# Silver Melting - Time/Temp Curve?



## f350ready (Dec 3, 2012)

If I have a kiln at 1000 degrees Celcius --- roughly how long would it take to melt 100 t/oz of .999 Silver Shot ? (in a graphite mold using an oxygen free environment)

Is there a chart or calculator that can provide different times based on mass & temperature? For example: 1025c with 10 oz, etc

Thanks in advance.


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## mjgraham (Dec 3, 2012)

I don't have an answer but I think for someone to make a guess they are going to need to know how much power (BTU, watts)? I mean it gets to a 1000C but is it electric if so how much input power (voltage/amps) that is just me. I could make a 5 watt heater that would get 1000C with enough insulation but it would never melt much stuff. But if you could put in a million watts you would get some melting in no time. Just my thoughts.


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## f350ready (Dec 3, 2012)

Good question.

I'm playing with putting together something so have some flexibility.

Could be anything as low as 25 kva to 70 kva. Maybe even 100kva?

Thanks


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## butcher (Dec 4, 2012)

1000 degrees C is very close to the melting point of silver (pure silver melting point 962 degrees).

The furnace would have heat losses depending on size, and insulating factors, refractory absorbing heat and other loss, also the refractory would have to get up to temperature, if the melt was a larger mass of metal it would take more time for the metal to absorb the heat a thick bar needing more heat than thin metal sheets, if 1000 degC was the maximum temperature the furnace would reach it may not be enough to melt the metal.

I would want the furnace to be able to go to a much higher temperature.


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## MysticColby (Dec 11, 2012)

I get the impression that most people here just turn their furnace on high and visually look at the metal to see when it's melted (somewhere around 5-30 minutes depending on the size and heat source).
If you melt it faster, it's more efficient because less heat is lost through the walls of the furnace. 2 hours at 1000ºC is going to use several times as much fuel as 10 minutes at 1500ºC.
Besides - I wouldn't want to turn it on, go watch a TV show, then come back when the timer beeps. Sounds kinda risky/unsafe.
I think you first need a hotter furnace.
Now, it might be possible to make that furnace hotter. I don't know about safety with them or anything, but maybe adding insulation or replacing the heat source with a hotter one? Please don't take this advice unless you do further research.


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## goldsilverpro (Dec 11, 2012)

Unless you have an electrical furnace with a good $600-$700 electronic controller added on, I would never, ever walk away from it. I've seen several furnace melt-downs with those cheap analog controllers that most bare-bones furnaces come with and I don't want to see another one.


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