Axel Johnson Metals, Inc.

The Doe Run Company

501 Axel Johnson Metals, Inc.

Carlos E Aguirre

Howard R Harker

Anthony W Worcester

Kai Ravnborg

In the particular embodiments described in the specification, a vacuum furnace includes a hearth having a melting region and a refining region and a particulate metal supply tube for conveying particulate metal to one side of the melting region. Three water-cooled shield members surround the other sides of the melting region so that metal ejected from the particulate metal deposited in the melting region by explosive vaporization of inclusions in the metal is intercepted by the shield members.

Vacuum processing of particulate reactive metal

In the particular embodiment of an electron beam furnace arrangement described in the specification, an electron beam gun unit is supported on rails for motion between two hearth and casting units, each having a lid to seal the unit when the electron beam gun unit is not in place. Sealing covers are also provided for the molds associated with the casting units. A common pump, preheating and hearth cooling unit communicates with each of the hearth and casting units so that, when one of the hearth and casting units is in use, the other unit can be cleaned and maintained and then outgassed and preheated in preparation for transfer of the electron beam gun unit from the other hearth and casting unit.

High capacity electron beam cold hearth furnace

A method of alloying powdered aluminum into lead to form lead-calcium-aluminum alloys with relatively high recoveries and low standard deviations of recoveries. The method comprises melting lead, heating the lead, injecting simultaneously calcium-containing granules and aluminum powder into the lead under the surface. The alloying material preferably has a total calcuim content of between about 65% and 80% by weight and a total aluminum content of between about 35% and 20%. The material is preferably injected into an injection bell to hold the alloying material under the surface of the lead.

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Downingtown, PA, United States of America

Carlos E Aguirre