Multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace and method for brass separation and alloy material separation

Abstract

The application discloses a multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace and a method for separating brass and alloy materials. The multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace comprises a smelting chamber, a feeding chamber, a first isolation valve, a second isolation valve and a third isolation valve; the smelting chamber comprises a vacuum smelting shell, an induction heating device, a rotating mechanism and a lifting and translating device; the vacuum smelting shell comprises an upper smelting shell and a lower smelting shell; rotating portions are arranged on the two sides of the upper smelting shell and can drive the lower smelting shell to rotate around the rotating portions; when the vacuum smelting shell rotates, the second isolation valve and the third isolation valve do not rotate; the induction heating device is fixed in the lower smelting shell and is lifted and moved with the lower smelting shell; the two ends of the first isolation valve are connected with the smelting chamber and the feeding chamber respectively. The multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace is used to improve the purity of separated metals, reduce oxidation loss and improve production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of non-ferrous metal vacuum metallurgy technology, specifically relating to a multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace suitable for vacuum separation and recycling of multi-element alloys and vacuum refining of metal alloys, as well as a method for separating brass and alloy materials. Background Technology

[0002] With the global copper resource becoming increasingly scarce, copper recycling technology is attracting more and more attention. As global non-ferrous metal recycling industry standards continue to improve, the development trend of copper-zinc separation (and brass remelting dezincification) technology has shifted from simple "smelting separation" to competition in "high-purity separation".

[0003] Traditional copper-zinc separation processes generally employ atmospheric smelting and chemical separation methods, which suffer from problems such as high metal oxidation losses, 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 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 around 95%, which is insufficient to meet the current demand for high-purity recovered copper resources.

[0004] Therefore, developing a multi-purpose vacuum separation and vacuum refining equipment that integrates vacuum melting, 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 multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace that enables integrated continuous operation of melting, separation, and casting in a full-process vacuum environment, thereby improving the purity of the separated metals, reducing oxidation losses, and increasing production efficiency.

[0006] This multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace includes a melting chamber, a feeding chamber, a first isolation valve, a second isolation valve, and a third isolation valve. The melting chamber includes a vacuum melting shell, an induction heating device, a rotating mechanism, and a lifting and translating device. The vacuum melting shell includes an upper melting shell and a lower melting shell, which are connected to each other. Rotating parts are provided on both sides of the upper melting shell and are supported on the rotating mechanism. The upper melting shell can drive the lower melting shell to rotate around the rotating parts. The rotating parts include a first part and a second part, the interior of which is a cavity, forming a channel. The first part of the rotating parts on both sides is connected to the vacuum melting shell, and the second part is connected to the second isolation valve and the third isolation valve respectively. The first part and the second part are connected by a dynamic seal. When the vacuum melting shell rotates, the first part rotates with the vacuum melting shell, while the second part, the second isolation valve, and the third isolation valve do not rotate, so that the interior of the vacuum melting shell remains isolated from the atmospheric environment. An induction heating device is fixed inside the lower melting shell, and a melting crucible is installed inside the induction heating device. A lifting and translating device is located below the lower melting shell. When the connection between the upper and lower melting shells is released, the induction heating device rises, falls, and moves together with the lower melting shell. The feeding chamber includes a feeding chamber shell and a feeding device, which is installed inside the feeding chamber shell. One end of the first isolation valve is connected to the melting chamber, and the other end can dock with the feeding chamber. When the feeding chamber docks with the first isolation valve, the first isolation valve is opened, and the feeding device can transfer raw materials and / or auxiliary materials from the feeding chamber to the melting crucible inside the melting chamber.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the rotating parts on both sides of the upper melting shell can be arranged symmetrically or asymmetrically.

[0008] In one possible implementation, when the vacuum melting shell rotates, the interior of the vacuum melting shell can still maintain a sealed environment isolated from the atmospheric environment outside the multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace; this sealed environment includes a vacuum environment or a protective atmosphere environment.

[0009] In one possible implementation, a pipe is provided to evacuate the melting chamber and connected to a vacuum unit, which is used to evacuate the vacuum melting shell.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the induction heating device is connected to a heating electrode that passes through the vacuum melting shell and is connected to an induction heating power source outside the vacuum melting shell.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the induction heating power supply is equipped with a three-phase power frequency electromagnetic stirring device to accelerate the separation speed.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a separation chamber; the separation chamber includes a separation chamber shell, a first vacuum pipe, and a distillation collection device; the distillation collection device includes a distillation column, a first condenser, and a first collector; the distillation collection device is connected to a first vacuum unit outside the separation chamber shell via the first vacuum pipe; the separation chamber can also be connected to the other end of a first isolation valve; when the separation chamber is connected to the first isolation valve, the first isolation valve is opened, and the distillation collection device passes through the first isolation valve from the separation chamber into the melting chamber; the metal vapor evaporated by heating the melting crucible is collected by the distillation column of the distillation collection device, the metal or alloy liquid condensed by the first condenser enters the first collector, and the gas is discharged from the first vacuum unit through the first vacuum pipe.

[0013] In one possible implementation, when the separation chamber is connected to the first isolation valve, the first isolation valve is opened, and the separation chamber shell and the vacuum melting shell form a sealed body that is isolated from the atmospheric environment.

[0014] In one possible implementation, both the feeding chamber and the separation chamber are located above the melting chamber, both are movable relative to the melting chamber, and can also form a sealed body isolated from the atmospheric environment by alternately docking with the first isolation valve and the vacuum melting shell.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a first flow channel and an ingot chamber; the ingot chamber includes an ingot chamber shell and a casting mold; the ingot chamber is connected to a second isolation valve; when casting is to be performed, the second isolation valve is opened, the melting chamber and the ingot chamber are connected, the first flow channel is moved between the melting chamber and the ingot chamber, the vacuum melting shell is rotated, and the melt in the melting crucible is poured into the casting mold in the ingot chamber through the first flow channel under vacuum or protective atmosphere to obtain a metal ingot.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a trough chamber; the ingot chamber is movable to disconnect from the second isolation valve, and the trough chamber is connected to the second isolation valve in place; the trough chamber includes a trough shell and a trough drive device; when the second isolation valve is opened, the trough drive device drives the first trough to move between the trough chamber and the melting chamber.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a trough chamber; the trough chamber includes a trough shell, a heating device, and a trough drive device; the heating device is used to preheat the first trough and the second trough, with a preheating temperature higher than 200°C.

[0018] In one possible implementation, both the first and second flow channels include slag isolation and filtration devices for filtering slag and impurities generated during the smelting process.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the flow channel housing is provided with a flow channel cover, which can be opened to clean and repair the first and second flow channels that have moved into the flow channel chamber.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a sixth isolation valve and a trough chamber; the trough chamber includes a trough shell and a trough drive device; one end of the sixth isolation valve is connected to the trough shell and the other end is connected to the ingot chamber; when the sixth isolation valve and the second isolation valve are opened, the trough drive device drives the first trough to move between the trough chamber, the ingot chamber and the melting chamber.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the casting chamber also includes a rotating device, which is located inside the casting chamber. The casting molds are mounted on the rotating device, and by rotating the rotating device, the molten metal can be sequentially poured into multiple casting molds.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the casting chamber also includes a translation device, which is set inside the casting chamber. The casting molds are mounted on the translation device, and by moving the translation device, the molten metal can be poured into multiple casting molds in sequence.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the metal ingot has a height of 500mm-3500mm and a diameter of 80mm-300mm.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a second flow channel and a second separation chamber; the second separation chamber includes a second separation chamber shell, a heating chamber, a heater, and an isolation box; the heating chamber is disposed within the second separation chamber shell, and the heater and isolation box are disposed within the heating chamber; the isolation box has an upper molten pool, an inclined section, and a lower molten pool arranged from top to bottom; the upper and lower molten pools are provided with plugs; by opening the plug of the upper molten pool, the melt in the upper molten pool can flow to the inclined section disposed 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 isolation box; the second separation chamber is connected to a third isolation valve; by opening the third isolation valve, the second flow channel is moved between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, and the vacuum melting shell is rotated, the melt in the melting crucible flows into the upper molten pool through the second flow channel.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the plug can not only open or stop the flow of molten material from the molten pool, but also regulate and control the flow rate and speed of the molten material, so that the molten material flows continuously and stably at the expected speed on multiple inclined sections, thereby achieving continuous casting production.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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 1.5° to 2.5°.

