Metal material vacuum purification furnace, brass separation method, and metal copper and zinc material

Abstract

The application discloses a metal material vacuum purification furnace, which comprises a molten liquid bag, a first isolation valve, a flow channel and a separation chamber; the first isolation valve is connected with the separation chamber; the separation chamber comprises a separation chamber shell, a heating chamber, a heater, an isolation box and a molten pool; the heating chamber is arranged in the separation chamber shell, and the heater, the isolation box and the molten pool are arranged in the heating chamber; each isolation box is provided with a molten pool, and a plug part is arranged on the molten pool; one end of the flow channel can be moved into the separation chamber by opening the first isolation valve; the molten liquid bag can pour the melt in the molten liquid bag into the flow channel, and then into the uppermost molten pool in the separation chamber; the melt in the molten pool can flow into the next layer of molten pool by opening the plug part; and the heater is used for heating the isolation box and the molten pool. The application further discloses a brass separation method implemented by using the metal material vacuum purification furnace, so that the purity of separated metals such as copper and zinc is improved, the oxidation loss is reduced, and the production efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of non-ferrous metal vacuum metallurgy technology, specifically relating to a vacuum purification furnace for metal materials suitable for alloy vacuum separation and recycling, as well as a brass separation method implemented using this equipment and the manufactured metallic copper and zinc materials. Background Technology

[0002] With the global copper resources becoming increasingly scarce, copper recycling technology is attracting more and more attention. As global standards for non-ferrous metal recycling continue to improve, the development trend of copper-zinc separation technology has shifted from simple "smelting separation" to "high-purity separation".

[0003] Traditional copper-zinc separation processes generally employ atmospheric smelting and rudimentary vacuum hood separation equipment and processes, which suffer from problems such as high metal oxidation loss, low precision in alloy composition control, and severe environmental pollution. Although some in the industry have adopted limited vacuum separation technology for copper-zinc separation, this only involves component separation under a rough vacuum environment after the raw materials have been smelted into a liquid; the copper and zinc casting stage after separation is still carried out in an atmospheric environment. This limited vacuum separation technology has two main drawbacks: firstly, incomplete component separation results in some residual zinc and small amounts of other metals remaining in the recovered copper; secondly, casting in an atmospheric environment introduces oxidation problems, limiting the purity of the final recovered copper and zinc materials. Specifically, the purity of the separated copper material can only reach 95-98%, which is insufficient to meet the current demand for high-purity recovered copper resources.

[0004] Therefore, developing a vacuum purification device that integrates vacuum separation and vacuum casting has become a technical problem that the industry urgently needs to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a vacuum purification furnace for metal materials and a brass separation method implemented using this equipment, as well as metallic copper and zinc materials prepared using this method. This vacuum purification furnace and brass separation method can achieve integrated continuous operation of vacuum separation, purification, collection, and vacuum casting, thereby improving the purity of separated metals such as copper and zinc, reducing oxidation loss, and increasing production efficiency.

[0006] The vacuum purification furnace for metallic materials includes a molten ladle, a first isolation valve, a flow channel, and a separation chamber. The first isolation valve is connected to the separation chamber. The separation chamber includes a separation chamber shell, a heating chamber, a heater, an isolation box, and a molten pool. The heating chamber is located inside the separation chamber shell, and the heater, isolation box, and molten pool are located inside the heating chamber. There is one or more isolation boxes. When there are two or more isolation boxes, they are arranged vertically. Each isolation box contains one or more molten pools, and the molten pools are equipped with plugs. The heater is used to heat the isolation boxes and molten pools. When the first isolation valve is opened, one end of the flow channel can move into the separation chamber. The molten ladle can pour the molten material inside into the flow channel, which then flows into the uppermost molten pool in the separation chamber. When the plug is opened, the molten material in the molten pool can flow into the next layer of the molten pool.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials further includes a melting chamber; the melting chamber includes a melting chamber shell, a rotating device, and a furnace door; the melting chamber shell is provided with a pipe for evacuating the melting chamber; the furnace door is located on the melting chamber shell, and when the furnace door is opened, the molten ladle can be moved into or out of the melting chamber shell; the rotating device is located inside the melting chamber shell and can drive the molten ladle to tilt, pouring the molten material inside the molten ladle into a flow channel; the furnace door is located on the side or top of the melting chamber shell.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the molten ladle can be placed on a rotating device after being moved into the ladle shell.

[0009] In one possible implementation, a pipe on the fusible coil shell is connected to a vacuum unit for evacuating the fusible coil chamber, which is used to evacuate the fusible coil shell.

[0010] In a preferred implementation, the molten ladle is able to pour the melt inside into the flow channel in an environment isolated from the atmosphere.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the molten ladle is used to pour the molten material into the ladle under a vacuum environment. In another possible implementation, the molten material is poured into the ladle under a protective atmosphere.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the melt in the ladle is poured into the flow channel in an atmospheric environment.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials further includes a flow guiding device and a casting system. The casting system includes a preparation chamber, a second isolation valve, a casting chamber, a third isolation valve, and a discharge chamber connected in sequence. Each of the preparation chamber, casting chamber, and discharge chamber is equipped with a transmission device. Opening the second isolation valve allows the casting mold to be transferred from the preparation chamber to the casting chamber. Opening the third isolation valve allows the casting mold to be transferred from the casting chamber to the discharge chamber. The casting chamber and the separation chamber are connected, and the flow guiding device is located between the casting chamber and the separation chamber. By opening the plug of the lowest layer of the molten pool in the separation chamber, the molten material in the molten pool can flow through the flow guiding device into the casting mold in the casting chamber.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the casting system is connected to a vacuum unit, and the casting chamber operates in an environment always isolated from the atmosphere. In a more preferred implementation, the casting chamber operates in a vacuum environment. In another more preferred implementation, the casting chamber operates under a protective atmosphere.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the flow guiding device includes a metering device.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the plug of the lowest molten pool in the separation chamber is opened, allowing the molten material in the pool to flow into a metering device. When the weight of the molten material in the metering device reaches a set value, the plug is closed, stopping the flow of molten material from the pool. The molten material in the metering device is then poured into a mold at the casting position in the casting chamber. After casting is complete, the metering device is reset, the mold at the casting position is moved out, and an empty mold is moved into the casting position. This process is repeated until all the molten material in the lowest molten pool in the separation chamber has flowed out, completing one batch of molten material casting.

[0017] The molten pool, the flow guiding device, and the mold system work together to repeatedly perform the casting operation, enabling quantitative and continuous casting.

