Melting and Mixing of Materials in a Crucible by Electric Induction Heel Process

摘要

Apparatus and method are provided for electric induction heating and melting of a transition material that is non-electrically conductive in the solid state and electrically conductive in the non-solid state in an electric induction heating and melting process wherein solid or semi-solid charge is periodically added to a heel of molten transition material initially placed in a refractory crucible. Induction power is sequentially supplied to a plurality of coils surrounding the exterior height of the crucible at high power level and high frequency with in-phase voltage until a crucible batch of transition material is in the crucible when the induction power is reduced in power level and frequency with voltage phase shifting to the induction coils along the height of the crucible to induce a unidirectional electromagnetic stir of the crucible batch of material.