[0028] In another possible implementation, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a second flow channel and a second separation chamber; the second separation chamber includes a second separation chamber shell, a heating chamber, a heater, an isolation box, and a molten pool; the heating chamber is located inside the second 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 multiple isolation boxes, the multiple isolation boxes are arranged vertically; there is one or more molten pools inside the isolation boxes, and the molten pools are provided with plugs. When the plugs are opened, the melt in the molten pools can flow to the molten pools of the next layer; the heater is used to heat the isolation boxes and the molten pools; the second separation chamber is connected to a third isolation valve; when the third isolation valve is opened, the second flow channel is moved between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, the vacuum melting shell is rotated, and the melt in the melting crucible flows through the second flow channel to the uppermost molten pool in the second separation chamber.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a flow guiding device and a mold system. The mold system includes a preparation chamber, a fourth isolation valve, a casting chamber, a fifth 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 fourth isolation valve allows the mold to be transferred from the preparation chamber to the casting chamber. Opening the fifth isolation valve allows the mold to be transferred from the casting chamber to the discharge chamber. The casting chamber is connected to a second separation chamber. The flow guiding device is located between the casting chamber and the second separation chamber. By opening the plug of the lowest molten pool in the second separation chamber, the molten material in the molten pool can be quantitatively poured into the mold in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the flow guiding device includes a metering device; the molten pool, the flow guiding device, and the mold system work together to repeatedly perform the casting operation, enabling quantitative and continuous casting; the casting operation includes: opening the plug of the lowest layer of the molten pool in the second separation chamber to allow the melt in the molten pool to flow out; the melt flows into the metering device; when the weight of the melt in the metering device reaches a set value, the plug is closed to stop the melt from flowing out of the molten pool; the metering device is tilted to pour the melt 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 an empty mold is moved into the casting position.

[0031] 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.

[0032] In another possible implementation, during the casting process, the molten material in the molten pool flows directly into the metering device after it flows out.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the second separation chamber further includes a condensation device and a second vacuum unit; the condensation device includes a cooler and a condensed metal collector; there is one or more condensation devices and a second vacuum unit; the second vacuum unit is located outside the shell of the second separation chamber; one end of the condensation device is connected to the isolation chamber, and the other end is connected to the second vacuum unit; the vapor discharged from the isolation chamber is cooled by the cooler of the condensation device, the condensed liquid metal is collected in the condensed metal collector, and the gas is discharged by the second vacuum unit.

[0034] In one possible implementation, there are two isolation boxes, namely an upper isolation box and a lower isolation box, positioned vertically; each isolation box contains one molten pool; the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box and the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box are controllable within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; the heating temperature of the heating chamber is controllable within the range of 700-1500℃.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a trough chamber; the trough chamber includes a trough shell and a trough drive device; the trough chamber is connected to a second isolation valve; when the second isolation valve and the third isolation valve are opened, the trough drive device drives the second trough to move between the trough chamber, the melting chamber and the second separation chamber.

[0036] In one possible implementation, the upper melting shell has a double-layer water-cooled wall structure.

[0037] In one possible implementation, both the upper and lower melting shells have a double-layer water-cooled wall structure.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the second separation chamber shell has a double-layer water-cooled wall structure.

[0039] In one possible implementation, both the casting chamber and the discharge chamber have a double-layer water-cooled wall structure.

[0040] 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.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the discharge chamber is equipped with a heat exchanger and a cooling fan. The hot air generated by the mold is cooled by the heat exchanger and then enters the air inlet of the cooling fan. The air discharged from the air outlet of the cooling fan is directly blown toward the mold.

[0042] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a method for separating brass, implemented using the aforementioned multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace, which further includes a first flow channel and a casting chamber; the casting chamber includes a casting mold; a second isolation valve is connected to the casting chamber; the method includes the following steps: (1) Load the brass raw material into the feeding chamber, move the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, and send the brass raw material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device; then close the first isolation valve and move the feeding chamber away; (2) The movable separation chamber is connected to the first isolation valve. The first isolation valve is opened, and the movable distillation collection device passes through the separation chamber and the first isolation valve into the melting chamber and approaches the melting crucible. The melting chamber is evacuated, and the medium frequency induction heating power supply is started to heat the brass raw material in the melting crucible into a molten liquid. (3) Evacuate the melting chamber through the first vacuum pipe, control the vacuum degree to be within the range of 0.1Pa-200Pa, control the temperature of the melt in the melting crucible to be within the range of 900-1200℃, and keep it at the temperature for 60-180 minutes; then, lift the distillation collection device back to the separation chamber, close the first isolation valve and remove the separation chamber; (4) Open the second isolation valve to connect the melting chamber and the ingot casting chamber; move the first flow channel between the melting chamber and the ingot casting chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the molten liquid in the melting crucible into the casting mold in the ingot casting chamber through the first flow channel to obtain a metal ingot; after casting is completed, remove the first flow channel and close the second isolation valve. Repeat the work of steps (1)-(4) to achieve continuous production.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the copper content in the brass raw material is above 50%.

[0044] In one possible implementation, after the brass raw material in the smelting crucible is melted into a liquid, the temperature of the liquid in the smelting crucible is controlled in the range of 900-1200℃, the vacuum degree is controlled in the range of 400Pa-1000Pa, and the temperature is maintained for 5-30 minutes to remove harmful impurities in the liquid.

[0045] In one possible implementation, the material of the metal ingot is copper.

[0046] In one possible implementation, after step (3), a metallic material is collected in a first collector, the metallic material comprising at least zinc.

[0047] In one possible implementation, between steps (3) and (4), the following steps are also included: loading the separating auxiliary material into the feeding chamber, moving the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, feeding the separating auxiliary material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device, starting the electromagnetic stirring function of the medium frequency induction heating power supply, keeping it warm for 5-20 minutes, and further removing impurities from the melt to improve the purity, the impurities including iron.

[0048] The present invention also provides a method for separating brass, implemented using the aforementioned multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace, which includes a flow guiding device and a casting chamber connected to a second separation chamber; the flow guiding device is disposed between the casting chamber and the second separation chamber; the method includes: (1) Load the brass raw material into the feeding chamber, move the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, and send the brass raw material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device. Then retract the feeding device, close the first isolation valve and move the feeding chamber away; evacuate the melting chamber and / or fill it with protective gas, start the induction heating power supply to start heating, and melt the brass raw material in the melting crucible into molten liquid. (2) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; open the third isolation valve to connect the second separation chamber and the melting chamber, move the second flow channel between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the molten liquid in the melting crucible into the upper melting pool through the second flow channel; after casting, move the second flow channel back to its original position and close the third isolation valve. (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃ and the vacuum degree in the isolation box within the range of 0.5Pa-200Pa; adjust the plug of the upper molten pool to a suitable position so that the molten liquid in the upper molten pool flows into the inclined part and then flows into the lower molten pool through the inclined part. (4) Open the plug of the lower molten pool, and the molten liquid is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the guide device to obtain metallic copper material; (5) When the molten liquid in the mold reaches a certain 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; Repeat steps (4)-(5) to achieve continuous casting.

