Ultraflex Power Technologies recently worked with a local dental scrap processor to demonstrate capabilities of the UPT-S5 5 kW Induction System for melting dental scrap. The dental scrap can vary in composition, so using the UPT-S5 and HS-4, with the ability to adjust tap settings, provides an ideal solution for this heating challenge. The customer is excited to be able to melt the scrap with a safer solution than the torch that he currently uses.
- For melting dental scrap, we added flux, composed of equal quantities of borax and soda ash, to a graphite crucible.
- The flux is an important part of the melting process, as it lowers the melting temperature for the mixture, and also helps draw out the impurities from the metal.
- A second run was conducted on the dental scrap, which had less porcelain scrap, and more metal. For this run, we switched to a ceramic crucible. With a graphite crucible, the induction system heats the crucible, which is then transferring heat to the material in the crucible. With a ceramic crucible, the induction system is heating any metal in the crucible directly. Ceramic crucibles are able to withstand higher temperatures than graphite crucibles.
- We then added roughly an equivalent volume of the dental scrap to the flux in the crucible.
- The graphite crucible was placed into the induction heating coil. The induction heating system was turned on, and powered until the material in the crucible was molten.
- The molten material was poured into a second crucible for cooling.
- After cooling, the slag was removed, leaving the separated metal.