Alloy vacuum separation furnace, alloy separation method, and copper-zinc material

Abstract

The application discloses an alloy vacuum separation furnace, which comprises a runner, a separation chamber and a mold system; the separation chamber comprises an isolation box, and an upper molten pool, an inclined part and a lower molten pool are arranged in the isolation box from top to bottom. The number of the inclined part is more than one, and the inclined part has an inclined surface. Alloy melt to be separated is poured into the upper molten pool through the runner; the upper molten pool and the lower molten pool are provided with plug parts; the melt in the upper molten pool can flow into the inclined part downstream of the upper molten pool by opening the plug part of the upper molten pool, and then flow into the lower molten pool through the inclined part. The mold system comprises a preparation chamber, a second isolation valve, a pouring chamber, a third isolation valve and a discharge chamber which are sequentially connected, and the pouring chamber is connected with the separation chamber. The melt in the lower molten pool can be quantitatively poured into a mold in the pouring chamber. The alloy vacuum separation furnace is continuously worked through the inclined part, the production efficiency is improved, and the alloy vacuum separation furnace is suitable for large-batch continuous production. The application further discloses an alloy separation method implemented by using the alloy vacuum separation furnace and a copper and zinc material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of non-ferrous metal vacuum metallurgy technology, specifically relating to an alloy vacuum separation furnace suitable for alloy vacuum separation and recycling, as well as an alloy separation method implemented using this equipment and the manufactured 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 separation 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 an alloy vacuum separation furnace and an alloy separation method implemented using the equipment, as well as metallic copper and zinc materials prepared using the method. The alloy vacuum separation furnace and alloy separation method can achieve integrated continuous operation of vacuum separation, purification, collection-vacuum casting, thereby improving the purity of separated metals such as copper and zinc, reducing oxidation loss, and increasing production efficiency.

[0006] The alloy vacuum separation furnace includes a first isolation valve, a flow channel, a separation chamber, a flow guiding device, and a casting system. The first isolation valve is connected to the separation chamber. The separation chamber includes a separation chamber shell, a heating chamber, a heater, and an isolation box. The heating chamber is located inside the separation chamber shell, and the heater and isolation box are located inside the heating chamber. The isolation box has an upper molten pool, an inclined section, and a lower molten pool arranged from top to bottom. There is one or more inclined sections. When the first isolation valve is opened, one end of the flow channel moves into the separation chamber, and the alloy melt to be separated is poured into the upper molten pool through the flow channel. The upper and lower molten pools are provided with plugs. When the plug of the upper molten pool is opened, the melt in the upper molten pool can flow into the inclined section located downstream of the upper molten pool, and then flow into the lower molten pool through the inclined section. The inclined section has an inclined surface that contacts the melt. The heater is used to heat the inside of the isolation box.

[0007] 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 a flow guiding device is installed between the casting chamber and the separation chamber. When the plug of the lower molten pool is opened, the melt in the lower molten pool can be quantitatively poured into the casting mold in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the plug can not only open or stop the flow of melt in the molten pool, but also regulate and control the flow rate and speed of the melt, so that the melt flows continuously and stably on multiple inclined sections.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the alloy vacuum separation furnace further includes a melting chamber and a molten ladle; the melting chamber includes a melting ladle shell, a rotating device, and a furnace door; the furnace door is located on the melting ladle shell, and when the furnace door is opened, the molten ladle can move in or out of the melting ladle shell; the rotating device is located inside the melting ladle shell and can drive the molten ladle to tilt, pouring the melt inside the molten ladle into the flow channel; the furnace door is located on the side or top of the melting ladle shell.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the molten ladle can be placed on a rotating device after being moved into the ladle shell.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the fusible coil shell is provided with a pipe connected to a vacuum unit for evacuating the fusible coil chamber.

[0012] 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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the melt in the ladle is poured into the flow channel in an atmospheric environment.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the discharge chamber is also 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] In one possible implementation, an insulation layer is provided on the molten ladle to reduce heat loss from the melt.

[0018] 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.