[0049] This invention also provides a method for separating brass, implemented using the aforementioned multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace includes a flow guiding device and a casting chamber connected to a second separation chamber; the flow guiding device is disposed between the casting chamber and the second separation chamber; there are two isolation boxes, positioned vertically as an upper isolation box and a lower isolation box; the method includes: (1) Load the brass raw material into the feeding chamber, move the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, and send the brass raw material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device. Then retract the feeding device, close the first isolation valve and move the feeding chamber away; evacuate the melting chamber and / or fill it with protective gas, start the induction heating power supply to start heating, and melt the brass raw material in the melting crucible into molten liquid. (2) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; open the third isolation valve to connect the second separation chamber and the melting chamber, move the second flow channel between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the molten liquid in the melting crucible into the uppermost molten pool in the second separation chamber through the second flow channel; after casting, remove the second flow channel and close the third isolation valve; (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; the molten liquid 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 50Pa-200Pa; open the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation box, and the molten liquid flows into the molten pool in the lower isolation box; the molten liquid 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 0.5Pa-200Pa; (4) Open the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box, and the molten liquid is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the guide device to obtain metallic copper material; (5) When the molten liquid in the mold reaches a certain 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)-(5) until the molten liquid in the molten pool is completely poured.

[0050] In one possible implementation, the multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a separation chamber; the separation chamber includes a first vacuum pipe and a distillation collection device; the distillation collection device includes a first condenser and a first collector; the distillation collection device is connected to a first vacuum unit via the first vacuum pipe; the separation chamber is capable of docking with a first isolation valve; between steps (1) and (2) the following is included: The movable separation chamber is connected to the first isolation valve. The first isolation valve is opened, and the movable distillation collecting device passes through the separation chamber and the first isolation valve into the melting chamber, approaching the melting crucible. A vacuum is evacuated from the melting chamber through the first vacuum pipe, controlling the vacuum level to 0.1 Pa-200 Pa. The temperature of the molten metal in the melting crucible is controlled within the range of 900-1200°C and held for 60-180 minutes. During this period, the metal vapor evaporated from the melting crucible enters the distillation collecting device, is condensed by the first condenser, and then enters the first collector. The gas is extracted by the first vacuum unit through the first vacuum pipe. Then, the distillation collecting device is lifted back to the separation chamber, the first isolation valve is closed, and the separation chamber is removed. After the first collector cools, the condensed metal is removed. In a preferred embodiment, the metal includes zinc.

[0051] In one possible implementation, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a preparation chamber, a fourth isolation valve, a fifth isolation valve, and a discharge chamber, which are connected sequentially. After step (5), the process further includes: placing an empty mold into the preparation chamber, evacuating the vacuum chamber, opening the fourth isolation valve, and moving the empty mold to the casting chamber for later use; opening the fifth isolation valve, cooling the mold containing molten metal in the discharge chamber, moving the mold to the discharge chamber, closing the fifth isolation valve, opening the discharge chamber door to remove the mold, taking out the copper metal material, and then moving the empty mold to the preparation chamber for later use.

[0052] This invention also provides a method for separating alloy materials, wherein the alloy material comprises a main metal material and a separated metal material, the content of the main metal material being in the range of 50-98%, and the separated metal material comprising at least a first metal material, a second metal material, and a third metal material; the saturated vapor pressure of the separated metal material in the temperature range of 500-1450℃ is in the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa, and the saturated vapor pressure of the main metal material in the temperature range of 500-1450℃ is higher than the saturated vapor pressure of the separated metal material; the method is implemented using the aforementioned multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace, which includes a flow guiding device, a separation chamber, and a casting chamber connected to a second separation chamber; the flow guiding device is disposed between the casting chamber and the second separation chamber; there are two isolation chambers, positioned vertically as an upper isolation chamber and a lower isolation chamber; both the upper and lower isolation chambers are connected to a condensed metal collector; the separation chamber includes a first vacuum pipe and a distillation collection device; the distillation collection device includes a first condenser and a first collector; the distillation collection device is connected to a first vacuum unit via the first vacuum pipe; the separation chamber can be connected to a first isolation valve; the method includes the following steps: (1) Load the alloy material into the feeding chamber, move the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, and send the alloy material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device. Then retract the feeding device, close the first isolation valve and move the feeding chamber away. Move the separation chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, open the first isolation valve, and move the distillation collection device from the separation chamber through the first isolation valve into the melting chamber and approach the melting crucible. Start the induction heating power supply to start heating and melt the alloy material in the melting crucible into a liquid. (2) Vacuum the melting chamber through the first vacuum pipe, control the vacuum degree to be within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa, control the temperature of the molten liquid in the melting crucible to be within the range of 500-1450℃, and keep it at the temperature for 60-180 minutes. During this period, the metal vapor evaporated by heating the melting crucible enters the distillation collection device, is condensed by the first condenser and enters the first collector. The gas is extracted by the first vacuum unit through the first vacuum pipe. Then, the distillation collection device is lifted back to the separation chamber, the first isolation valve is closed and the separation chamber is removed. After the first collector is cooled, the condensed first metal material is taken out. (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 500-1450℃; open the third isolation valve to connect the second separation chamber and the melting chamber, move the second flow channel between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the molten liquid in the melting crucible into the uppermost molten pool in the second separation chamber through the second flow channel; after casting, remove the second flow channel and close the third isolation valve; (4) The temperature of the heating chamber is controlled within the range of 500-1450℃; the molten liquid 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; the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation box is opened, and the molten liquid flows into the molten pool in the lower isolation box; the molten liquid 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; the molten liquid collected by the condensing metal collector connected to the upper isolation box is cooled to obtain the second metal material, and the molten liquid collected by the condensing metal collector connected to the lower isolation box is cooled to obtain the third metal material; the second metal material and the third metal material are metal materials of the same type as the first metal material, or the first metal material, the second metal material and the third metal material are metal materials of different types; (5) Open the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box, and the molten liquid is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the guide device to obtain the main metal material; (6) When the molten liquid in the mold reaches a certain 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 (5) and (6) until the molten liquid in the molten pool is completely poured.

[0053] In one possible implementation, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a preparation chamber, a fourth isolation valve, a fifth isolation valve, and a discharge chamber, which are connected sequentially. After step (6), the process further includes: placing an empty mold into the preparation chamber, evacuating the vacuum, opening the fourth isolation valve, and moving the empty mold to the casting chamber for later use; the mold containing a certain amount of molten metal continues to cool in the casting chamber, then moves to a set position, opens the fifth isolation valve, moves the mold to the discharge chamber, then closes the fifth isolation valve, opens the discharge chamber door to remove the mold, takes out the main metal material, and then moves the empty mold to the preparation chamber for later use.

[0054] In one possible implementation, the discharge chamber is equipped with a heat exchanger and a cooling fan. The hot air generated by the mold is cooled by the heat exchanger and then enters the air inlet of the cooling fan. The air discharged from the air outlet of the cooling fan is directly blown onto the mold. When the mold moves to the discharge chamber, the fifth isolation valve is closed, the discharge chamber is filled with protective gas, and the cooling fan is started to quickly cool the mold.

[0055] In one possible implementation, after the alloy material in the melting crucible is melted into a liquid, the process further includes controlling the temperature of the liquid in the melting crucible in the range of 900-1100℃, controlling the vacuum degree in the range of 400Pa-1000Pa, and holding it at that temperature for 5-30 minutes to remove harmful impurities from the liquid.