[0018] In one possible implementation, after the molten metal is poured into a mold at the casting position in the casting chamber, it is cooled to obtain an ingot of a first metallic material. In one possible implementation, the first metallic material is copper.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the discharge chamber is equipped with one or more heat exchangers and cooling fans. The heat exchangers are located above the mold, and the air intake of the cooling fan is connected to the air outlet of the heat exchanger. The exhaust gas from the cooling fan is directly sprayed onto the mold to achieve rapid cooling of the mold. The gas is heated by the mold and then returns to the air intake of the heat exchanger for circulating cooling.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the cooling of the melt after it is poured into the mold can be achieved by a cooling means selected from water cooling or air cooling devices. This cooling can be carried out in the casting chamber or outside the casting chamber.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the ingot height is 500mm-3500mm and the diameter is 80mm-300mm.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the ingot is 500mm-1500mm long, 500mm-1500mm wide, and 500mm-1500mm thick, and has hanging ears, so it can be used directly as an anode plate for electrolytic copper.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the guiding device also includes a casting trough, in which the molten material in the molten pool is first poured into the casting trough after flowing out during the casting process, and then flows into the metering device through the casting trough.

[0024] In one possible implementation, during the casting process, the molten material in the molten pool flows directly into the metering device after it has exited the pool.

[0025] In one possible implementation, an insulation layer is provided on the molten ladle to reduce heat loss from the melt.

[0026] In one possible implementation, an induction heating device is provided on the molten ladle to heat the metal material or melt inside the molten ladle; there is one or more molten ladles.

[0027] In one possible implementation, multiple molten ladle sets are provided. The number of molten ladle sets can be determined based on the residence time of the melt in the molten pool of each isolation box. Multiple molten ladle sets alternately flow the melt into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the flow channel, thereby accelerating the production cycle of the metal material vacuum purification furnace and improving production efficiency.

[0028] In one possible implementation, each isolation box is connected to a vacuum unit via a pipe, and there is more than one vacuum unit; a condenser and a condensed metal collector are installed on the pipe between each isolation box and the vacuum unit; the vapor evaporated from the molten pool is condensed by the condenser, and the liquid flows into the condensed metal collector to obtain the metal material, while the gas is discharged from the vacuum unit through the pipe.

[0029] In a preferred implementation, each isolation chamber is connected to the vacuum unit via a separate pipe; a separate condenser and condensate metal collector are installed on the pipe between each isolation chamber and the vacuum unit.

[0030] When the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials is in operation, the vacuum level in the lower isolation chamber is higher than or equal to the vacuum level in the upper isolation chamber.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the vacuum unit used to evacuate the isolation chamber and the vacuum unit used to evacuate the fusible ladle shell can be the same vacuum unit. In another possible implementation, the vacuum unit used to evacuate the isolation chamber is a separate vacuum unit from the vacuum unit used to evacuate the fusible ladle shell. In both implementations, each isolation chamber is equipped with independent piping connected to the vacuum unit, and the vacuum level in different isolation chambers can be controlled within different ranges through various means, including valve control on the piping and controlling the pumping speed of the vacuum pump.

[0032] In a preferred implementation, the vacuum unit that evacuates each isolation chamber is a separate vacuum unit, so that the vacuum level in different isolation chambers is controlled within different ranges.

[0033] Through the aforementioned methods, the vacuum levels within different isolation chambers are controlled within varying ranges. Thus, when the melt remains in the molten pools of multiple isolation chambers, metallic materials with different saturated vapor pressures within the melt selectively evaporate. These evaporated metal products are then collected by a condenser located between the isolation chamber and the vacuum unit.

[0034] In one possible implementation, there are two isolation boxes, positioned vertically as an upper isolation box and a lower isolation box; each isolation box contains one molten pool. The vacuum levels in both the upper and lower isolation boxes are controllable within the range of 0.1 Pa to 500 Pa; the heating temperature in the heating chamber is controllable within the range of 700 to 1500 °C. The molten metal in the condenser connected to the upper isolation box is further cooled to obtain a second metal material. In one possible implementation, the second metal material includes zinc. The molten metal in the condenser connected to the lower isolation box is further cooled to obtain a third metal material. The third metal material can be the same type as the second metal material, or it can be a different type of metal material. In a preferred implementation, the third metal material includes tin. In another preferred implementation, the third metal material includes zinc.

[0035] In one possible implementation, there are three isolation chambers, positioned vertically as an upper isolation chamber, a middle isolation chamber, and a lower isolation chamber; each isolation chamber contains one molten pool. The vacuum levels in the upper, middle, and lower isolation chambers are all controllable within the range of 0.1 Pa to 1000 Pa; the temperature of the heating chamber is controllable within the range of 700 to 1500 °C. The molten metal in the condenser connected to the upper isolation chamber is further cooled to obtain a second metal material. The molten metal in the condenser connected to the middle isolation chamber is further cooled to obtain a fourth metal material. The molten metal in the condenser connected to the lower isolation chamber is further cooled to obtain a third metal material. The third metal material can be the same type as the second metal material, or it can be a different type of metal material. Similarly, the fourth metal material can be the same type as at least one of the second and third metal materials, or it can be a different type of metal material. For example, the second metal material includes zinc, and the third metal material includes tin. In a preferred embodiment, the second and fourth metal materials both include zinc, and the third metal material includes tin.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials further includes a channel heating chamber; the channel heating chamber is equipped with a channel heater and a channel drive device. After being heated in the channel heating chamber, the channel moves between the molten ladle and the separation chamber to participate in the pouring of the melt in the molten ladle.

[0037] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a method for separating brass, implemented using the aforementioned metal material vacuum purification furnace. The metal material vacuum purification furnace includes a flow guiding device and a casting chamber, the casting chamber and the separation chamber being connected. The flow guiding device is disposed between the casting chamber and the separation chamber. There are two isolation boxes, positioned vertically as an upper isolation box and a lower isolation box. Each isolation box contains one molten pool. The method includes: (1) Melt the brass raw material into a melt; (2) Open the first isolation valve, move the flow channel between the molten ladle and the separation chamber, and let the melt in the molten ladle flow into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the flow channel; (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; the melt stays in the molten pool of the upper isolation box for 60-180 minutes, during which the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; then, open the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation box, and the melt flows into the molten pool in the lower isolation box; then, the melt stays in the molten pool of the lower isolation box for 60-180 minutes, during which the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; wherein, the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box is higher than or equal to the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box; (4) Open the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box. The molten material in the molten pool is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device to obtain metallic copper material; (5) After the mold is poured to the required quantity, close the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box, move the mold on the casting position out of the casting position, and move the empty mold into the casting position; Repeat steps (4) and (5) until the melt in the lower isolation box is completely poured.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the brass raw material contains 50-98% copper, with the remainder being zinc.

