What is a graphite crucible made of?

The manufacturing of graphite crucibles involves the use of clay-graphite-ceramic bonded or silicon-carbide-carbon bonded materials that use the refractory properties of silicon and graphite to conduct heat but add structural strength.

Can you melt steel in a crucible?

Keep the crucibles in a dry place and pre-heat them and the metal to be melted as the furnace heats up. A little bit of moisture can cause the crucible to crack on heating. Home made steel crucibles can be used to melt metals such as aluminum and zinc, because these metals melt a temperature well below that of steel.

Is crucible steel high carbon?

Crucible steel is always high carbon if not ultra-high carbon steel (UHCS). This is generally not so good. However, mixtures that would, for example, have produced 0.8 \% carbon steel, a steel optimal for many applications, would not melt at the temperatures available.

What is a graphite crucible?

Graphite crucibles are high quality melting crucibles. They can be used at temperatures up to 1600C (2900oF) and are suitable for melting and refining precious metals, base metals, and other products. Some people do some refining in assay crucibles.

Can you make your own graphite crucible?

There is no specific recipe for creating graphite clay for crucibles because all crucibles are used for melting different metals. You will have to come up with your own mixture of graphite, silicon carbide, silicon material, glass and aluminosilicates.

Can you use ceramic as a crucible?

Crucibles are traditionally made from ceramic materials, which can withstand very high temperatures. The material of your crucible should always have a much higher melting point than that of the materials you are heating.

What materials were used in the first crucibles?

The very first crucibles were made of clay. Implementation of crucibles for iron smelting was a giant leap forward, as it allowed the material to reach temperatures high enough for a melt. Online, I have seen crucibles made from metals such as molybdenum, tungsten, and platinum, as well as ceramics such as aluminium oxide.

What is a crucible used for in chemistry?

A crucible is a vessel in which metallic elements are melted to be cast into new objects or to create a new alloy. Crucibles are traditionally made from ceramic materials, which can withstand very high temperatures. The material of your crucible should always have a much higher melting point than that of the materials you are heating.

Graphite crucibles are made from natural or synthetic graphite. The difference in production methods is due to the unique characteristics of each material.

What are the characteristics of a porcelain crucible?

Porcelain crucibles are hygroscopic, i. e. they absorb a bit of weighable moisture from the air. For this reason, the porcelain crucible and lid is also pre-fired (pre-heating to high temperature) to constant mass before the pre-weighing.