[0019] In one possible implementation, multiple molten ladle sets can be 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 alloy vacuum separation furnace and improving production efficiency.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the isolation chamber is connected to a metal condensation device via a pipe, which is connected to a vacuum unit outside the separation chamber. The metal condensation device includes a condenser and a condensed metal collector. The vapor from the molten material evaporating inside the isolation chamber is condensed into liquid by the condenser and flows into the condensed metal collector to obtain metal material. The gas is discharged from the vacuum unit through a pipe.

[0021] In one possible implementation, there are two or more metal condensation devices; each metal condensation device is equipped with a valve on the pipeline connecting it to the isolation chamber and the vacuum unit. By closing the valves on the pipelines connecting the metal condensation device to the isolation chamber and the vacuum unit, and opening the condensed metal collector, the condensed metal material can be removed.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the flow guiding device includes a metering device. The plug of the lower molten pool is opened, allowing the molten material in the lower 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 outflow of molten material from the lower 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 of the casting position, and an empty mold is moved into the casting position. This process is repeated until all the molten material in the lower pool has flowed out, completing one batch of molten material casting.

[0023] The lower molten pool, the flow guiding device, and the casting mold system work together repeatedly to perform the casting operation, enabling quantitative and continuous casting.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the ingot height is 500mm-3500mm and the diameter is 80mm-300mm.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the guiding device also includes a casting trough, in which the molten material in the lower 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.

[0028] In one possible implementation, during the casting process, the molten material in the lower molten pool flows directly into the metering device after exiting the pool.

[0029] In one possible implementation, there are multiple inclined sections; these inclined sections are arranged vertically, one after the other. In a more preferred implementation, the number of inclined sections is 2-60. In a more preferred implementation, the number of inclined sections is 20-40.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the inclined surface of the inclined portion has a slope in the range of 0.5° to 5°. In a more preferred implementation, the inclined surface of the inclined portion has a slope in the range of 1° to 2°. In a more preferred implementation, the inclined surfaces of adjacent inclined portions are arranged opposite to each other.

[0031] In one possible implementation, there is one isolation chamber, and the vacuum level inside the isolation chamber is controllable within the range of 0.1 Pa to 1000 Pa; the temperature of the heating chamber is controllable within the range of 500 to 1500 °C. The molten metal in the condenser metal collector connected to the isolation chamber is further cooled to obtain a second metal material. In a preferred implementation, the second metal material includes zinc.

[0032] On the other hand, the present invention also provides an alloy separation method, which is implemented using the above-mentioned alloy vacuum separation furnace, the method comprising: (1) Open the first isolation valve and move the flow channel so that one end of the flow channel enters the separation chamber; (2) Pour the molten material in the molten ladle into the upper molten pool through the ladle, remove the ladle, and close the first isolation valve; (3) Open and control the plug of the upper molten pool so that the melt in the upper molten pool flows out stably; the melt flowing out of the upper molten pool flows into the inclined part, and then flows into the lower molten pool through the inclined part; during this period, control the vacuum degree in the isolation box within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa and the temperature within the range of 500-1500℃. (4) Open the plug of the lower molten pool, and the melt in the lower molten pool is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device to obtain the metal material; (5) After the mold is filled to the required quantity, close the plug of the lower molten pool, move the mold on the casting position out of the casting position, and move the empty mold into the casting position.

[0033] In one possible implementation, step (5) further includes opening the third isolation valve, moving the mold containing the metal material to the discharge chamber, then closing the third isolation valve, opening the discharge chamber door, moving the mold out of the discharge chamber, removing the metal material from the mold, and then moving the mold to the preparation chamber for reuse.

[0034] In one possible implementation, in the alloy vacuum separation furnace, the isolation box is connected to a metal condensation device via a pipe, and the metal condensation device is connected to a vacuum unit outside the separation room; the metal condensation device includes a condenser and a condensed metal collector; the molten metal material in the condensed metal collector is cooled to obtain condensed metal material; after step (3), the collected condensed metal material is periodically removed from the condensed metal collector.

[0035] In a preferred implementation, the metal material in step (4) includes copper; the condensed metal material includes zinc.

