What materials is the crucible furnace suitable for processing?

As a high-temperature processing equipment, crucible furnace is suitable for various processes such as melting, sintering, and heat treatment of materials. Its core advantage lies in the ability to provide a stable high-temperature environment and adapt to the chemical properties of different materials through the selection of crucible materials. The following are the main types of materials and specific application scenarios that crucible furnaces are suitable for:

1. Metal materials
precious metal
Applicable materials: gold, silver, platinum, etc.
Application scenarios: Jewelry processing, precious metal recycling and purification.
Characteristics: High temperature (above 1600 ℃) and inert gas (such as argon) protection are required to avoid oxidation.
Crucible selection: graphite crucible (with good high temperature resistance and thermal shock resistance) or alumina crucible (with high purity).
non-ferrous metal
Applicable materials: copper, aluminum, zinc, lead, etc.
Application scenarios: Alloy melting and casting processes.
Characteristics: Low melting point (about 1083 ℃ for copper), high requirements for crucible corrosion resistance.
Crucible selection: graphite crucible (suitable for copper and aluminum) or clay crucible (suitable for low melting point metals).
ferrous metal
Applicable materials: steel, iron, etc.
Application scenarios: Heat treatment (quenching, annealing), special alloy melting.
Characteristics: High temperature (above 1500 ℃) and controlled oxidation atmosphere are required.
Crucible selection: Magnesium oxide crucible (resistant to molten iron erosion) or corundum crucible (resistant to high temperature).

2. Ceramic materials
Structural ceramics
Applicable materials: alumina ceramics, silicon nitride ceramics, etc.
Application scenarios: Ceramic sintering, densification treatment.
Characteristics: Requires high temperature (1600-1800 ℃) and vacuum or inert gas environment.
Crucible selection: alumina crucible (high purity, good chemical stability) or zirconia crucible (high temperature resistance).
Functional ceramics
Applicable materials: piezoelectric ceramics, magnetic ceramics, etc.
Application scenarios: material synthesis, performance optimization.
Features: Accurate temperature control (± 1 ℃) and atmosphere control are required.
Crucible selection: Platinum crucible (high temperature resistant, chemically inert) or corundum crucible.

3. Minerals and Glass Materials
Mineral raw materials
Applicable materials: quartz sand, feldspar, kaolin, etc.
Application scenarios: glass melting, ceramic glaze preparation.
Characteristics: Requires high temperature (1300-1600 ℃) and oxidizing atmosphere.
Crucible selection: clay crucible (suitable for low-temperature melting) or corundum crucible (suitable for high-temperature melting).
GLASS
Applicable materials: optical glass, special glass, etc.
Application scenarios: Glass melting and forming.
Characteristics: Accurate temperature control (to avoid glass crystallization) and atmosphere control are required.
Crucible selection: Platinum crucible (high temperature resistant, chemically inert) or alumina crucible.

4. New materials and composite materials
nanomaterials
Applicable materials: nano powder, nanowire, etc.
Application scenarios: synthesis of nanomaterials, heat treatment.
Characteristics: Requires low temperature (<1000 ℃) and atmosphere protection (such as nitrogen and hydrogen).
Crucible selection: Quartz crucible (high temperature resistant, chemically inert) or alumina crucible.
composite material
Applicable materials: metal based composite materials, ceramic based composite materials, etc.
Application scenarios: Material sintering, interface reaction control.
Characteristics: Requires high temperature and atmosphere control (such as vacuum, inert gas).
Crucible selection: Graphite crucible (suitable for metal based composite materials) or alumina crucible (suitable for ceramic based composite materials).

5. Chemistry and Laboratory Materials
Laboratory samples
Applicable materials: chemical reagents, alloy samples, etc.
Application scenarios: Material analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), etc.
Characteristics: Requires small-scale, high-precision temperature control (± 0.1 ℃).
Crucible selection: Platinum crucible (high temperature resistant, chemically inert) or alumina crucible.
catalyst
Applicable materials: metal catalysts, oxide catalysts, etc.
Application scenarios: catalyst sintering, activity testing.
Characteristics: Requires high temperature and atmosphere control (such as reducing gases).
Crucible selection: Corundum crucible (high temperature resistant) or quartz crucible (chemically inert).

6. Key factors in selecting crucible materials
High temperature resistance: The crucible material needs to be able to withstand the target temperature (such as graphite crucibles that can withstand temperatures above 1600 ℃).
Chemical stability: Avoid reactions with materials (such as platinum crucibles with high chemical inertness).
Thermal conductivity: High thermal conductivity can improve heat transfer efficiency (such as graphite crucibles with good thermal conductivity).
Cost and lifespan: Graphite crucibles have low cost but short lifespan, while platinum crucibles have high cost but long lifespan.

7. Summary and Suggestions
Metal material processing: Priority should be given to graphite crucibles or alumina crucibles, and attention should be paid to atmosphere control.
Ceramic material processing: Prioritize using alumina or platinum crucibles, and pay attention to high temperature uniformity.
New materials and laboratory applications: Platinum or quartz crucibles are preferred, and temperature control accuracy should be taken into account.
Mineral and glass material processing: Preferably choose clay crucibles or corundum crucibles, and pay attention to controlling the oxidation atmosphere.
The applicability of a crucible furnace depends on the material properties, process requirements, and the selection of crucible materials. In practical applications, it is necessary to select appropriate equipment types and parameters according to specific needs to ensure processing effectiveness and safety.