Please clarify your question. What materials are required to be melted? What type of furnace is employed etc? For making small alloy sample of say 20 - 50 gms pure metals or prealloyed material properly cleaned and properly weighed is charged in the furnace crucible for arc melting. Surface oxide could be a problem with powder metal so small granular metal form (size 0.5 - 1 mm or very coarse powder) is better compared to powder. Larger granules can be used but it depends upon the weight of the button/lump required and the furnace melting power and capacity. Small pieces from sheets can be cut and cleaned for use. Scrap form may contain surface contaminants so cleaning and breakdown into proper size may be important. Normally controlled atmosphere is used with proper gettering for melting purposes.

Thank you. I am looking for Ni and Ti base alloy preparation. what kind of cleaning is required for coarse powder before vacuum arc melting?

May be some chemical treatment like pickling can help if it is relatively is coarse powder but for fine powders it would be vey difficult to clean. More surface area more oxide present. Try some surface cleaning/treatment handbooks.

Thank you for valid information

Powder sample will be a problem in vacuum Arc melting as it fly off. Scrap is preferred assuming there is no oxide layers

Hello Researchers,

I have Nickel, Manganese and Tin powder (particle size is less than 100 micrometer for all). I want to make single phase alloy by arc melting technique. Oxides are not desired. My question is:

1. Can I use them directly in powder form  for arc melting?

2. If answer is no, in that case, I am planning to mix all of them by mechanical alloying for 5 hrs. After 5 hours alloying, this alloyed powder can be consolidated into small pellets which can be further used for arc melting.

Will this work?

Kindly give your valuable suggestion.

Hai Dinesh,

1. Fine powder will move out of its place during initiation of the arc which create problem in exact maintenance of composition.

2. I did not try mechanical alloying method.  Once it is in pellet form means arc melting will be easier.  I hope, number of repetition of melting will be less, if you do mechanical alloying for 5 hours.  

All the best for you research.

Santhy Jaiker, Thank you so much madam for the scientific answer.

Dear Santhy, I was facing the same problem during my master research cause I was trying to make a homogeneous ingot sample during the melting process. So I tried the cold compression first and make the powder material into a condensed package then melting. It works pretty well for my material, not much contamination to the furnace as I expected. Hope this will help.

Hi all,

In my opinion, raw materials for arc-melting can be in form of powder or bulk (ingot, slugs, rod, scrap..)

- If they are in form of powder, i do agree with Jinghao that we should mix the powders as desired composition and then do green compact to form to pellet before arc melting so that powder blowing during arc-melting is minimized.

- If they are bulk form, it will be much easier for arc melting.

Noted: it is hardly controlled the temperature during arc-melting, so that some metals will be evaporated which make changing your alloy composition. some metals like Mg, Mn...could evaporate very quickly during arc-melting.

Hope it is usefull!

Hi All,

I was melting Mg through arc melting but it sprinkles once arc is generated. And if the arc is maintained for some time Mg was converted into ash. Could anyone suggest some solution to this problem?

Brajesh Singh Mg melting temperature is only

650˚C and boiling point is 1090˚C. The arc

temperature is higher than boiling point of Mg.

That's why Mg was converted into ash.

Used other method to melt Mg since torch‘s temperature is around 3500 oC

Thanks Santhy Jaiker and Van Thuong Nguyen but it is working for melting Zn.

what is the atmosphere for Mg melting?

Argon atmosphere Santhy Jaiker

Protective gases mixture of 1% SF6 and 99% Ar