[0036] In one possible implementation, step (1) above further includes sending a molten ladle containing the melt into a melting chamber, then evacuating the melting chamber to 400Pa-1000Pa, holding it at that temperature for 5-30 minutes, and then opening the first isolation valve.

[0037] 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 material.

[0038] 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.

[0039] In steps (1) to (3), the melt is deoxidized in both the melt bath and the separation chamber under vacuum, so that the oxygen content in the melt and the metal materials collected in each condensed metal collector in step (4) is greatly reduced, thereby further improving the purity of the obtained metal materials.

[0040] In one possible implementation, there are multiple molten ladles; step (2) includes: multiple molten ladles alternately flow the melt into the upper molten pool through the flow channel to achieve continuous casting production and improve production efficiency.

[0041] The above alloy separation method can be applied to the separation of alloys such as brass to obtain metallic materials such as copper, zinc, and tin.

[0042] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a metallic copper material, which is prepared by the alloy separation method described above; the metallic material in step (4) is a metallic copper material; the purity of the metallic copper material is in the range of 98-99.99%.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, the purity of the copper material is above 99.9%, and the oxygen content is below 100 ppm.

[0044] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a zinc metal material, which is prepared using the above-mentioned alloy separation method; the condensed metal material is a new metal material; the purity of the zinc metal material is in the range of 98-99.9%.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 2. In the alloy separation furnace of the present invention, after the molten material in the molten ladle is poured into the upper molten pool, it flows into the lower molten pool through the inclined section for further casting. The entire process can be carried out stably and continuously. Furthermore, by using multiple molten ladles to alternately flow the molten material into the upper molten pool through troughs, continuous casting production can be achieved, improving production efficiency. In addition, multiple metal cooling devices connected to the isolation box are equipped with valves on the pipes connected to the isolation box and the vacuum unit. By controlling these valves, the collected metal material can be removed from the cooled metal collector without affecting continuous casting production.

[0047] 3. 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.

[0048] 4. 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).

[0049] 5. In this invention, the number of inclined sections in the separation chamber design can be as high as 60. In a more preferred implementation, the number of inclined sections is 20-40, which significantly increases the evaporation area, enabling large-scale, continuous, and automated production, significantly reducing costs, and achieving intelligent production.

[0050] 6. 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 set 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 set 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 containing the casting material and enabling continuous production. The technology of this invention can be directly used to produce electrolytic copper anode plates from brass scrap, which is a breakthrough of existing technology and has extremely strong industrialization prospects and promotional value.

[0051] 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.

[0052] The above general description and the description below are exemplary and illustrative only and are not intended to limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0053] 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 alloy vacuum separation furnace of the present invention.

[0054] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the alloy vacuum separation furnace of the present invention, viewed from another perspective.

[0055] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic top view of one embodiment of the alloy vacuum separation furnace of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 4 This is a partial top view of another embodiment of the alloy vacuum separation furnace of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0057] 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.

[0058] 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.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown in the figure, this application provides an alloy vacuum separation furnace. The alloy vacuum separation 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 within the molten ladle into the flow channel 3. The melting chamber 1 is connected to the separation chamber 4 via the first isolation valve 2. The separation chamber 4 includes a separation chamber shell 8, a heating chamber 9, a heater 10, and an isolation box 11; the heating chamber 9 is disposed within the separation chamber shell 8, and the heater 10 and the isolation box 11 are disposed within the heating chamber 9; the isolation box 11 has an upper molten pool 12, an inclined section 13, and a lower molten pool 14 arranged from top to bottom; the number of inclined sections 13 is one or more. When the first isolation valve 2 is opened, one end of the flow channel 3 moves into the separation chamber 4, and the molten ladle 6 pours the molten material 7 into the flow channel 3, which then flows into the upper molten pool 12. Plugs 15 are provided on the upper molten pool 12 and the lower molten pool 14.

[0062] When the plug of the upper molten pool is opened, the molten material in the upper molten pool can flow into the inclined section located downstream of the upper molten pool, and then flow into the lower molten pool through the inclined section; the inclined section has an inclined surface that contacts the molten material; the heater is used to heat the spacer box.

