Alcoa Inc.

Donald L Stewart

Ho Yu

Edward D Williams

David H DeYoung

A method and apparatus for melting aluminum uses a dense metal salt of Rubidium, Cesium, or Strontium. The salt is melted by a stinger and then superheated by AC applied to electrodes immersed in the salt. Aluminum in contact with the salt melts and floats on the salt. In continuous scrap melting, inflows and outflows of aluminum are comparable and may be shielded by inert gas. The superheated salt may be purified and may be heated in a separate reservoir and pumped to and from another reservoir containing salt and/or metal. The salt may be used to supplement the heating of an existing furnace.

Aluminum melting apparatus

A scrap melter for light gage metal scrap includes a shrouded impeller connected to a shaft, the shaft connected to a rotary power device. The shrouded impeller is immersed in a molten metal pool in a charge bay or furnace. It is inclined at an angle relative to the vertical. The shrouded impeller creates a vortex in the molten metal pool, which includes a whirlpool at the surface of the molten metal. The center of the whirlpool is horizontally displaced from the shaft so that scrap can be charged into the whirlpool to be ingested into the vortex. The shrouded impeller creates a vortex for scrap ingestion and pumps molten metal for re-circulation through the melting system without the need of a separate pump.

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Jeannette, PA, United States of America

Donald L Stewart