[0056] In the above method, the first metal material, the second metal material, the third metal material, and the main metal material are separated from the alloy material by controlling the vacuum degree in the melting chamber, the upper isolation chamber, and the lower isolation chamber.

[0057] The first, second, and third metallic materials may be one material, two materials, or three different materials.

[0058] 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 itself. Combined, this increases the purity of the separated copper material to over 99.9% and the purity of the zinc material to over 99%, meeting the demand for high-purity non-ferrous metals in high-end fields such as aerospace and electronic information.

[0059] 2. The multiple functional chambers in this invention, such as the melting chamber, separation chamber, second separation chamber, and ingot casting chamber, 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 multi-element 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).

[0060] 3. In existing brass separation equipment and methods, furnace loading, zinc tapping, and copper tapping are all carried out under atmospheric conditions, resulting in a large amount of waste gas being discharged into the workshop. Although the workshop is equipped with collection hoods, it is impossible to completely remove all the waste gas, leading to significant environmental pressure. Workers are exposed to waste gas and high temperatures, which negatively impacts their health. This invention automates the entire process from raw material loading to the tapping of the separated metal under negative pressure and a protective atmosphere. Waste gas and harmful substances are discharged outdoors for centralized treatment through vacuum pipelines. The workshop is clean and environmentally friendly, free from waste gas and high-temperature environments that could harm health, completely solving the industry's problems of dirt and disorder.

[0061] 4. In this invention, the feeding chamber and the separation chamber can be alternately connected to the smelting chamber. After the separation is completed, the feeding chamber is connected again to add impurity removal auxiliary materials to achieve further purification. This can increase the purity of copper to over 99.99% and reduce the oxygen content to below 100ppm. Thus, the brass separation method of this invention can replace the electrolytic copper process and directly produce oxygen-free copper, significantly reducing the production cost of oxygen-free copper.

[0062] 5. In this invention, the distillation column, the first condenser, and the first collector are integrated together. The first collector consists of multiple circular collectors distributed around the distillation column. The first condenser is located above the circular collectors, and the gas is discharged through the first vacuum pipe above the first condenser, resulting in high collection efficiency of metal materials. On the other hand, the distillation collection device is integrated into the vacuum cavity formed by the separation chamber and the melting chamber, resulting in high purity of the collected metal materials. After separation in the separation chamber and melting chamber, the liquid metal in the circular collectors gradually cools into a solid state. By opening the circular collectors, the solid separated metal can be directly removed, making discharge very convenient. This reduces the discharge process of high-temperature liquid metal in existing technologies, reduces the oxidation of condensed metal, improves the working environment of operators, and achieves automated discharge.

[0063] 6. Existing copper-zinc separation technology involves removing the distillation tower under high temperature conditions before discharging the material, then lifting the zinc collection tray away with a crane. Liquid zinc is then manually introduced into the zinc ingot mold in an environment with waste gas and high temperature. Only then can the furnace be rotated to manually introduce liquid copper into the copper casting mold. The entire process is carried out under atmospheric conditions, causing secondary oxidation of copper and zinc, increasing the oxygen content in the copper, and turning some metallic zinc into zinc oxide, resulting in resource waste. The entire process generates a large amount of waste gas and high temperature, which seriously affects the health of operators. This invention solves the problems of the prior art through a specially designed rotating part structure; the vacuum melting shell is equipped with rotating parts at both ends, which are connected to the second separation chamber and the ingot casting chamber through the second isolation valve and the third isolation valve respectively, so that the vacuum melting shell maintains a vacuum seal during the overall rotation process; automatic casting is achieved under vacuum or protective atmosphere by moving the flow channel and rotating the melting chamber; the specially designed flow channel is equipped with a slag isolation and filtration device to filter slag and impurities. After casting, the flow channel moves to the flow channel chamber, the isolation valve is closed, the melting chamber continues to work, the flow channel chamber cover is opened, and the flow channel is cleaned and repaired; the flow channel chamber is also equipped with a heater to preheat the flow channel.

[0064] 7. Existing brass separation technology takes 6-10 hours per furnace and can only achieve a purity of about 98%. The second separation chamber of 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 achieve continuous evaporation separation), which significantly improves production efficiency, reduces investment, and improves separation accuracy.

[0065] 8. 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 containing the casting material and enabling continuous production. The technology of this invention can be directly applied to the production of electrolytic copper anode plates from brass scrap, and has extremely strong industrialization prospects and promotional value.

[0066] 9. The second separation chamber of the present invention can be equipped with multiple isolation boxes, each isolation box being equipped with a separate second vacuum unit, cooler, and condensed metal collector. By controlling the vacuum degree 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 degree is controllable within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa. The vacuum degree in the isolation box gradually increases from top to bottom, which can realize the separation of multiple metals.

[0067] The above general description and the description below are exemplary and illustrative only and are not intended to limit this application. Attached Figure Description

[0068] 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 multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace of the present invention.

[0069] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of another view of one embodiment of the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace of the present invention.

[0070] Figure 3 This is a partial top view of one embodiment of the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace of the present invention.

[0071] Figure 4 This is a schematic front view of another embodiment of the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace of the present invention.

[0072] Figure 5 This is a schematic front view of another embodiment of the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace of the present invention.

[0073] Figure 6 This is a partial structural schematic diagram from another viewpoint of another embodiment of the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace of the present invention.

[0074] Figure 7 This is a schematic front view of another embodiment of the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, this application provides a multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace, including a melting chamber 1, a feeding chamber 2, a first isolation valve 3, a second isolation valve 4, and a third isolation valve 5. The melting chamber 1 includes a vacuum melting shell, an induction heating device 6, a rotating mechanism 7, and a lifting and translating device 8. The vacuum melting shell includes an upper melting shell 9 and a lower melting shell 10, which are connected to each other. Rotating parts are provided on both sides of the upper melting shell 9 and are supported on the rotating mechanism 7. The upper melting shell 9 can drive the lower melting shell 10 to rotate around the rotating parts. The rotating parts include a first part 11 and a second part 12. The first part 11 is connected to the vacuum melting shell, and the second part 12 is supported on the rotating mechanism 7. The interior of the first part 11 is a cavity, forming a channel. The second parts 12 of the rotating parts on both sides are connected to the second isolation valve 4 and the third isolation valve 5, respectively. The first part 11 and the second part 12 are connected by a dynamic seal.

[0080] When the vacuum melting shell rotates, the first part rotates with the vacuum melting shell, while the second part, the second isolation valve, and the third isolation valve do not rotate, so that the interior of the vacuum melting shell remains isolated from the atmospheric environment during the rotation process.

[0081] In one possible implementation, when the vacuum melting shell rotates, the interior of the vacuum melting shell can still maintain a sealed environment isolated from the atmospheric environment outside the multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace; this sealed environment includes a vacuum environment or a protective atmosphere environment.

[0082] In one possible implementation, the first part can also be supported on the rotating structure.

[0083] An induction heating device 6 is fixed inside the lower melting shell 10, and a melting crucible 13 is installed inside the induction heating device 6. A lifting and translating device 8 is located below the lower melting shell 10. When the connection between the upper melting shell 9 and the lower melting shell 10 is released, the induction heating device 6 rises and falls and moves together with the lower melting shell 10. The feeding chamber 2 includes a feeding chamber shell 14 and a feeding device 15, and the feeding device 15 is installed inside the feeding chamber shell 14. One end of the first isolation valve 3 is connected to the melting chamber 1, and the other end can dock with the feeding chamber 2. When the feeding chamber 2 docks with the first isolation valve 3, the first isolation valve 3 is opened, and the feeding device 15 can transfer raw materials and / or auxiliary materials from the feeding chamber 2 to the melting crucible 13 in the melting chamber 1.