[0063] The alloy vacuum separation furnace also includes a flow guiding device and a casting mold system. The casting mold system includes a preparation chamber 23, a second isolation valve 24, a casting chamber 25, a third isolation valve 26, and a discharge chamber 27 connected in sequence. A transmission device 28 is installed in each of the preparation chamber 23, the casting chamber 25, and the discharge chamber 27. Opening the second isolation valve 24 can transfer the casting mold 29 from the preparation chamber 23 to the casting chamber 25. Opening the third isolation valve 26 can transfer the casting mold 29 from the casting chamber 25 to the discharge chamber 27. The casting chamber 25 is connected to the separation chamber 4, and the flow guiding device is located between the casting chamber 25 and the separation chamber 4.

[0064] In one possible implementation, the plug can not only open or stop the flow of melt in the molten pool, but also regulate and control the flow rate and speed of the melt, so that the melt flows continuously and stably on multiple inclined sections.

[0065] In one possible implementation, the melting chamber 1 further includes a rotating device 16 and a furnace door 17; the furnace door 17 is disposed on the melting chamber shell 5, and opening the furnace door 17 allows the molten ladle 6 to move in or out of the melting chamber shell 5; the rotating device 16 is disposed inside the melting chamber shell 5 and can drive the molten ladle 6 to tilt; the furnace door 17 is disposed on the side or top of the melting chamber shell 5. Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the furnace door 17 is located on the side of the ladle shell 5.

[0066] In one possible implementation, the molten ladle can be placed on a rotating device after being moved into the ladle shell.

[0067] In one possible implementation, the fusible coil shell is provided with a pipe connected to a vacuum unit for evacuating the fusible coil chamber.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] In one possible implementation, the melt in the ladle is poured into the flow channel in an atmospheric environment.

[0071] In one possible implementation, an insulation layer is provided on the molten ladle to reduce heat loss from the melt.

[0072] In one possible implementation, an induction heating device 18 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.

[0073] In one possible implementation, multiple molten ladle sets can be 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 alloy vacuum separation furnace and improving production efficiency.

[0074] In one possible implementation, the isolation chamber 11 is connected to a metal condensation device via a pipe, and the metal condensation device is connected to a vacuum unit 19 outside the separation chamber; the metal condensation device includes a condenser 20 and a condensed metal collector 21; the vapor from the molten material evaporating in the isolation chamber 11 is condensed into liquid by the condenser 20 and flows into the condensed metal collector 21 to obtain metal material, and the gas is discharged from the vacuum unit 19 through a pipe.

[0075] In one possible implementation, there are two or more metal condensation devices; each metal condensation device is equipped with a valve 22 on the pipes connected to the isolation box 11 and the vacuum unit 19.

[0076] By closing the valves on the pipes connecting the metal condensation unit to the isolation chamber and the vacuum unit, and opening the condensed metal collector, the condensed metal material can be removed. By controlling the valves, the collected metal material can be removed from the condensed metal collector without affecting continuous casting production.

[0077] By opening the plug of the lower molten pool, the molten material in the lower molten pool can be quantitatively poured into the mold in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device.

[0078] In one possible implementation, the discharge chamber is also 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. The gas is heated by the mold and then returns to the air intake of the heat exchanger for circulating cooling.

[0079] 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.

[0080] In one possible implementation, the flow guiding device includes a metering device 30. The plug of the lower molten pool is opened, allowing the molten material in the lower 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 lower 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 of the casting position, and an empty mold is moved into the casting position. This process is repeated until all the molten material in the lower pool has flowed out, completing one batch of molten material casting.

[0081] In one possible implementation, the guiding device further includes a casting trough 31. During the casting process, after the molten material flows out of the lower molten pool, it is first poured into the casting trough 31 and then flows into the metering device 30 through the casting trough 31.

[0082] In one possible implementation, during the casting process, the molten material in the lower molten pool flows directly into the metering device after it exits the casting pool.

[0083] The lower molten pool, the flow guiding device, and the casting mold system work together repeatedly to perform the casting operation, enabling quantitative and continuous casting.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 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.