[0039] In another possible implementation, in this brass separation method, the metal material vacuum purification furnace includes a flow guiding device and a casting chamber, the casting chamber and the separation chamber being connected, and the flow guiding device being disposed between the casting chamber and the separation chamber; the number of isolation boxes is three, namely, an upper isolation box, a middle isolation box, and a lower isolation box in vertical position; each isolation box contains one molten pool; the method includes: (1) Melt the brass raw material into a melt; the copper content in the brass raw material is more than 50%; (2) Open the first isolation valve, move the flow channel between the molten ladle and the separation chamber, and let the melt in the molten ladle flow into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the flow channel; (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; the melt stays in the molten pool of the upper isolation box for 60-180 minutes, during which the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; then, open the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation box, and the melt flows into the molten pool of the middle isolation box; then, the melt stays in the molten pool of the middle isolation box for 60-180 minutes, during which the vacuum degree in the middle isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; then, open the plug of the molten pool in the middle isolation box, and the melt flows into the molten pool of the lower isolation box; then, the melt stays in the molten pool of the lower isolation box for 60-180 minutes, and the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; wherein, the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box is higher than or equal to the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box; (4) Open the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box. The molten material in the molten pool is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device to obtain metallic copper material; (5) After the mold is poured to the required quantity, close the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box, move the mold on the casting position out of the casting position, and move the empty mold into the casting position; Repeat steps (4) and (5) until the melt in the lower isolation box is completely poured.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the brass raw material contains more than 50% copper, with the remainder being zinc and tin.

[0041] In one possible implementation, in step (2) above, after the molten ladle containing the melt is sent into the melting chamber, the melting chamber is evacuated to 400Pa-1000Pa and kept at that temperature for 5-30 minutes, and then the first isolation valve is opened.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the metal material vacuum purification furnace further includes a preparation chamber, a second isolation valve, a third isolation valve, and a discharge chamber, which are connected in sequence. Step (5) further includes opening the third isolation valve, moving the mold containing the copper material to the discharge chamber, and then closing the third isolation valve, allowing the mold to continue cooling in the discharge chamber. The discharge chamber door is then opened, the mold is moved out of the discharge chamber, the copper material is removed from the mold, and the mold is moved back to the preparation chamber for reuse.

[0043] In one possible implementation, after the melt is poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber, it is cooled to obtain an ingot of metallic copper material.

[0044] In one possible implementation, cooling of the molten metal after it is poured into the mold can be achieved by a cooling method selected from water cooling or air cooling, which can take place in the casting chamber or outside the casting chamber. In a preferred implementation, the cooling takes place in the ingot casting chamber. In another preferred implementation, the cooling takes place in the discharge chamber.

[0045] In one possible implementation, in the metal material vacuum purification furnace, each isolation box is connected to the vacuum unit via a pipe; a condenser and a condensed metal collector are provided on the pipe between each isolation box and the vacuum unit; after step (3), the metal material collected in the condensed metal collector includes at least zinc metal.

[0046] Through the aforementioned methods, the vacuum level in different isolation chambers is controlled within different ranges. Thus, when the melt remains in the molten pools of multiple isolation chambers, metal materials with different saturated vapor pressures in the melt will selectively evaporate, and the resulting condensed metal products are collected by a condenser located between the isolation chamber and the vacuum unit.

[0047] In step (3), the molten metal in the condenser metal collector connected to the upper isolation box is cooled to obtain a second metal material. In one possible implementation, the second metal material includes zinc. The molten metal in the condenser metal collector connected to the lower isolation box is cooled to obtain a third metal material. The third metal material can be the same type as the second metal material, or it can be a different type of metal material. In a preferred implementation, the third metal material includes tin. In another preferred implementation, the third metal material includes zinc.

[0048] In one possible implementation, a middle isolation box is also provided within the upper and lower isolation boxes; the molten metal in a condensing metal collector connected to the middle isolation box is cooled to obtain a fourth metal material. Similarly, the fourth metal material can be the same as at least one of the second and third metal materials, or it can be a different metal material than the second and third metal materials. For example, the second metal material includes zinc, and the third metal material includes tin. In a more preferred implementation, both the second and fourth metal materials include zinc, and the third metal material includes tin.

[0049] In steps (2) and (3), the melt is deoxidized in the melt bath and each molten pool under vacuum, so that the oxygen content in the melt and the metal materials collected in each condenser metal collector in step (4) is greatly reduced, thereby further improving the purity of the metal materials obtained.

[0050] In one possible implementation, there are multiple melt packages; step (2) includes: multiple melt packages alternately flow the melt through the flow channel into the melt pool of the upper isolation box to speed up the production cycle and improve production efficiency.

[0051] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a metallic copper material, which is prepared using the above-mentioned brass separation method, and the purity of the metallic copper material is in the range of 98-99.99%.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment, the purity of the copper material is above 99.9%, and the oxygen content is below 100 ppm.

[0053] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a zinc metal material, which is prepared using the above-mentioned brass separation method, and the purity of the zinc metal material is in the range of 98-99.99%.

[0054] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. The production processes of metal separation, collection, casting, and finished product output in this invention are all carried out in an environment isolated from the atmosphere, such as under vacuum or atmosphere protection. This effectively solves the problems of large oxidation losses and incomplete separation in the casting and metal collection stages of the prior art. As a result, the melt not only does not introduce new oxygen components in the melting chamber and separation chamber, but also undergoes vacuum deoxidation to remove the oxygen components that have been introduced into the outside of the equipment in this application within the equipment. Combined, this increases the purity of the separated copper material to over 99% and the purity of the zinc material to over 98%, meeting the demand for high-purity non-ferrous metals in high-end fields such as aerospace and electronic information.

[0055] 2. Existing brass separation equipment and methods involve charging, zinc tapping, and copper tapping all taking place under atmospheric conditions, resulting in the emission of large amounts of waste gas into the workshop. Although collection hoods are installed, not all waste gas can be discharged, leading to significant environmental pressure. Workers are exposed to waste gas and high temperatures, impacting their health and hindering recruitment. This invention, however, operates entirely under negative pressure. Waste gas and harmful substances are discharged outdoors for centralized treatment via vacuum pipelines, ensuring a clean workshop. Charging and tapping are also automatically completed inside the furnace under vacuum and a protective atmosphere, resulting in a clean and environmentally friendly workshop, fundamentally improving the previously dirty and unsanitary environment of the metallurgical industry.

[0056] 3. The separation chamber, casting system and other functional modules in this invention are connected or docked with isolation valves, which enhances the process flexibility and production continuity of the equipment. It can perform true vacuum separation of various alloy wastes such as brass, copper-tin, and copper-lead, and meet the recycling scenarios with different purity requirements (such as high-purity copper for precision manufacturing and high-purity zinc for chemical industry).

[0057] 4. Existing brass separation technology takes 6-10 hours per furnace and can only achieve a purity of about 95-98%. The separation chamber set up in this invention can achieve a purity of about 99.5% and shorten the time per furnace to less than 2 hours per furnace (two isolation chambers, the evaporation area of ​​the molten pool is much larger than that of the crucible), or less than 40 minutes per furnace (multiple inclined sections are set in the isolation chamber to realize continuous evaporation separation), which significantly improves production efficiency, reduces investment, and improves separation accuracy.

