Patent ID: 6049067
Filing Date: 2000-04-11
Classification: C22B,F27B,F27D,H05B

Abstract:
A method of heating a body of molten aluminum in a crucible to add heat to offset losses encountered during transportation or in holding in the crucible, the method comprising:(a) providing a crucible containing a body of molten aluminum, the crucible having:(i) a bottom and sides joined together to contain said molten aluminum, said bottom and sides having a liner comprised of a refractory substantially inert to said molten aluminum; and(ii) said liner having a series of heating element receptacles provided therein, said receptacles lined with a ceramic tube fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of mullite, boron nitride, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silicon aluminum oxynitride, zirconia, stabilized zirconia and mixtures thereof;(b) providing an electric heating element in said ceramic tube for heating said liner which transfers heat to said body of molten aluminum; and(c) supplying electrical power to said electric heating element and heating said body of aluminum.