[0086] In one possible implementation, the ingot height is 500mm-3500mm and the diameter is 80mm-300mm.

[0087] In one possible implementation, there are multiple inclined portions; these multiple inclined portions are arranged vertically, one after the other. In a more preferred implementation, the number of inclined portions is 2-60. In a more preferred implementation, the number of inclined portions is 20-40.

[0088] In one possible implementation, the inclined surface of the inclined portion has a slope in the range of 0.5° to 5°. In a more preferred implementation, the inclined surface of the inclined portion has a slope in the range of 1° to 2°. In a more preferred implementation, the inclined surfaces of adjacent inclined portions are arranged opposite to each other.

[0089] In one possible implementation, the vacuum level within the isolation chamber is controllable within the range of 0.1 Pa to 1000 Pa; the temperature of the heating chamber is controllable within the range of 500 to 1500 °C. The molten metal in the condenser metal collector connected to the isolation chamber is further cooled to obtain a second metal material. In a preferred embodiment, the second metal material comprises zinc.

[0090] In such Figure 4 In another embodiment of the present invention, the casting system of the vacuum purification furnace for metal materials includes a preparation chamber 23, a second isolation valve 24, a casting chamber 25, a third isolation valve 26, and a discharge chamber 27 connected in sequence. The preparation chamber 23, the second isolation valve 24, the casting chamber 25, the third isolation valve 26, and the discharge chamber 27 are arranged in a U-shape. Each of the preparation chamber 23, the casting chamber 25, and the discharge chamber 27 is equipped with a transmission device 28; opening the second isolation valve 24 allows the casting mold 29 to be transferred from the preparation chamber 23 to the casting chamber 25; opening the third isolation valve 26 allows the casting mold 29 to be transferred from the casting chamber 25 to the discharge chamber 27. The casting chamber 25 is connected to the separation chamber 4, and a flow guiding device is disposed between the casting chamber 25 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. During the casting process, the molten material flows out of the molten pool and is first poured into the casting runner 31, and then into the mold 29. The arrows in the figure indicate the direction of flow in the mold.

[0091] On the other hand, the present invention also provides an alloy separation method, which is implemented using the above-mentioned alloy vacuum separation furnace, the method comprising: (1) Open the first isolation valve and move the flow channel so that one end of the flow channel enters the separation chamber; (2) Pour the molten material in the molten ladle into the upper molten pool through the ladle, remove the ladle, and close the first isolation valve; (3) Open and control the plug of the upper molten pool so that the melt in the upper molten pool flows out stably; the melt flowing out of the upper molten pool flows into the inclined part, and then flows into the lower molten pool through the inclined part; during this period, control the vacuum degree in the isolation box within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa and the temperature within the range of 500-1500℃. (4) Open the plug of the lower molten pool, and the melt in the lower molten pool is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device to obtain the metal material; (5) After the mold is filled to the required quantity, close the plug of the lower molten pool, move the mold on the casting position out of the casting position, and move the empty mold into the casting position.

[0092] In one possible implementation, step (5) further includes opening the third isolation valve, moving the mold containing the metal material to the discharge chamber, then closing the third isolation valve, opening the discharge chamber door, moving the mold out of the discharge chamber, removing the metal material from the mold, and then moving the mold to the preparation chamber for reuse.

[0093] In one possible implementation, in the alloy vacuum separation furnace, the isolation box is connected to a metal condensation device via a pipe, and the metal condensation device is connected to a vacuum unit outside the separation room; the metal condensation device includes a condenser and a condensed metal collector; the molten metal material in the condensed metal collector is cooled to obtain condensed metal material; after step (3), the collected condensed metal material is periodically removed from the condensed metal collector.

[0094] In a preferred embodiment, the metal material in step (4) includes copper; the condensed metal material includes zinc.

[0095] In one possible implementation, step (1) above further includes sending a molten ladle containing the melt into the melting chamber, then evacuating the melting chamber to 400Pa-1000Pa, holding it at that temperature for 5-30 minutes, and then opening the first isolation valve.

[0096] 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 material.

[0097] In one possible implementation, cooling of the molten metal after it is poured into the mold can be achieved by a cooling means 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.