[0058] 5. The flow guiding device and casting system of this invention enable quantitative mold-separation casting under vacuum conditions and rapid cooling of the protective atmosphere gas. The specially designed casting system, through the parallel moving device in the casting chamber, allows the cast mold to move from the feed chamber line to the discharge chamber line end for docking, achieving mold entry and exit at the same end, facilitating material handling and reducing on-site personnel. Multiple heat exchangers and cooling fans are installed above the cooling mold in the discharge chamber to cool the protective gas of the mold containing the casting material. After being cooled by the heat exchangers, the gas is blown onto the mold containing the casting material through nozzles on the fans, achieving rapid cooling of the mold and enabling continuous production. The technology of this invention can be directly applied to the production of electrolytic copper anode plates from brass scrap, representing a breakthrough in existing technology with strong industrialization prospects and promotional value.

[0059] 6. The separation chamber of this invention can be equipped with multiple isolation boxes, each with a separate vacuum unit, cooler, and condensed metal collector. By controlling the vacuum level in each isolation box to be different, different metals are condensed and collected. Different metals are separated according to the difference in the protective vapor pressure of the condensed metals at a certain temperature. The temperature in the isolation box is controllable within the range of 500-1600℃, and the vacuum level is controllable within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa. The vacuum level in the isolation box gradually increases from top to bottom, which can achieve the separation of multiple metals.

[0060] 7. In this invention, the core working areas of equipment such as the separation chamber and the casting chamber are always in a vacuum and not exposed to the atmospheric environment. This reduces the background oxygen environment of key processes such as vacuum separation, collection, and casting to almost zero, thereby further improving the purity of the obtained copper and zinc materials and significantly reducing the oxygen content to a level that cannot be achieved by existing technologies.

[0061] The above general description and the description below are exemplary and illustrative only and are not intended to limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0062] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations and drawings do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are shown as similar elements, and the drawings do not constitute a limitation of scale. Wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic front view of one embodiment of the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials of the present invention.

[0063] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram from another viewpoint of one embodiment of the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials of the present invention.

[0064] Figure 3This is a partial top view of one embodiment of the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials of the present invention.

[0065] Figure 4 This is a partial top view of another embodiment of the metal material vacuum purification furnace of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0066] The specific embodiments of the present invention are further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. In the following description, for ease of explanation, several details are used to provide a full understanding of the invention. However, the invention can still be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatuses may be shown in a simplified manner to simplify the drawings.

[0067] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this invention are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of the invention described herein.

[0068] In this invention, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "middle," "outer," "front," and "rear," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this invention and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to require it to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Furthermore, some of the aforementioned terms may have other meanings besides indicating orientation or positional relationship; for example, the term "upper" may in some cases indicate a dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0069] Furthermore, the terms "set up," "connect," and "fix" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0070] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown in the figure, this application provides a vacuum purification furnace for metal materials. The vacuum purification furnace includes a melting chamber 1, a first isolation valve 2, a flow channel 3, a separation chamber 4, and a molten ladle 6. The melting chamber 1 includes a melting chamber shell 5. The molten ladle 6 is disposed within the melting chamber shell 5 and can be moved in or out of the melting chamber shell 5. A pipe is provided on the melting chamber shell 5 for evacuating the melting chamber 1, and the molten ladle 6 can pour the molten material 7 from the molten ladle into the flow channel 3. The separation chamber 4 includes a separation chamber shell 8, a heating chamber 9, a heater 10, an isolation box, and a molten pool 11. The heating chamber 9 is disposed within the separation chamber shell 8, and the heater 10, the isolation box, and the molten pool 11 are disposed within the heating chamber 9. There are two isolation boxes, arranged vertically.

[0071] Each isolation box contains one or more molten pools 11, and each molten pool 11 is provided with a plug 12. When the plug 12 is opened, the molten material in the molten pool 11 can flow into the molten pool of the next layer. The heater 10 is used to heat the isolation box and the molten pool.

[0072] The melting chamber 1 is connected to the separation chamber 4 through the first isolation valve 2; when the first isolation valve 2 is opened, the flow channel 3 can move between the melting chamber 1 and the separation chamber 4, and the melt 7 in the melt ladle 1 is poured into the flow channel 3, and flows through the flow channel 3 into the uppermost melt pool 11 in the separation chamber 4.

[0073] In one possible implementation, a pipe on the fusible coil housing for evacuating the fusible coil chamber is connected to a vacuum unit used to evacuate the fusible coil housing.

[0074] In a preferred embodiment, the melt ladle is able to pour the melt inside into the flow channel in an environment isolated from the atmosphere.

[0075] In one possible implementation, the molten ladle is used to pour the molten material into the ladle under a vacuum environment. In another possible implementation, the molten material is poured into the ladle under a protective atmosphere.

[0076] In a preferred embodiment, the separation chamber shell 8 has a double-layer water-cooled wall structure.

[0077] In one possible implementation, the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials further includes a flow guiding device and a casting system. The casting system includes a preparation chamber 13, a second isolation valve 14, a casting chamber 15, a third isolation valve 16, and a discharge chamber 17 connected in sequence. Each of the preparation chamber 13, casting chamber 15, and discharge chamber 17 is equipped with a transmission device 18. Opening the second isolation valve 14 allows the casting mold 19 to be transferred from the preparation chamber 13 to the casting chamber 15. Opening the third isolation valve 16 allows the casting mold 19 to be transferred from the casting chamber 15 to the discharge chamber 17. The casting chamber 15 is connected to a separation chamber 4, and the flow guiding device is located between the casting chamber 15 and the separation chamber 4. Opening the plug of the lowest molten pool in the separation chamber allows the molten material in the pool to flow through the flow guiding device into the casting mold in the casting chamber.

[0078] In one possible implementation, the discharge chamber is equipped with one or more heat exchangers and cooling fans. The heat exchangers are located above the mold, and the air intake of the cooling fan is connected to the air outlet of the heat exchanger. The gas discharged from the exhaust port of the cooling fan is directly sprayed onto the mold to achieve rapid cooling of the mold. After being heated by the mold, the gas returns to the air intake of the heat exchanger for cyclic cooling.

[0079] In a preferred embodiment, the casting chamber 15 and the discharge chamber 17 have a double-layer water-cooled wall structure.

[0080] In one possible implementation, the casting system is connected to a vacuum unit, and the casting chamber always operates in an environment isolated from the atmosphere. In a more preferred implementation, the casting chamber operates in a vacuum environment. In another more preferred implementation, the casting chamber operates under a protective atmosphere.

[0081] In one possible implementation, the diversion device includes a metering device 20.