[0084] In one possible implementation, a pipe is provided that is connected to a vacuum unit for evacuating the melting chamber, the vacuum unit being used to evacuate the vacuum melting shell.

[0085] In one possible implementation, the induction heating device is connected to a heating electrode that passes through the vacuum melting shell and is connected to an induction heating power source outside the vacuum melting shell.

[0086] In one possible implementation, the induction heating power supply is equipped with a three-phase power frequency electromagnetic stirring device to accelerate the separation speed.

[0087] The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a separation chamber 16; the separation chamber 16 includes a separation chamber shell 17, a first vacuum pipe 18, and a distillation collection device 22; the distillation collection device 22 includes a distillation column 19, a first condenser 20, and a first collector 21; the distillation collection device 22 is connected to a first vacuum unit outside the separation chamber shell through the first vacuum pipe 18; the separation chamber 16 can also be connected to the other end of the first isolation valve 3; when the separation chamber 16 is connected to the first isolation valve 3, the first isolation valve 3 is opened, and the distillation collection device 22 enters the melting chamber 1 from the separation chamber 16 through the first isolation valve 3; the metal vapor evaporated by heating the melting crucible 13 is collected by the distillation column 19 of the distillation collection device, the metal or alloy liquid condensed by the first condenser 20 enters the first collector 21, and the gas is discharged from the first vacuum unit through the first vacuum pipe 18.

[0088] Both the feeding chamber 2 and the separation chamber 16 are located above the melting chamber 1 and can move relative to the melting chamber 1. They can also form a sealed body isolated from the atmospheric environment by alternately docking with the first isolation valve 3 and the vacuum melting shell.

[0089] When the separation chamber is connected to the first isolation valve, the first isolation valve is opened, and the separation chamber shell and the vacuum melting shell form a sealed body that is isolated from the atmospheric environment.

[0090] The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a first flow channel 23 and an ingot chamber 24; the ingot chamber 24 includes an ingot chamber shell 25 and a casting mold 26; the ingot chamber 24 is connected to a second isolation valve 4; when casting is to be performed, the second isolation valve 4 is opened, the melting chamber 1 and the ingot chamber 24 are connected, the first flow channel 23 is moved between the melting chamber 1 and the ingot chamber 24, the vacuum melting shell is rotated, and the melt 38 in the melting crucible is poured into the casting mold 26 in the ingot chamber 24 through the first flow channel 23 under vacuum or protective atmosphere to obtain a metal ingot.

[0091] The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a sixth isolation valve 27 and a trough chamber 28; the trough chamber 28 includes a trough shell 29 and a trough drive device; one end of the sixth isolation valve 27 is connected to the trough shell 29, and the other end is connected to the ingot chamber 24; when the sixth isolation valve 27 and the second isolation valve 4 are opened, the trough drive device drives the first trough 23 to move between the trough chamber 28, the ingot chamber 24 and the melting chamber 1.

[0092] The casting chamber 24 also includes a translation device 30, which is located inside the casting chamber 24. The casting molds 26 are mounted on the translation device 30. By moving the translation device 30, the molten metal can be poured into multiple casting molds 26 in sequence.

[0093] In one possible implementation, the casting chamber further includes a rotating device disposed within the casting chamber, and casting molds are mounted on the rotating device. By rotating the rotating device, molten metal can be sequentially poured into multiple casting molds.

[0094] The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a second flow channel 31 and a second separation chamber 32; the second separation chamber 32 includes a second separation chamber shell 33, a heating chamber 34, a heater 35, an isolation box, and a molten pool 36; the heating chamber 34 is disposed within the second separation chamber shell 33, and the heater 35, the isolation box, and the molten pool 36 are disposed within the heating chamber 34. There is one or more isolation boxes; when there are multiple isolation boxes, the multiple isolation boxes are arranged vertically; there is one or more molten pools 36 in each isolation box, and a plug 37 is provided on the molten pool 36. When the plug 37 is opened, the molten material in the molten pool can flow into the molten pool of the next layer; the heater 35 is used to heat the isolation box and the molten pool.

[0095] The second separation chamber 32 is connected to the third isolation valve 5; the third isolation valve 5 is opened, the second flow channel 31 is moved between the melting chamber 1 and the second separation chamber 32, the vacuum melting shell is rotated, and the melt in the melting crucible flows through the second flow channel to the uppermost melt pool in the second separation chamber.

[0096] like Figure 3 As shown, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a flow guiding device and a mold system. The mold system includes a preparation chamber 40, a fourth isolation valve 41, a casting chamber 42, a fifth isolation valve 43, and a discharge chamber 44 connected in sequence. A transmission device 45 is installed in each of the preparation chamber 40, casting chamber 42, and discharge chamber 44. Opening the fourth isolation valve 41 allows the mold 46 to be transferred from the preparation chamber 40 to the casting chamber 42; opening the fifth isolation valve 43 allows the mold 46 to be transferred from the casting chamber 42 to the discharge chamber 44. The casting chamber 42 is connected to the second separation chamber 32, and the flow guiding device is located between the casting chamber 42 and the second separation chamber 32. The arrows in the figure indicate the direction of mold flow.

[0097] Open the plug of the lowest layer of the molten pool in the second separation chamber, and the molten material in the molten pool can be quantitatively poured into the mold in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device.

[0098] In one possible implementation, the flow guiding device includes a metering device 39. The molten pool, the flow guiding device, and the mold system work together to repeatedly perform the casting operation, enabling quantitative and continuous casting. The casting operation includes: opening the plug of the lowest layer of the molten pool in the second separation chamber to allow the melt in the molten pool to flow out; the melt flowing into the metering device; when the weight of the melt in the metering device reaches a set value, closing the plug to stop the melt from flowing out of the molten pool; tilting the metering device to pour the melt into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber; after casting is completed, resetting the metering device; moving the mold at the casting position out of the casting position and moving the empty mold into the casting position.

[0099] In one possible implementation, the flow guiding device also includes a casting trough 47. During the casting process, after the molten material in the molten pool flows out, it is first poured into the casting trough 47 and then flows into the metering device 39 through the casting trough 47.

[0100] In another possible implementation, during the casting process, the molten material in the molten pool flows directly into the metering device after it flows out.

[0101] The second separation chamber 32 also includes a condensation device and a second vacuum unit 48; the condensation device includes a cooler 49 and a condensed metal collector 50.

[0102] There is one or more condensing devices and second vacuum units; the second vacuum unit is located outside the shell of the second separation chamber; one end of the condensing device is connected to the isolation box and the other end is connected to the second vacuum unit; the steam discharged from the isolation box is cooled by the cooler of the condensing device, the condensed liquid metal is collected in the condensed metal collector, and the gas is discharged by the second vacuum unit.

[0103] In one possible implementation, there are two isolation boxes, namely upper isolation box 51 and lower isolation box 52, which are positioned vertically; each isolation box contains one molten pool; the vacuum degree in the upper isolation box 51 and the vacuum degree in the lower isolation box 52 are controllable within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; the heating temperature of the heating chamber 34 is controllable within the range of 700-1500℃.

[0104] In one possible implementation, the ingot chamber of the multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace can be moved away from the connection with the second isolation valve, and the flow channel chamber is connected to the second isolation valve in place; when the second isolation valve is opened, the flow channel drive device drives the first flow channel to move between the flow channel chamber and the melting chamber.

