Subatmospheric plasma cold hearth melting process
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United States of America Patent
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Feb 1, 2000
Grant Date -
N/A
app pub date -
Oct 21, 1997
filing date -
Oct 22, 1996
priority date (Note) -
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Abstract
A plasma cold hearth melting process which provides an ingot of improved properties and including a plasma cold hearth melting furnace operated inside an air-tight chamber containing an inert gas, such as helium, at subatmospheric pressure levels. Raw material metals for a desired titanium or titanium alloy composition are supplied to a melting hearth located inside the chamber and heated by a plasma torch which utilizes an inert gas. The plasma torch melts the raw material metal thereby forming a molten pool of metal that is directed to at least one refining hearth. Plasma torches located in the refining hearths maintain the composition in a molten state as it passes through the cold hearth furnace to allow impurities present in the composition to be refined therefrom. After passing through the refining hearths, the molten pool of metal is poured into an ingot mold while still under subatmospheric inert gas pressure. The molten material is then allowed to cool and solidify into an ingot. The thus formed ingot is then subjected to hot working and fabrication operations without any intervening melting or refining steps.
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