[0082] In one possible implementation, the plug of the lowest molten pool in the separation chamber is opened, allowing the molten material in the pool to flow into the metering device. When the weight of the molten material in the metering device reaches a set value, the plug is closed, stopping the flow of molten material from the pool. The molten material in the metering device is then poured into a mold at the casting position in the casting chamber. After casting is complete, the metering device is reset, the mold at the casting position is moved out, and an empty mold is moved into the casting position. This process is repeated until all the molten material in the lowest molten pool in the separation chamber has flowed out, completing one batch of molten material casting.

[0083] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the flow guiding device also includes a casting trough 21. During the casting process, after the molten material in the molten pool flows out, it is first poured into the casting trough 21 and then flows into the metering device 20 through the casting trough 21.

[0084] In one possible implementation, during the casting process, the molten material in the molten pool flows directly into the metering device after it flows out.

[0085] The molten pool, the flow guiding device, and the mold system work together to repeatedly perform the casting operation, enabling quantitative and continuous casting.

[0086] In one possible implementation, after the molten metal is poured into a mold at the casting position in the casting chamber, it is cooled to obtain an ingot of a first metallic material. In one possible implementation, the first metallic material is copper.

[0087] In one possible implementation, the cooling of the melt after it is poured into the mold can be achieved by a cooling means selected from water cooling or air cooling devices. This cooling can be carried out in the casting chamber or outside the casting chamber.

[0088] In one possible implementation, the ingot height is 500mm-3500mm and the diameter is 80mm-300mm.

[0089] In one possible implementation, the ingot is 500mm-1500mm long, 500mm-1500mm wide, and 500mm-1500mm thick, and has hanging ears, so it can be used directly as an anode plate for electrolytic copper.

[0090] In one possible implementation, the melting chamber 1 further includes a rotating device 22 and a furnace door 23; the furnace door 23 is disposed on the melting chamber shell 5, and opening the furnace door 23 allows the molten ladle 6 to move in or out of the melting chamber shell 5; the rotating device 22 is disposed inside the melting chamber shell 5 and can drive the molten ladle 6 to tilt; the furnace door 23 is disposed on the side or top of the melting chamber shell 5. Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the furnace door 23 is located on the side of the ladle shell 5.

[0091] In one possible implementation, an insulation layer is provided on the molten ladle to reduce heat loss from the melt.

[0092] In one possible implementation, the molten ladle 6 can be placed on the rotating device 22 after being moved into the ladle shell 5.

[0093] In one possible implementation, an induction heating device 24 is provided on the molten ladle 6 to heat the metal material or melt 7 inside the molten ladle 6. There is one or more molten ladles.

[0094] In one possible implementation, the melting chamber can be equipped with multiple molten ladles. The number of molten ladles can be determined based on the residence time of the melt in the molten pool of each isolation box. Multiple molten ladles alternately flow the melt into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the flow channel, thereby accelerating the production cycle of the metal material vacuum purification furnace and improving production efficiency.

[0095] In one possible implementation, each isolation chamber is connected to a vacuum unit 26 via a pipe 25, and there are more than one vacuum unit 26. A condenser 27 and a condensed metal collector 28 are installed on the pipe 25 between each isolation chamber and the vacuum unit 26; the vapor evaporated from the molten pool 11 is condensed by the condenser 27, and the liquid flows into the condensed metal collector 28 to obtain metal material, while the gas is discharged from the vacuum unit 26 through the pipe 25.

[0096] In a preferred embodiment, each isolation chamber is connected to a vacuum unit via a separate pipe; a separate condenser and condensate metal collector are provided on the pipe between each isolation chamber and the vacuum unit.

[0097] When the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials is in operation, the vacuum level in the lower isolation chamber is higher than or equal to the vacuum level in the upper isolation chamber.

[0098] In one possible implementation, the vacuum unit used to evacuate the isolation chamber and the vacuum unit used to evacuate the fusible ladle shell can be the same vacuum unit. In another possible implementation, the vacuum unit used to evacuate the isolation chamber is a separate vacuum unit from the vacuum unit used to evacuate the fusible ladle shell. In both implementations, each isolation chamber is equipped with an independent pipeline connected to the vacuum unit, and the vacuum level in different isolation chambers can be controlled within different ranges through various means, including valve control on the pipeline and controlling the pumping speed of the vacuum pump.

[0099] In a preferred embodiment, the vacuum unit that evacuates each isolation chamber is a separate vacuum unit, so that the vacuum level in different isolation chambers is controlled within different ranges.

[0100] Through the above-described various implementation methods, the vacuum level in different isolation chambers is controlled within different ranges. Thus, when the melt remains in the molten pools of multiple different isolation chambers, metal materials with different saturated vapor pressures in the melt will selectively evaporate, and the condensed metal material products are collected by a condenser installed between the isolation chamber and the vacuum unit.

[0101] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, there are two isolation chambers, designated as upper isolation chamber 29 and lower isolation chamber 30, positioned vertically; each isolation chamber contains one molten pool. The vacuum levels in both the upper and lower isolation chambers are controllable within the range of 0.1 Pa to 500 Pa; the heating temperature in the heating chamber is controllable within the range of 700 to 1500 °C. The molten metal in the condenser metal collector connected to the upper isolation chamber is further cooled to obtain a second metal material. In one possible embodiment, the second metal material includes zinc. The molten metal in the condenser metal collector connected to the lower isolation chamber is further cooled to obtain a third metal material. The third metal material can be the same type as the second metal material, or it can be a different type of metal material. In a preferred embodiment, the third metal material includes tin. In another preferred embodiment, the third metal material includes zinc.

[0102] In another possible implementation, there are three isolation chambers, positioned vertically as an upper isolation chamber, a middle isolation chamber, and a lower isolation chamber; each isolation chamber contains one molten pool. The vacuum levels in the upper, middle, and lower isolation chambers are all controllable within the range of 0.1 Pa to 1000 Pa; the temperature of the heating chamber is controllable within the range of 700 to 1500 °C. The molten metal in the condenser connected to the upper isolation chamber is further cooled to obtain a second metal material. The molten metal in the condenser connected to the middle isolation chamber is further cooled to obtain a fourth metal material. The molten metal in the condenser connected to the lower isolation chamber is further cooled to obtain a third metal material. The third metal material can be the same type as the second metal material, or it can be a different type of metal material. Similarly, the fourth metal material can be the same type as at least one of the second and third metal materials, or it can be a different type of metal material. For example, the second metal material includes zinc, and the third metal material includes tin. In a preferred embodiment, the second and fourth metal materials both include zinc, and the third metal material includes tin.

[0103] In one possible implementation, the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials further includes a trough heating chamber; the trough heating chamber is equipped with a trough heater and a trough transmission device. After being heated in the trough heating chamber, the trough moves between the ladle chamber and the separation chamber to participate in the pouring of the melt in the molten ladle.

