that has changed, however, is the cost can easily lose 3% to 5% to dross. Wet
of natural gas. bath reverb furnaces, where moisture-
containing combustion gasses directly
Dropping Natural Gas Prices In the contact the surface of the bath, suffer
past several years during the economic worse losses, typically ranging from 4%
downturn the cost of natural gas has to 7% while dry hearth reverbs, where
plummeted from around $9.00 per combustion gasses impinge directly on
dekatherm down to $3.00 per the metal while it is melting, can lose as
dekatherm, and this has certainly much as 8% to 15%. At todays cost of
influenced the choice of furnaces for aluminum alloy these losses can drive
use in melting aluminum. When total gas-fired furnace melting costs
comparing gas-fired melting with several times higher than Rayteqs
conventional electric resistance melting, electric resistance furnaces which
if only the cost of energy is taken into makes the current low cost of natural
consideration, natural gas melting is gas seem much less appealing.
often judged to be cheaper.
Shaft/Tower Melters Natural gas-
Fortunately today, a group of electric fired shaft melters, also called tower
furnaces operating under the control of melters, have reappeared on the
Rayteqs Fleet CommanderTM demand aluminum casting scene in recent
management software will have utility years. All of them are variations on the
costs roughly equivalent to the cost of same themeforcing combustion
gas-fired melting, even in high electric products up through a lined shaft filled
cost areas like California and the New with downward moving charge material
England states. This is not only to recover waste heat and thereby
because Rayteqs electric furnaces improve fuel efficiency. The better
equipped with the Fleet CommanderTM models are equipped with well-
interactive demand management engineered instrumentation and
system enjoy reduced utility demand microprocessors to automate the
charges, but also because they are charging and melting cycles and to
completely sealed and have very minimize melt losses.
efficient linings while gas-fired furnaces
have flues which lose an enormous Most shaft melters on the market today
amount of heat, leaving them with only represent a major improvement over
a small fraction of the electrical their dry hearth reverb predecessors,
efficiency. reducing metal oxidation by limiting the
time the vulnerable just-melted
The Heavy Cost of Metal Loss The aluminum is exposed to combustion
oxidation of aluminum alloys by the products. Unfortunately, their
products of combustion from gas-fired effectiveness in this respect is often
furnaces comes at a steep price. exaggerated. Taking advantage of the

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fact that metal loss is much more unchanged. Highly reactive molten
difficult to measure in continuous aluminum and the water vapor in
melters than batch melting furnaces, products of combustion still react as
competing shaft/tower melter they always have, and products of
manufacturers have engaged in combustion are still in contact with
contests of who can claim the lowest molten metal in shaft/tower melters with
metal losses, and the claims are metal losses comparable to wet bath
approaching the absurd, even though reverbs, all the claims notwithstanding.
natures laws of chemistry remain (See patented shaft melter below.)

U.S. PATENT No. 4,687,438 FOR AN ALUMINUM


MELTING SHAFT FURNACE ASSIGNED TO
STRIKFELDT & KOCH GMBH IN GERMANY, 1987

Molten Metal Transfers No aluminum is highly vulnerable to


discussion about the causes of contamination from contact with water
aluminum alloy oxidation and resulting vapor and oxygen whenever it is
metal loss and casting defects would be transferred. This is because its
complete without mentioning the major exposed surface area is very high
impact that molten metal transfers have during most transfers and the transfer
in aluminum casting operations. Molten process itself generates turbulence

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which further exposes more molten reverse is true. As the molten metal is
metal. When aluminum is sitting quietly poured through the surrounding air, the
in a furnace with only its surface freshly exposed molten aluminum
exposed, particularly an electric furnace around the perimeter of the poured
that generates no products of stream is exposed to water vapor and
combustion that can impinge on that oxygen in the atmosphere and this
surface, it is relatively well protected exposed stream has no film of
from additional contamination by a thin aluminum oxide to protect it. Worse
film of aluminum oxide. yet, during the transfer, the surface
area of the transferring metal suddenly
But during transfers, which by their very increases. By how much? Lets do the
nature are unavoidably turbulent, the math.

