Patent ID: 7534284
Filing Date: 2009-05-19
Classification: C22B

Abstract:
1. A method of dispersing flux in non-ferrous molten metal comprising: providing a flux source of flux solids; providing a source of gas; providing an impeller on an end of a shaft inside an interior impeller chamber of a base made of heat resistant material, said base having an exterior surface, said base being submerged in the molten metal so that said exterior base surface contacts said molten metal, said base including a molten metal inlet opening extending from said exterior base surface into said impeller chamber and a molten metal discharge passageway extending from said impeller chamber to said exterior base surface; drawing molten metal through said inlet opening into said impeller chamber by rotating said impeller in said impeller chamber; moving the molten metal out of said impeller chamber through said discharge passageway by said rotation of said impeller, a discharge stream of molten metal traveling through said discharge passageway into the molten metal at the exterior of said impeller chamber; flowing said gas from said gas source into a flux conduit comprised of refractory material, said flux conduit extending from outside said molten metal into fluid communication with said discharge passageway; moving said flux solids from said flux source to said flux conduit; flowing said flux solids along the interior of said flux conduit using said flowing gas; injecting said gas and said flux solids into said discharge stream in said discharge passageway; and dispersing said flux solids in the molten metal exterior to the base.