[0104] In such Figure 4In another embodiment of the present invention, the casting system of the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials includes a preparation chamber 13, a second isolation valve 14, a casting chamber 15, a third isolation valve 16, and a discharge chamber 17 connected in sequence. The preparation chamber 13, the second isolation valve 14, the casting chamber 15, the third isolation valve 16, and the discharge chamber 17 are arranged in a U-shape. Each of the preparation chamber 13, the casting chamber 15, and the discharge chamber 17 is equipped with a transmission device 18; opening the second isolation valve 14 allows the casting mold 19 to be transferred from the preparation chamber 13 to the casting chamber 15; opening the third isolation valve 16 allows the casting mold 19 to be transferred from the casting chamber 15 to the discharge chamber 17. The casting chamber 15 is connected to the separation chamber 4, and a flow guiding device is disposed between the casting chamber 15 and the separation chamber 4. Opening the plug of the lowest molten pool in the separation chamber allows the molten material in the molten pool to flow through the flow guiding device into the casting mold in the casting chamber. During the casting process, the molten material flows out of the molten pool and is first poured into the casting runner 21, and then into the mold 19. The arrows in the figure indicate the direction of flow in the mold.

[0105] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a method for separating brass, implemented using the aforementioned metal material vacuum purification furnace. The metal material vacuum purification furnace includes a flow guiding device and a casting chamber, the casting chamber and the separation chamber being connected. The flow guiding device is disposed between the casting chamber and the separation chamber. There are two isolation boxes, positioned vertically as an upper isolation box and a lower isolation box. Each isolation box contains one molten pool. The method includes: (1) Melt the brass raw material into a melt; the copper content in the brass raw material is 50-98%; (2) Send the molten ladle containing the melt into the ladle chamber, then open the first isolation valve, move the flow channel between the ladle chamber and the separation chamber, and let the melt in the molten ladle flow into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the flow channel; (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; the melt stays in the molten pool of the upper isolation box for 60-180 minutes, during which the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; then, open the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation box, and the melt flows into the molten pool in the lower isolation box; then, the melt stays in the molten pool of the lower isolation box for 60-180 minutes, during which the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; wherein, the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box is higher than or equal to the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box; (4) Open the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box. The molten material in the molten pool is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device to obtain metallic copper material; (5) After the mold is poured to the required quantity, close the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box, move the mold on the casting position out of the casting position, and move the empty mold into the casting position; Repeat steps (4) and (5) until the melt in the lower isolation box is completely poured.

[0106] In one possible implementation, the brass raw material contains 50-98% copper, with the remainder being zinc.

[0107] In one possible implementation, in step (2) above, after the molten ladle containing the melt is sent into the melting chamber, the melting chamber is evacuated to 400Pa-1000Pa and kept at that temperature for 5-30 minutes, and then the first isolation valve is opened.

[0108] In another possible implementation, in this brass separation method, the metal material vacuum purification furnace includes a flow guiding device and a casting chamber, the casting chamber and the separation chamber being connected, and the flow guiding device being disposed between the casting chamber and the separation chamber; the number of isolation boxes is three, namely, an upper isolation box, a middle isolation box, and a lower isolation box in vertical position; each isolation box contains one molten pool; the method includes: (1) Melt the brass raw material into a melt; the copper content in the brass raw material is more than 50%; (2) Send the molten ladle containing the melt into the ladle chamber, then open the first isolation valve, move the flow channel between the ladle chamber and the separation chamber, and let the melt in the molten ladle flow into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the flow channel; (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; the melt stays in the molten pool of the upper isolation box for 60-180 minutes, during which the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; then, open the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation box, and the melt flows into the molten pool of the middle isolation box; then, the melt stays in the molten pool of the middle isolation box for 60-180 minutes, during which the vacuum degree in the middle isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; then, open the plug of the molten pool in the middle isolation box, and the melt flows into the molten pool of the lower isolation box; then, the melt stays in the molten pool of the lower isolation box for 60-180 minutes, and the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; wherein, the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box is higher than or equal to the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box; (4) Open the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box. The molten material in the molten pool is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device to obtain metallic copper material; (5) After the mold is poured to the required quantity, close the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box, move the mold on the casting position out of the casting position, and move the empty mold into the casting position; Repeat steps (4) and (5) until the melt in the lower isolation box is completely poured.

[0109] In one possible implementation, the brass raw material contains more than 50% copper, with the remainder being zinc and tin.

[0110] In one possible implementation, in step (2) above, after the molten ladle containing the melt is sent into the melting chamber, the melting chamber is evacuated to 400Pa-1000Pa and kept at that temperature for 5-30 minutes, and then the first isolation valve is opened.

[0111] In one possible implementation, the metal material vacuum purification furnace further includes a preparation chamber, a second isolation valve, a third isolation valve, and a discharge chamber, which are connected in sequence. Step (5) further includes opening the third isolation valve, moving the mold containing the copper material to the discharge chamber, and then closing the third isolation valve, allowing the mold to continue cooling in the discharge chamber. The discharge chamber door is then opened, the mold is moved out of the discharge chamber, the copper material is removed from the mold, and the mold is moved back to the preparation chamber for reuse.

[0112] In one possible implementation, after the melt is poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber, it is cooled to obtain an ingot of metallic copper material.

[0113] In one possible implementation, cooling of the molten metal after it is poured into the mold can be achieved by a cooling method selected from water cooling or air cooling, which can take place in the casting chamber or outside the casting chamber. In a preferred implementation, the cooling takes place in the ingot casting chamber. In another preferred implementation, the cooling takes place in the discharge chamber.

[0114] In one possible implementation, in the metal material vacuum purification furnace, each isolation box is connected to the vacuum unit via a pipe; a condenser and a condensed metal collector are provided on the pipe between each isolation box and the vacuum unit; after step (3), the metal material collected in the condensed metal collector includes at least zinc metal.

[0115] Through the aforementioned methods, the vacuum level in different isolation chambers is controlled within different ranges. Thus, when the melt remains in the molten pools of multiple isolation chambers, metal materials with different saturated vapor pressures in the melt will selectively evaporate, and the resulting condensed metal products are collected by a condenser located between the isolation chamber and the vacuum unit.

[0116] In step (3), the molten metal in the condenser metal collector connected to the upper isolation box is cooled to obtain a second metal material. In one possible implementation, the second metal material includes zinc. The molten metal in the condenser metal collector connected to the lower isolation box is cooled to obtain a third metal material. The third metal material can be the same type as the second metal material, or it can be a different type of metal material. In a preferred implementation, the third metal material includes tin. In another preferred implementation, the third metal material includes zinc.

