Abstract:
A PROCESS FOR ALUMINIZING AN ARTICLE BY IMMERSION IN A VESSEL CONTAINING A BATH OF MOLTEN ALUMINUM. PROVIDING AT LEAST ONE FORAMINOUS REFRACTORY BRICK IMPREGNATED WITH A FLUX MATEIAL HAVING A DENSITY LESS THAN THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM BATH. INTRODUCING THE BRICK INTO THE VESSEL IN CONTACT WITH THE ALUMINUM TO INITIATE DISCHARGE OF THE FLUX FROM THE REFRACTORY BRICK INTO THE ALUMINUM. RETAINING THE BRICK IN THE VESSEL FOR A SUFFICIENTLY LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO ESTABLISH A THIN FILM OF THE FLUX ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM. SUBSEQUENTLY INTRODUCING THE ARTICLE TO BE ALUMINIZED INTO THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM AND RETAINING IT THEREIN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO COAT THE ARTICLE WITH THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM. THEREAFTER REMOVING THE ARTICLE AT A SUFFICIENTLY LOW RATE OF SPEED TO CAUSE FLUX PICKUP TO PROVIDE A FLUX COATING ON THE COATED ARTICLE AND THEREBY MINIMIZING OXIDE FORMATION ON THE COOLED PART. THE FORAMINOUS REFRACTORY BRICK IS PREFERABLY THERMALLY STABLE AT TGHE MOLTEN ALUMINUM BATH TEMPERATURE AND THE FLUX PREFERABLY HAS A MELTING TEMPERATURE NOT LESS THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM BATH.
Abstract:
In melting finely divided aluminum and aluminum alloy metal such as scrap, melt losses can be substantially reduced if the flux is combined with the metal pieces before they are melted.