[0105] In such Figure 4 In another possible embodiment shown, the trough chamber 28 of the multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace is connected to the second isolation valve 4; when the second isolation valve 4 and the third isolation valve 5 are opened, the trough drive device drives the second trough 31 to move between the trough chamber 28, the melting chamber 1 and the second separation chamber 32.

[0106] In one possible implementation, the flow chamber further includes a heating device for preheating the first and second flow chambers at a temperature higher than 200°C.

[0107] In one possible implementation, both the first and second flow channels include slag isolation and filtration devices for filtering slag and impurities generated during the smelting process.

[0108] In one possible implementation, the flow channel housing is provided with a flow channel cover, which can be opened to clean and repair the first and second flow channels that have moved into the flow channel chamber.

[0109] In one possible implementation, the metal ingot has a height of 500mm-3500mm and a diameter of 80mm-300mm.

[0110] In such Figure 5 , Figure 6 In another possible embodiment shown, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace includes a second flow channel 31 and a second separation chamber 32; the second separation chamber 32 includes a second separation chamber shell 33, a heating chamber 34, a heater 35, and an isolation box 53; the heating chamber 34 is disposed inside the second separation chamber shell 33, and the heater 35 and the isolation box 53 are disposed inside the heating chamber 34; the isolation box 53 has an upper molten pool 54, an inclined portion 55, and a lower molten pool 56 arranged from top to bottom; plug portions 37 are provided on the upper molten pool 54 and the lower molten pool 56.

[0111] 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 isolation box.

[0112] The second separation chamber 32 is connected to the third isolation valve 5; the third isolation valve 5 is opened, the second flow channel 31 is moved between the melting chamber 1 and the second separation chamber 32, the vacuum melting shell is rotated, and the melt 38 in the melting crucible 13 flows into the upper melting pool 54 through the second flow channel 31.

[0113] The flow channel 28 is connected to the second isolation valve 4; when the second isolation valve 4 and the third isolation valve 5 are opened, the second flow channel 31 moves between the flow channel 28, the melting chamber 1 and the second separation chamber 32.

[0114] 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 at the expected speed on multiple inclined sections, thereby realizing continuous casting production.

[0115] The isolation chamber 53 is connected to a metal condensation device via a pipe. The metal condensation device is connected to the vacuum unit 48 outside the separation chamber. The metal condensation device includes a condenser 49 and a condensed metal collector 50. The vapor of the melt evaporated within the isolation chamber 53 is condensed into liquid by the condenser and flows into the condensed metal collector 50 to obtain metal material. The gas is discharged from the vacuum unit 48 through a pipe.

[0116] There are two or more metal condensation devices; each metal condensation device is equipped with a valve 57 on the pipes connected to the isolation box 53 and the vacuum unit 48. By controlling the valves, the collected metal material can be removed from the condensed metal collector without affecting continuous casting production.

[0117] The number of inclined sections is multiple; these inclined sections are arranged vertically, one after the other. In a preferred implementation, the number of inclined sections is 2-60. In a more preferred implementation, the number of inclined sections is 20-40.

[0118] 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 1.5° to 2.5°.

[0119] In one possible implementation, the upper melting shell has a double-layer water-cooled wall structure.

[0120] In one possible implementation, both the upper melting shell and the lower melting shell have a double-layer water-cooled wall structure.

[0121] In one possible implementation, the second separation chamber shell has a double-layer water-cooled wall structure.

[0122] In one possible implementation, both the casting chamber and the discharge chamber have a double-layer water-cooled wall structure.

[0123] 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.

[0124] In one possible implementation, the discharge chamber is equipped with a heat exchanger and a cooling fan. The hot air generated by the mold is cooled by the heat exchanger and then enters the air inlet of the cooling fan. The air discharged from the air outlet of the cooling fan is directly blown toward the mold.

[0125] like Figure 7In another possible embodiment shown, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace includes a melting chamber 1, a feeding chamber 2, a first isolation valve 3, a second isolation valve 4, a third isolation valve 5, a separation chamber 16, an ingot casting chamber 24, a flow channel chamber 28, and a first flow channel 23. The melting chamber 1 includes a vacuum melting shell 58, with rotating parts on both sides, and supported on a rotating mechanism 7 via the rotating parts. The vacuum melting shell 58 is capable of rotating around the rotating parts. The rotating parts include a first part 11 and a second part 12. The first part 11 is connected to the vacuum melting shell 58, and the second part 12 is supported on the rotating mechanism 7. The interior of the first part 11 is a cavity, forming a channel. The second parts 12 of the rotating parts on both sides are connected to the second isolation valve 4 and the third isolation valve 5, respectively. The first part 11 and the second part 12 are connected by a dynamic seal.

[0126] When the vacuum melting shell rotates, the first part rotates with the vacuum melting shell, while the second part, the second isolation valve, and the third isolation valve do not rotate, so that the interior of the vacuum melting shell remains isolated from the atmospheric environment during the rotation process.

[0127] In one possible implementation, when the vacuum melting shell rotates, the interior of the vacuum melting shell can still maintain a sealed environment isolated from the atmospheric environment outside the multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace; this sealed environment includes a vacuum environment or a protective atmosphere environment.

[0128] In one possible implementation, the first part can also be supported on the rotating structure.

[0129] One end of the first isolation valve 3 is connected to the melting chamber 1. The feeding chamber 2 and the separation chamber 16 are both located above the melting chamber 1 and can move relative to the melting chamber 1. They can also form a sealed body isolated from the atmospheric environment by alternately docking with the other end of the first isolation valve 3 and the vacuum melting shell.

[0130] The ingot chamber 24 is connected to the third isolation valve 5. When casting is to be carried out, the third isolation valve 5 is opened, the smelting chamber 1 and the ingot chamber 24 are connected, and the first flow channel 23 is moved between the smelting chamber 1 and the ingot chamber 24 for casting.

[0131] The flow channel chamber 28 is connected to the second isolation valve 4. When the second isolation valve 4 and the third isolation valve 5 are opened, the flow channel transmission device drives the first flow channel 23 to move between the flow channel chamber 28, the ingot chamber 24 and the smelting chamber 1.

[0132] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a method for separating brass, implemented using the aforementioned multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace, which further includes a first flow channel and a casting chamber; the casting chamber includes a casting mold; a second isolation valve is connected to the casting chamber; the method includes the following steps: (1) Load the brass raw material into the feeding chamber, move the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, and send the brass raw material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device; then close the first isolation valve and move the feeding chamber away; (2) The movable separation chamber is connected to the first isolation valve. The first isolation valve is opened, and the movable distillation collection device passes through the separation chamber and the first isolation valve into the melting chamber and approaches the melting crucible. The melting chamber is evacuated, and the medium frequency induction heating power supply is started to heat the brass raw material in the melting crucible into a molten liquid. (3) Evacuate the melting chamber through the first vacuum pipe, control the vacuum degree to be within the range of 0.1Pa-200Pa, control the temperature of the melt in the melting crucible to be within the range of 900-1200℃, and keep it at the temperature for 60-180 minutes; then, lift the distillation collection device back to the separation chamber, close the first isolation valve and remove the separation chamber; (4) Open the second isolation valve to connect the melting chamber and the ingot casting chamber; move the first flow channel between the melting chamber and the ingot casting chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the molten liquid in the melting crucible into the casting mold in the ingot casting chamber through the first flow channel to obtain a metal ingot; after casting is completed, remove the first flow channel and close the second isolation valve. Repeat the work of steps (1)-(4) to achieve continuous production.

[0133] In one possible implementation, the copper content in the brass raw material is above 50%.