[0117] In one possible implementation, a middle isolation box is also provided within the upper and lower isolation boxes; the molten metal in a condensing metal collector connected to the middle isolation box is cooled to obtain a fourth metal material. Similarly, the fourth metal material can be the same as at least one of the second and third metal materials, or it can be a different metal material than the second and third metal materials. For example, the second metal material includes zinc, and the third metal material includes tin. In a more preferred implementation, both the second and fourth metal materials include zinc, and the third metal material includes tin.

[0118] In steps (2) and (3), the melt is deoxidized in the melt bath and each molten pool under vacuum, so that the oxygen content in the melt and the metal materials collected in each condenser metal collector in step (4) is greatly reduced, thereby further improving the purity of the metal materials obtained.

[0119] In one possible implementation, multiple molten ladle chambers are provided; step (2) includes: multiple molten ladle chambers alternately flow the melt into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the flow channel to speed up the production cycle and improve production efficiency.

[0120] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a metallic copper material, which is prepared using the above-mentioned brass separation method, and the purity of the metallic copper material is in the range of 98-99.99%.

[0121] In a preferred embodiment, the purity of the copper material is above 99.9%, and the oxygen content is below 100 ppm.

[0122] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a zinc metal material, which is prepared using the above-mentioned brass separation method, and the purity of the zinc metal material is in the range of 98-99.99%.

[0123] The advantages of the present invention are further illustrated below through specific embodiments. Example 1

[0124] In this embodiment, the metal material vacuum purification furnace of the present invention is used for copper-zinc separation and recovery of brass waste (containing approximately 59% copper and approximately 41% zinc). The separation chamber contains two isolation boxes, positioned vertically as an upper isolation box and a lower isolation box.

[0125] The specific work process is as follows: 1. Open the first isolation valve, move the flow channel to one end and enter the separation chamber, and guide 3000 kg of molten brass scrap from the molten ladle into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the flow channel; after casting is completed, move the flow channel away from the flow channel separation chamber and close the first isolation valve.

[0126] 2. Preheat the heating chamber to approximately 1100℃; allow the melt to remain in the molten pool of the upper isolation chamber for 100 minutes, during which time maintain the vacuum level in the upper isolation chamber within the range of 100Pa-150Pa; then, open the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation chamber, allowing the melt to flow into the molten pool in the lower isolation chamber; maintain the vacuum level in the lower isolation chamber within the range of 80Pa-150Pa; after the melt has remained in the molten pool of the lower isolation chamber for 80 minutes, begin casting, with a quantitative control of 200Kg / mold, for a total of 9 molds.

[0127] 3. Beforehand, load nine molds into the preparation chamber. Vacuum the preparation chamber and the discharge chamber until the set vacuum level is reached, then open the second and third isolation valves. After casting begins, move one mold forward after each casting, completing all casting in approximately 15 minutes. After a 60-minute pause, move all nine molds to the discharge chamber and close the second and third isolation valves. Then, move all nine molds out of the discharge chamber. Remove the copper plates and weigh them; the total weight is approximately 1754 kg.

[0128] 4. Open the condensed metal collectors in the upper and lower isolation boxes, take out the zinc ingots and weigh them, totaling 1209 kg.

[0129] Analysis revealed that the copper plate had a purity of 99.95% and a copper yield of approximately 99.1%; the zinc plate had a purity of 99.2% and a zinc yield of approximately 98.3%. The obtained copper and zinc materials meet the demand of high-end manufacturing industries for high-purity copper and zinc raw materials. Example 2

[0130] In this embodiment, the metal material vacuum purification furnace of the present invention is used to separate and recover copper, zinc, and tin from copper-zinc-tin alloy waste (containing approximately 70% copper, approximately 29% zinc, and approximately 1% tin). The separation chamber contains three isolation boxes, positioned vertically as an upper isolation box, a middle isolation box, and a lower isolation box.

[0131] The specific work process is as follows: 1. Open the first isolation valve, move the flow channel to one end and enter the separation chamber, and introduce 3000Kg of molten copper-zinc-tin alloy waste liquid from the molten ladle into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the flow channel; after casting is completed, move the flow channel away from the flow channel separation chamber and close the first isolation valve.

[0132] 2. Preheat the heating chamber to approximately 1100℃. The melt remains in the molten pool of the upper isolation chamber for 100 minutes, during which time the vacuum level in the upper isolation chamber is controlled within the range of 100Pa-150Pa. Then, open the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation chamber, and the melt flows into the molten pool in the middle isolation chamber, controlling the vacuum level in the middle isolation chamber within the range of 80Pa-150Pa. The melt remains in the molten pool in the middle isolation chamber for 80 minutes. Then, open the plug of the molten pool in the middle isolation chamber, and the melt flows into the molten pool in the lower isolation chamber. Control the vacuum level in the lower isolation chamber within the range of 1Pa-20Pa. After the melt remains in the molten pool in the lower isolation chamber for 60 minutes, casting begins, with a quantitative control of 200Kg / mold, for a total of 9 molds.

[0133] 3. Beforehand, load nine molds into the preparation chamber. Vacuum the preparation chamber and the discharge chamber until the set vacuum level is reached, then open the second and third isolation valves. After casting begins, move one mold forward after each casting, completing all casting in approximately 15 minutes. After a 60-minute pause, move all nine molds to the discharge chamber and close the second and third isolation valves. Then, move all nine molds out of the discharge chamber. Remove the copper plates and weigh them; the total weight is 2077 kg.

[0134] 4. Open the condensed metal collectors of the upper and middle isolation boxes, take out the zinc ingots and weigh them, totaling 858 kg; open the condensed metal collector of the lower isolation box, take out the tin ingots and weigh them, totaling 29.7 kg.

[0135] Analysis revealed that the copper plate had a purity of 99.93% and a copper yield of approximately 98.9%; the zinc plate had a purity of 99% and a zinc yield of approximately 98.6%; and the tin plate had a purity of 99.2% and a tin yield of approximately 98.9%. The obtained copper, zinc, and tin materials meet the demand for high-purity raw materials in high-end manufacturing industries.

Claims

1. A vacuum purification furnace for metallic materials, characterized in that, It includes a molten ladle, a first isolation valve, a flow channel, and a separation chamber; the first isolation valve is connected to the separation chamber; the separation chamber includes a separation chamber shell, a heating chamber, a heater, an isolation box, and a molten pool; the heating chamber is located inside the separation chamber shell, and the heater, isolation box, and molten pool are located inside the heating chamber; there is one or more isolation boxes; when there are two or more isolation boxes, they are arranged vertically; each isolation box contains one or more molten pools, and the molten pools are provided with plugs; the heater is used to heat the isolation boxes and molten pools; when the first isolation valve is opened, one end of the flow channel can move into the separation chamber; the molten ladle can pour the molten material in the molten ladle into the flow channel, and through the flow channel to the uppermost molten pool in the separation chamber; when the plug is opened, the molten material in the molten pool can flow to the next layer of molten pool.