[0098] In steps (1) to (3), the melt is deoxidized in both the melt bath and the separation chamber under vacuum, so that the oxygen content in the melt and the metal materials collected in each condensed metal collector in step (4) is greatly reduced, thereby further improving the purity of the obtained metal materials.

[0099] In one possible implementation, there are multiple molten ladles; step (2) includes: multiple molten ladles alternately flow the melt into the upper molten pool through the flow channel to achieve continuous casting production and improve production efficiency.

[0100] The above alloy separation method can be applied to the separation of alloys such as brass to obtain metallic materials such as copper, zinc, and tin.

[0101] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a metallic copper material, which is prepared by the alloy separation method described above; the metallic material in step (4) is a metallic copper material; the purity of the metallic copper material is in the range of 98-99.99%.

[0102] In a preferred embodiment, the purity of the copper material is above 99.9%, and the oxygen content is below 100 ppm.

[0103] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a zinc metal material, which is prepared using the above-mentioned alloy separation method; the condensed metal material is a new metal material; the purity of the zinc metal material is in the range of 98-99.9%.

[0104] The advantages of the present invention are further illustrated below through specific embodiments. Example

[0105] In this embodiment, the alloy vacuum separation furnace of the present invention is used to separate and recover copper and zinc from brass waste (containing about 59% copper and about 41% zinc).

[0106] The specific work process is as follows: 1. Melt the 3000 kg of brass raw material in the molten ladle into a liquid; 2. Open the first isolation valve, move the flow channel so that one end of the flow channel enters the separation chamber, pour the melt in the molten ladle into the upper molten pool through the flow channel, then remove the flow channel and close the first isolation valve; 3. Open and control the plug of the upper molten pool to allow the molten liquid in the upper molten pool to flow into the inclined section, and then into the lower molten pool through the inclined section, at a flow rate of about 50 kg / min; during this period, control the vacuum degree in the isolation box within the range of 80 Pa-120 Pa and the temperature within the range of about 1000-1050℃; the lower molten pool adopts quantitative continuous casting, with quantitative control of 350 kg / mold, and each mold takes about 8 minutes; 4. Five molds are pre-loaded into the preparation chamber. The preparation chamber and discharge chamber are evacuated until the set vacuum level is reached, then the second and third isolation valves are opened. After casting begins, each mold is moved forward one at a time. Once casting is complete, all five molds are moved to the discharge chamber, and the second and third isolation valves are closed. The discharge chamber is then inflated, and the cooling fan is activated to cool the five molds. After 30 minutes, the discharge chamber door is opened, and the five molds are moved outside the discharge chamber. The copper plates are removed and weighed, totaling approximately 1751 kg. 6. During continuous casting, open the condensate collector in the isolation box, remove the zinc ingots and weigh them; the total weight is approximately 1209 kg.

[0107] Analysis revealed that the copper ingots had a purity of 99.93% and a copper yield of approximately 98.9%; the zinc had a purity of 98.9% 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.

Claims

1. An alloy vacuum separation furnace, characterized in that, The system includes a first isolation valve, a flow channel, a separation chamber, a flow guiding device, and a casting system. The first isolation valve is connected to the separation chamber. The separation chamber includes a separation chamber shell, a heating chamber, a heater, and an isolation box. The heating chamber is located inside the separation chamber shell, and the heater and isolation box are located inside the heating chamber. The isolation box contains an upper molten pool, an inclined section, and a lower molten pool arranged from top to bottom. There is one or more inclined sections. When the first isolation valve is opened, one end of the flow channel moves into the separation chamber, and the alloy melt to be separated is poured into the upper molten pool through the flow channel. A plug is provided on the upper molten pool; when the plug is opened, the molten material in the upper molten pool can flow into an inclined section located downstream of the upper molten pool, and then flow into the lower molten pool through the inclined section; the inclined section has an inclined surface that contacts the molten material; a heater is used to heat the spacer box; the mold system includes a preparation chamber, a second isolation valve, a casting chamber, a third isolation valve, and a discharge chamber connected in sequence; a transmission device is provided in the preparation chamber, the casting chamber, and the discharge chamber; opening the second isolation valve can transfer the 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 the flow guiding device is set between the casting chamber and the separation chamber. When the plug of the lower molten pool is opened, the melt in the lower molten pool can be quantitatively poured into the mold in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device.