[0134] In one possible implementation, after the brass raw material in the smelting crucible is melted into a liquid, the process further includes controlling the temperature of the liquid in the smelting crucible in the range of 900-1200°C, controlling the vacuum degree in the range of 400Pa-1000Pa, and holding it at that temperature for 5-30 minutes to remove harmful impurities from the liquid.

[0135] In one possible implementation, the material of the metal ingot is copper.

[0136] In one possible implementation, after step (3), a metallic material is collected in a first collector, the metallic material comprising at least zinc.

[0137] In one possible implementation, between steps (3) and (4), the process further includes loading the separating auxiliary material into the feeding chamber, moving the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, feeding the separating auxiliary material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device, activating the electromagnetic stirring function of the medium frequency induction heating power supply, keeping it warm for 5-20 minutes, and further removing impurities from the melt to improve purity, the impurities including iron.

[0138] The present invention also provides a method for separating brass, implemented using the aforementioned multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace, which includes a flow guiding device and a casting chamber connected to a second separation chamber; the flow guiding device is disposed between the casting chamber and the second separation chamber; the method includes: (1) Load the brass raw material into the feeding chamber, move the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, and send the brass raw material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device. Then retract the feeding device, close the first isolation valve and move the feeding chamber away; evacuate the melting chamber and / or fill it with protective gas, start the induction heating power supply to start heating, and melt the brass raw material in the melting crucible into molten liquid. (2) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; open the third isolation valve to connect the second separation chamber and the melting chamber, move the second flow channel between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the molten liquid in the melting crucible into the upper melting pool through the second flow channel; after casting is completed, remove the second flow channel and close the third isolation valve. (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃ and the vacuum degree in the isolation box within the range of 0.5Pa-200Pa; adjust the plug of the upper molten pool to a suitable position so that the molten liquid in the upper molten pool flows into the inclined part and then flows into the lower molten pool through the inclined part. (4) Open the plug of the lower molten pool, and the molten liquid is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the guide device to obtain metallic copper material; (5) When the molten liquid in the mold reaches a certain 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; Repeat steps (4)-(5) to achieve continuous casting.

[0139] This invention also provides a method for separating brass, implemented using the aforementioned multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace includes a flow guiding device and a casting chamber connected to a second separation chamber; the flow guiding device is disposed between the casting chamber and the second separation chamber; there are two isolation boxes, positioned vertically as an upper isolation box and a lower isolation box; the method includes: (1) Load the brass raw material into the feeding chamber, move the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, and send the brass raw material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device. Then retract the feeding device, close the first isolation valve and move the feeding chamber away; evacuate the melting chamber and / or fill it with protective gas, start the induction heating power supply to start heating, and melt the brass raw material in the melting crucible into molten liquid. (2) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; open the third isolation valve to connect the second separation chamber and the melting chamber, move the second flow channel between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the molten liquid in the melting crucible into the uppermost molten pool in the second separation chamber through the second flow channel; after casting, remove the second flow channel and close the third isolation valve; (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; the molten liquid 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 50Pa-200Pa; open the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation box, and the molten liquid flows into the molten pool in the lower isolation box; the molten liquid 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 0.5Pa-200Pa; (4) Open the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box, and the molten liquid is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the guide device to obtain metallic copper material; (5) When the molten liquid in the mold reaches a certain 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)-(5) until the molten liquid in the molten pool is completely poured.

[0140] In one possible implementation, the multipurpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a separation chamber; the separation chamber includes a first vacuum pipe and a distillation collection device; the distillation collection device includes a first condenser and a first collector; the distillation collection device is connected to a first vacuum unit via the first vacuum pipe; the separation chamber is capable of docking with a first isolation valve; between steps (1) and (2) the following is included: The movable separation chamber is connected to the first isolation valve. The first isolation valve is opened, and the movable distillation collecting device passes through the separation chamber and the first isolation valve into the melting chamber, approaching the melting crucible. A vacuum is evacuated from the melting chamber through the first vacuum pipe, controlling the vacuum level to 0.1 Pa-200 Pa. The temperature of the molten metal in the melting crucible is controlled within the range of 900-1200°C and held for 60-180 minutes. During this period, the metal vapor evaporated from the melting crucible enters the distillation collecting device, is condensed by the first condenser, and then enters the first collector. The gas is extracted by the first vacuum unit through the first vacuum pipe. Then, the distillation collecting device is lifted back to the separation chamber, the first isolation valve is closed, and the separation chamber is removed. After the first collector cools, the condensed metal is removed. In a preferred embodiment, the metal includes zinc.

[0141] In one possible implementation, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a preparation chamber, a fourth isolation valve, a fifth isolation valve, and a discharge chamber, which are connected sequentially. After step (5), the process further includes: placing an empty mold into the preparation chamber, evacuating the vacuum, opening the fourth isolation valve, and moving the empty mold to the casting chamber for later use; opening the fifth isolation valve, moving the mold to the discharge chamber, closing the fifth isolation valve, opening the discharge chamber door to remove the mold, taking out the copper material, and then moving the empty mold to the preparation chamber for later use.

[0142] This invention also provides a method for separating alloy materials, wherein the alloy material comprises a main metal material and a separated metal material, the content of the main metal material being in the range of 50-98%, and the separated metal material comprising at least a first metal material, a second metal material, and a third metal material; the saturated vapor pressure of the separated metal material in the temperature range of 500-1450℃ is in the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa, and the saturated vapor pressure of the main metal material in the temperature range of 500-1450℃ is higher than the saturated vapor pressure of the separated metal material; the method is implemented using the aforementioned multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace, which includes a flow guiding device, a separation chamber, and a casting chamber connected to a second separation chamber; the flow guiding device is disposed between the casting chamber and the second separation chamber; there are two isolation chambers, positioned vertically as an upper isolation chamber and a lower isolation chamber; both the upper and lower isolation chambers are connected to a condensed metal collector; the separation chamber includes a first vacuum pipe and a distillation collection device; the distillation collection device includes a first condenser and a first collector; the distillation collection device is connected to a first vacuum unit via the first vacuum pipe; the separation chamber can be connected to a first isolation valve; the method includes the following steps: (1) Load the alloy material into the feeding chamber, move the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, and send the alloy material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device. Then retract the feeding device, close the first isolation valve and move the feeding chamber away. Move the separation chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, open the first isolation valve, and move the distillation collection device from the separation chamber through the first isolation valve into the melting chamber and approach the melting crucible. Start the induction heating power supply to start heating and melt the alloy material in the melting crucible into a liquid. (2) Vacuum the melting chamber through the first vacuum pipe, control the vacuum degree to be within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa, control the temperature of the molten liquid in the melting crucible to be within the range of 500-1450℃, and keep it at the temperature for 60-180 minutes. During this period, the metal vapor evaporated by heating the melting crucible enters the distillation collection device, is condensed by the first condenser and enters the first collector. The gas is extracted by the first vacuum unit through the first vacuum pipe. Then, the distillation collection device is lifted back to the separation chamber, the first isolation valve is closed and the separation chamber is removed. After the first collector is cooled, the condensed first metal material is taken out. (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 500-1450℃; open the third isolation valve to connect the second separation chamber and the melting chamber, move the second flow channel between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the molten liquid in the melting crucible into the uppermost molten pool in the second separation chamber through the second flow channel; after casting, remove the second flow channel and close the third isolation valve; (4) The temperature of the heating chamber is controlled within the range of 500-1450℃; the molten liquid 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; the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation box is opened, and the molten liquid flows into the molten pool in the lower isolation box; the molten liquid 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; the molten liquid collected by the condensing metal collector connected to the upper isolation box is cooled to obtain the second metal material, and the molten liquid collected by the condensing metal collector connected to the lower isolation box is cooled to obtain the third metal material; the second metal material and the third metal material are metal materials of the same type as the first metal material, or the first metal material, the second metal material and the third metal material are metal materials of different types; (5) Open the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box, and the molten liquid is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the guide device to obtain the main metal material; (6) When the molten liquid in the mold reaches a certain 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 (5) and (6) until the molten liquid in the molten pool is completely poured.