2. The vacuum purification furnace for metallic materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vacuum purification furnace for metal materials also includes a flow guiding device and a casting system. The casting system includes a preparation chamber, a second isolation valve, a casting chamber, a third isolation valve, and a discharge chamber connected in sequence. Each of the preparation chamber, the casting chamber, and the discharge chamber is equipped with a transmission device. Opening the second isolation valve can transfer the casting mold from the preparation chamber to the casting chamber. Opening the third isolation valve allows the mold to be transferred from the casting chamber to the discharge chamber; The casting chamber and the separation chamber are connected, and a flow guiding device is set between the casting chamber and the separation chamber. When the plug of the lowest layer of the molten pool in the separation chamber is opened, the molten material in the molten pool can flow into the mold in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device.

3. The vacuum purification furnace for metallic materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal material vacuum purification furnace also includes a melting chamber; the melting chamber includes a melting chamber shell, a rotating device, and a furnace door; the melting chamber shell is provided with a pipe for evacuating the melting chamber; the furnace door is located on the melting chamber shell, and when the furnace door is opened, the molten ladle can be moved in or out of the melting chamber shell; the rotating device is located inside the melting chamber shell and can drive the molten ladle to tilt, pouring the molten material in the molten ladle into the flow channel; The furnace door is located on the side or top of the ladle shell.

4. The vacuum purification furnace for metallic materials according to claim 2, characterized in that, The discharge chamber is equipped with one or more heat exchangers and cooling fans. The heat exchangers are located above the mold, and the air intake of the cooling fan is connected to the air outlet of the heat exchanger. The exhaust gas from the cooling fan is directly sprayed onto the mold to achieve rapid cooling of the mold. After being heated by the mold, the gas returns to the air intake of the heat exchanger for circulating cooling.

5. The vacuum purification furnace for metallic materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each isolation box is connected to a vacuum unit via a pipeline, and there is more than one vacuum unit. A condenser and a condensate metal collector are installed on the pipeline between each isolation box and the vacuum unit. The vapor evaporated from the molten pool is condensed by the condenser, and the liquid flows into the condensate metal collector, while the gas is discharged by the vacuum unit.

6. The vacuum purification furnace for metallic materials according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flow guiding device includes a metering device; the plug of the lowest layer of the molten pool in the separation chamber is opened to allow the melt in the molten pool to flow into the metering device; when the weight of the melt in the metering device reaches the set value, the plug is closed to stop the melt from flowing out of the molten pool, and the melt in the metering device is poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber; after casting is completed, the metering device is reset, the mold at the casting position is moved out of the casting position, and the empty mold is moved into the casting position.

7. The vacuum purification furnace for metallic materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are two isolation boxes, which are positioned vertically as the upper isolation box and the lower isolation box; each isolation box contains one molten pool.

8. The vacuum purification furnace for metallic materials according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are three isolation boxes, which are designated as upper isolation box, middle isolation box and lower isolation box according to their top and bottom positions; each isolation box contains one molten pool.

9. A method for separating brass, implemented using a metal material vacuum purification furnace as described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The vacuum purification furnace for metallic materials includes a flow guiding device and a casting chamber, which are connected to a separation chamber. The flow guiding device is located between the casting chamber and the separation chamber. There are two isolation boxes, designated as an upper isolation box and a lower isolation box, positioned vertically. Each isolation box contains one molten pool. The method includes: (1) Melt the brass raw material into a melt; (2) Open the first isolation valve, move the flow channel between the molten ladle and the separation chamber, and let the melt in the molten ladle flow into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the flow channel; (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; the melt stays in the molten pool of the upper isolation box for 60-180 minutes, during which the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; then, open the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation box, and the melt flows into the molten pool in the lower isolation box; then, the melt stays in the molten pool of the lower isolation box for 60-180 minutes, during which the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; (4) Open the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box. The molten material in the molten pool is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device to obtain metallic copper material; (5) After the mold is poured to the required quantity, close the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box, move the mold on the casting position out of the casting position, and move the empty mold into the casting position; Repeat steps (4) and (5) until the melt in the lower isolation box is completely poured.

10. A method for separating brass, implemented using a metal material vacuum purification furnace as described in any one of claims 1-6 and 8, characterized in that, The vacuum purification furnace for metallic materials includes a flow guiding device and a casting chamber, which are connected to a separation chamber. The flow guiding device is located between the casting chamber and the separation chamber. There are three isolation boxes, designated as upper, middle, and lower isolation boxes according to their vertical position. Each isolation box contains one molten pool. The method includes: (1) Melt the brass raw material into a melt; (2) Open the first isolation valve, move the flow channel between the molten ladle and the separation chamber, and let the melt in the molten ladle flow into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the flow channel; (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; the melt stays in the molten pool of the upper isolation box for 60-180 minutes, during which the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; then, open the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation box, and the melt flows into the molten pool of the middle isolation box; then, the melt stays in the molten pool of the middle isolation box for 60-180 minutes, during which the vacuum degree in the middle isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; then, open the plug of the molten pool in the middle isolation box, and the melt flows into the molten pool of the lower isolation box; then, the melt stays in the molten pool of the lower isolation box for 60-180 minutes, and the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box is controlled within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; wherein, the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box is higher than or equal to the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box; (4) Open the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box. The molten material in the molten pool is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device to obtain metallic copper material; (5) After the mold is poured to the required quantity, close the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box, move the mold on the casting position out of the casting position, and move the empty mold into the casting position; Repeat steps (4) and (5) until the melt in the lower isolation box is completely poured.

11. The method for separating brass according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, The metal material vacuum purification furnace also includes a preparation chamber, a second isolation valve, a third isolation valve and a discharge chamber, which are connected in sequence; step (5) also includes opening the third isolation valve, moving the mold containing the copper material to the discharge chamber, and then closing the third isolation valve, and the mold continues to cool in the discharge chamber; Open the discharge chamber door, move the mold out of the discharge chamber, remove the copper material from the mold, and then move the mold to the preparation chamber for reuse.

12. The method for separating brass according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, In the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials, each isolation box is connected to the vacuum unit through a pipe; a condenser and a condensed metal collector are installed on the pipe between each isolation box and the vacuum unit; after step (3), the metal materials collected in the condensed metal collector include at least zinc metal.

13. The method for separating brass according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, There are multiple molten ladle packages; step (2) includes: multiple molten ladle packages alternately flow the melt into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the flow channel.

14. A metallic copper material, characterized in that, The brass material is prepared using the method for separating brass as described in any one of claims 9-13, and the purity of the copper material is in the range of 98-99.99%.

15. A zinc metallic material, characterized in that, The zinc metal is prepared using the brass separation method as described in any one of claims 9-13, and the purity of the zinc metal is in the range of 98-99.99%.

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