Hi, chaps!
I have been having fun with high-temperature smelting for want of a better term.
I have a number of clients that might benefit from a hot recovery instead of a straight wet process.
So I have been working with a 1L crucible (largest my furnace will take.)and using my waste stream as an analog.
Very interesting, good old borax sponges up oxides and other impurities, Feldspathic did not improve viscosity until it was used with fine silicon sand, The waste was treated with sodium hydroxide before drying and ball milling with flux, the use was liberal so there would be NaOH present to reduce any salts that had not yet been converted to forms susceptible to thermal degradation.
The present run has been run for three sessions of three to four hours and I am still finding prill's.
Afte three hour's the metal work on my furnace is glowing red but this still is not enough.
When mixed the flux is like water but it still seems to hold value in suspension.
I even noticed a silvery metallic layer form when the flux was poured out as if oxidation was helping draw out silver.
Sodium nitrate is the one flux I have not tried yet so that will be next to see if the observation has any merit.
Any suggestions for further reading or edifying anecdotes most welcome.
Regards.
J
I have been having fun with high-temperature smelting for want of a better term.
I have a number of clients that might benefit from a hot recovery instead of a straight wet process.
So I have been working with a 1L crucible (largest my furnace will take.)and using my waste stream as an analog.
Very interesting, good old borax sponges up oxides and other impurities, Feldspathic did not improve viscosity until it was used with fine silicon sand, The waste was treated with sodium hydroxide before drying and ball milling with flux, the use was liberal so there would be NaOH present to reduce any salts that had not yet been converted to forms susceptible to thermal degradation.
The present run has been run for three sessions of three to four hours and I am still finding prill's.
Afte three hour's the metal work on my furnace is glowing red but this still is not enough.
When mixed the flux is like water but it still seems to hold value in suspension.
I even noticed a silvery metallic layer form when the flux was poured out as if oxidation was helping draw out silver.
Sodium nitrate is the one flux I have not tried yet so that will be next to see if the observation has any merit.
Any suggestions for further reading or edifying anecdotes most welcome.
Regards.
J