2. The alloy vacuum separation furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The alloy vacuum separation furnace also includes a melting chamber and a molten ladle; the melting chamber includes a melting ladle shell, a rotating device, and a furnace door; the furnace door is located on the melting ladle shell, and when the furnace door is opened, the molten ladle can be moved into or out of the melting ladle shell; The rotating device is installed inside the molten ladle shell and can drive the molten ladle to tilt, pouring the molten material inside the molten ladle into the flow channel; The furnace door is located on the side or top of the ladle shell.

3. The alloy vacuum separation furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ladle is equipped with an induction heating device to heat the metal material or melt inside the ladle; there is one or more ladles.

4. The alloy vacuum separation furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The isolation chamber is connected to a metal condensation device via pipes, which is connected to a vacuum unit outside the separation chamber. The metal condensation device includes a condenser and a condensed metal collector. The vapor from the molten material evaporating inside the isolation chamber is condensed into liquid by the condenser and then flows into the condensed metal collector.

5. The alloy vacuum separation furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that, There are two or more metal condensation devices; each metal condensation device is equipped with a valve on the pipes connected to the isolation box and the vacuum unit; closing the valves on the pipes connected to the isolation box and the vacuum unit and opening the condensed metal collector allows the condensed metal material to be removed.

6. The alloy vacuum separation furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are multiple inclined sections; the multiple inclined sections are arranged vertically, one after the other; the inclined surface of the inclined section has a slope in the range of 0.5° to 5°.

7. The alloy vacuum separation furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flow guiding device includes a metering device; the plug of the lower molten pool is opened to allow the melt in the lower 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 lower 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.

8. The alloy vacuum separation furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge chamber is also 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.

9. An alloy separation method, implemented using an alloy vacuum separation furnace as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The method includes: (1) Open the first isolation valve and move the flow channel so that one end of the flow channel enters the separation chamber; (2) Pour the alloy melt to be separated into the upper molten pool through the pouring channel, remove it from the pouring channel, and close the first isolation valve; (3) Open and control the plug of the upper molten pool so that the melt in the upper molten pool flows out stably; the melt flowing out of the upper molten pool flows into the inclined part, and then flows into the lower molten pool through the inclined part; during this period, control the vacuum degree in the isolation box within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa and the temperature within the range of 500-1500℃. (4) Open the plug of the lower molten pool, and the melt in the lower molten pool is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device to obtain the metal material; (5) After the mold is filled to the required quantity, close the plug of the lower molten pool, move the mold on the casting position out of the casting position, and move the empty mold into the casting position.

10. The alloy separation method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Step (5) also includes opening the third isolation valve, moving the mold containing the metal material to the discharge chamber, then closing the third isolation valve, opening the discharge chamber door, moving the mold out of the discharge chamber, removing the metal material from the mold, and then moving the mold to the preparation chamber for reuse.

11. The alloy separation method according to claim 9, characterized in that, In the alloy vacuum separation furnace, the isolation box is connected to a metal condensation device via a pipe. The metal condensation device is connected to a vacuum unit outside the separation room. The metal condensation device includes a condenser and a condensed metal collector. After step (3), the collected condensed metal material is periodically removed from the condensed metal collector.

12. The alloy separation method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The alloy vacuum separation furnace includes multiple molten pools; step (2) includes: multiple molten pools alternately flow the melt into the upper molten pool through the flow channel.

13. A metallic copper material, characterized in that, The alloy is prepared using the alloy separation method as described in any one of claims 9-12; the metal material in step (4) is copper; the purity of the copper is in the range of 98-99.99%.

14. A zinc metallic material, characterized in that, The condensed metal material is prepared using the alloy separation method as described in claim 11; the condensed metal material is a new metal material; the purity of the zinc material is in the range of 98-99.9%.

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