RAYTEQ MODEL DC-720 HAS BEEN MELTING RIGHT AT A DIE CASTING MACHINE
TWO SHIFTS PER DAY, FIVE DAYS PER WEEK SINCE JUNE, 2009 WITH ALL
ORIGINAL RAYTEQ HIGH-POWER HEATING ELEMENTS STILL IN OPERATION.
PHOTO COURTESY OF A & B DIE CASTING, HERCULES, CALIFORNIA.

As an example, Rayteqs Model 2,650 lbs. Since the density of molten


DC-720 electric resistance melting aluminum is approximately 0.086 lbs/in3,
furnace melts 720 lbs/hr of aluminum, the molten aluminum in the crucible
its crucible top inside diameter is 40 occupies 2,650 lbs divided by 0.086
inches, which yields a surface area of lbs/in3 = 30,814 in3. Meanwhile, a
1,257 in2, and its crucible capacity is stream of molten aluminum being

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poured from a ladle or tilting furnace will be 2 inches diameter X pi X 9,813
might well have a diameter of 2 inches inches of length = 61,659 in2. Yet the
and so the cross-sectional area of that exposed surface area of the molten
stream would be pi times the radius aluminum in the electric furnace is only
squared or 3.14 in2. If we divide that 1,257 in2. Thus the ratio of the
area into the 30,814 in3 volume exposed surface area of the turbulent
occupied by the 2,650 lbs of molten moving stream of molten aluminum to
aluminum, the total length of that 2 inch the exposed surface area of the quiet
diameter stream will be 30,814 in3 metal bath in the electric furnace is
divided by 3.14 in2 = 9,813 inches, and 61,659 in2 divided by 1,257 in2 =
the exposed surface area of that stream 49 to 1! And this calculation does not

MOLTEN METAL STREAM FROM TILTING CRUCIBLE-TYPE ALUMINUM MELTING


FURNACE HAS INCREASED SURFACE AREA WHICH REACTS WITH WATER VAPOR
AND OXYGEN TO FORM DROSS AND HYDROGEN POROSITY, MAJOR CONTRI-
BUTORS TO CASTING DEFECTS.

take into consideration the additional opportunity to do their worst damage,


exposed surface area caused by the particularly since there is no protective
inevitable turbulence which could easily thin film of aluminum oxide to guard the
multiply this result by a factor of 10 or moving, turbulent molten metal stream.
more. Thus the water vapor and The results are nearly instantaneous
oxygen in the atmosphere have at the and predictably dramatic. By how
very least an unparalleled 49 to 1 much? Lets look at the literature.

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In his article entitled Calculating with gas-fired furnaces; in some cases,
Furnace ROI in the August, 2013 issue theyre actually lower in up-front capital
of Modern Casting magazine, author cost! Citing electric furnace efficiency,
Richard Schaefer, President of The he concludes,
Schaefer Group, Inc. (one of Rayteqs
competitors), writes that, With a large range of available
electric furnaces achieving 70%
An efficient aluminum casting efficiency, aluminum metalcasters
facility will deliver the right quantity, may find that switching to a more
quality and temperature of metal as efficient furnace is worth the
flawlessly as possible. Eliminating investment, but proper calculation
the transfer ladle between the of total costs will prevent
melting and holding furnaces is one overspending.
way to achieve this. Turbulent
transfers are detrimental to casting Again, Mr. Schaefer is unaware that
quality and melt efficiency. Rayteqs electric furnace efficiencies
run from 75% to nearly 80% in
He goes on to state that, continuous melting applications.

Every time metal is transferred Finally, Mr. Schaefer takes a page out
turbulently, approximately half a of Rayteqs play book when he opines,
percent of it is lost. So if you tap or
pump molten aluminum out of a Another progressive way to avoid
central furnace into a transfer ladle, transfer troubles is to eliminate the
then pour the metal from the ladle large central melting furnace and
to the holding furnace, you have instead operate a smaller electric
lost 1% of all the metal you have melting and holding furnace at each
purchased. You have also casting cell. Eliminating a central
deteriorated the quality of the metal gas-fired melting furnace eliminates
through added oxides and gas. transfer ladles, the ladle preheat
station, fork trucks and the danger
In the same article, Mr. Schaefer also of hauling molten metal around the
gives a nod to electric melting when he casting facility, as well as emissions
states, associated with a large furnace.
The only molten metal transfer
Aluminum casters can gain required is from the furnace to the
efficiency by switching from gas to mold.
electric. While the majority of
furnaces sold today are gas-fired, Since Mr. Schaefer operates a
the most energy efficient (and more company that manufactures both gas-
expensive in up-front purchase fired and electric central melting
price) are electric. furnaces, he should be commended for
his honesty and integrity in making
Unfortunately, Mr. Schaefer was these statements. For our part, to a
apparently unaware of how well Rayteq respected competitor weve known for
electric furnaces compete price-wise many years, we simply say, Amen!

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Melting Right at the Casting Cell This means that the electric furnaces
After reading both Mr. Schaefers and must have adequate melting capacity to
our recommendations to avoid metal meet the melt rates required. Rayteq
transfers and central melting furnaces, currently manufactures a line of electric
including both stationary and tilting resistance crucible furnaces with both
types that require them, one might the highest melting rates per square
reasonably ask what should the metal foot of occupied floor space and the
caster do instead? And the answer is highest overall melting efficiency that
to use highly efficient, stationary electric take advantage of Rayteqs new high
melting furnaces to melt as close as power density heating elements and
possible to the die casting machine, unique hybrid digital/analog power
molding line, permanent mold machine, controls. If needed, multiple stationary
etc., and bring metal to these furnaces furnaces can be installed at the casting
in solid ingot form.

RAYTEQ MODEL R-475 ELECTRIC RESISTANCE


FURNACE MELTS 475 LBS/HR OF ALUMINUM ALLOY
RIGHT AT THE MOLDING LINE, PERMANENT MOLD
MACHINE, OR DIE CASTING MACHINE

cell to meet production requirements, melting furnace to the next with minimal
including melting furnaces linked turbulence to meet the production
together in a piggyback configuration requirements. In addition, Rayteq is
where metal is transferred from one currently leading the development of

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larger electric resistance melting with fossil fuel-fired furnaces due to the
furnaces with higher capacity crucibles unreliability of the electrical grid.
designed to meet the needs of high
volume casting producers. At the same time, some North American
metal casters who melt electrically had
Use of Robotic Ladles Molten metal lost work to Asian suppliers but are now
can then be carefully delivered without getting some of that work back due to
turbulence and excessive exposure unacceptable Asian casting quality.
from the stationary electric furnaces to While electric melting wasnt the only
the casting cell either by hand ladle or factor, it certainly contributed in many
automatic machine ladle. Today, cases. This begs the question: Why
automatic robotic ladles are available would North American metal casters
from several sources that can be switch to gas-fired melting when electric
programmed or taught to dip out and melting offers them a significant
pour smoothly and evenly, and many competitive edge?
are capable of changing the rate of
pour during the pouring operation to Comparison Cost Studies In the
accommodate special mold end, it is the economics of metal
requirements. Such robotic ladles are melting that most heavily influence the
available in very large sizes for decision whether to use natural gas or
handling large mold requirements. electricity to melt aluminum alloys. But
metal casters must look beyond fuel
Taking Advantage of North Americas costs alone and not let temporary low
Reliable Electrical System Today gas prices obscure the focus on the
North American metal casters are total picture which must also include
competing with offshore casting metal losses, scrap castings, and
producers who cannot melt electrically overall casting quality.
because their electrical distribution
grids are overloaded and unreliable, In an effort to help metal casters
leading to scheduled and unscheduled determine the relative costs of melting
blackouts. Instead, they must melt aluminum in their own shops using their
using natural gas, town gas, or oil, gas and electric utility suppliers,
which makes them less competitive aluminum alloy vendors, etc., Rayteq
against North American metal casters produces a comprehensive, compli-
who produce higher quality castings by mentary executive report that transparently
melting their metal electrically. shows all the calculations that go into
determining summary cost-per-pound
The authors electric furnace company figures and investment payback periods
manufactured electric furnaces for while taking new technology like Rayteqs
several Asian joint ventures where the Fleet CommanderTM interactive demand
American partners bought and shipped management system into consideration.
electric furnaces to Asia to produce For details contact Rayteq by email at
premium quality castings. However, Information@Rayteq.com, or by phone at
the electric furnaces had to be replaced 510-638-2000, or visit www.Rayteq.com.

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