[0143] In one possible implementation, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace further includes a preparation chamber, a fourth isolation valve, a fifth isolation valve, and a discharge chamber, which are connected sequentially. After step (6), the process further includes: placing an empty mold into the preparation chamber, evacuating the vacuum, opening the fourth isolation valve, and moving the empty mold to the casting chamber for later use; the mold containing a certain amount of molten metal continues to cool in the casting chamber, then moves to a set position, opens the fifth isolation valve, moves the mold to the discharge chamber, then closes the fifth isolation valve, opens the discharge chamber door to remove the mold, takes out the main metal material, and then moves the empty mold to the preparation chamber for later use.

[0144] In one possible implementation, the discharge chamber is equipped with a heat exchanger and a cooling fan. The hot air generated by the mold is cooled by the heat exchanger and then enters the air inlet of the cooling fan. The air discharged from the air outlet of the cooling fan blows directly onto the mold. When the mold moves to the discharge chamber, the fifth isolation valve is closed, the discharge chamber is filled with protective gas, and the cooling fan is started to quickly cool the mold.

[0145] In one possible implementation, after the alloy material in the melting crucible is melted into a liquid, the process further includes controlling the temperature of the liquid in the melting crucible in the range of 900-1100°C, controlling the vacuum degree in the range of 400Pa-1000Pa, and holding it at that temperature for 5-30 minutes to remove harmful impurities from the liquid.

[0146] In the above method, the first metal material, the second metal material, the third metal material, and the main metal material are separated from the alloy material by controlling the vacuum degree in the melting chamber, the upper isolation chamber, and the lower isolation chamber.

[0147] The first, second, and third metallic materials may be one material, two materials, or three different materials.

[0148] The advantages of the present invention are further illustrated below through specific embodiments. Example 1

[0149] In this embodiment, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining 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).

[0150] The specific work process is as follows: 1. Add 3000 kg of raw material to the melting crucible under vacuum through the feeding chamber; close the first isolation valve and remove the feeding chamber; evacuate the melting chamber to 1000 Pa; 2. Turn on the medium-frequency induction heating power supply to heat the raw material in the melting crucible to 1050℃, and keep it at that temperature for 5 minutes after the raw material melts; 3. Connect the separation chamber to the first isolation valve, open the first isolation valve, and move the distillation collection device from the separation chamber into the melting chamber; start the first vacuum unit and evacuate the melting chamber through the first vacuum pipeline; maintain the vacuum degree at 80-150Pa and the temperature at 1000-1050℃ for 180 minutes. 4. Lift the distillation collection device back to the separation chamber, close the first isolation valve, move the separation chamber to the material collection position, and after 40 minutes, open the retaining ring under the first collector, take out the zinc ingots and weigh them, totaling approximately 1213 kg. 5. Open the second isolation valve and the sixth isolation valve, move the first flow channel between the melting chamber and the ingot casting chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the melt in the melting crucible through the first flow channel into the three casting molds with a diameter of 200mm and a height of 1300mm in the ingot casting chamber. 6. Reset the vacuum melting shell, move the first flow channel back to the flow channel chamber, and then close the second and sixth isolation valves; 7. Open the casting chamber door, take out 3 copper metal ingots and weigh them, totaling approximately 1761 kg.

[0151] Analysis revealed that the copper ingots had a purity of 99.96% and a copper yield of approximately 99.5%; the zinc had a purity of 99.3% and a zinc yield of approximately 98.6%. The obtained copper and zinc materials meet the demand of high-end manufacturing industries for high-purity copper and zinc raw materials. Example 2

[0152] In this embodiment, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining 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).

[0153] The specific work process is as follows: 1. Add 3000 kg of raw material to the melting crucible under vacuum through the feeding chamber; close the first isolation valve and remove the feeding chamber; evacuate the melting chamber to 1000 Pa; 2. Turn on the medium-frequency induction heating power supply to heat the raw material in the melting crucible to 1050℃, and keep it at that temperature for 5 minutes after the raw material melts; 3. Open the third isolation valve and the second isolation valve, move the second flow channel between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the melt in the melting crucible into the upper melting pool through the second flow channel; after casting is completed, reset the vacuum melting shell, move the second flow channel back to the flow channel chamber, and then close the third isolation valve and the second isolation valve. 4. Preheat the heating chamber to approximately 1000-1050℃; maintain the vacuum level in the isolation chamber within the range of 80Pa-120Pa; adjust the plug of the upper molten pool to a suitable position so that the molten liquid in the upper molten pool flows into the inclined section, and then flows into the lower molten pool through the inclined section; the flow rate is approximately 50Kg / min; the lower molten pool uses quantitative casting, with a quantitative control of 350Kg / mold, approximately 8 minutes per mold; 5. Pre-load the five molds into the preparation chamber. Vacuum the preparation chamber and the discharge chamber until the set vacuum level is reached, then open the fourth and fifth isolation valves. After casting begins, move one mold forward for each casting. Once casting is complete, move all five molds to the discharge chamber and close the fourth and fifth isolation valves. After the discharge chamber is filled with air, start the cooling fan to cool the five molds. After 30 minutes, open the discharge chamber door, move the five molds outside the discharge chamber, remove the copper plates, and weigh them; the total weight is approximately 1752 kg. 6. Open the condensate metal collectors in the upper and lower isolation boxes, take out the zinc ingots and weigh them, totaling approximately 1208 kg.

[0154] Analysis revealed that the copper ingots had a purity of 99.92% and a copper yield of approximately 99%; the zinc had a purity of 98.8% and a zinc yield of approximately 98.2%. The obtained copper and zinc materials meet the demand of high-end manufacturing industries for high-purity copper and zinc raw materials. Example 3

[0155] In this embodiment, the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining 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).

[0156] The specific work process is as follows: 1. Add 3000 kg of raw material to the melting crucible under vacuum through the feeding chamber; close the first isolation valve and remove the feeding chamber; evacuate the melting chamber to 1000 Pa; 2. Turn on the medium-frequency induction heating power supply to heat the raw material in the melting crucible to 1050℃, and keep it at that temperature for 5 minutes after the raw material melts; 3. Connect the separation chamber to the first isolation valve, open the first isolation valve, and move the distillation collection device from the separation chamber to the docking position of the melting chamber; start the first vacuum unit and evacuate the melting chamber through the first vacuum pipeline; maintain the vacuum degree at 80-150Pa and the temperature at 1000-1050℃ for 90 minutes. 4. Lift the distillation collection device back to the separation chamber, close the first isolation valve, move the separation chamber to the material collection position, and after 40 minutes, open the retaining ring under the first collector to remove the zinc ingot; reset the distillation collection device; 5. Open the third isolation valve and the second isolation valve, move the second flow channel between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the melt in the melting crucible into the molten pool of the upper isolation box through the second flow channel; after casting, reset the vacuum melting shell, move the second flow channel back to the flow channel chamber, and then close the third isolation valve and the second isolation valve. 6. Preheat the heating chamber to approximately 1000-1050℃; allow the melt to remain in the molten pool of the upper isolation chamber for 100-120 minutes, during which time maintain the vacuum level in the upper isolation chamber within the range of 80-150Pa; 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. 7. Beforehand, load 9 molds into the preparation chamber. Vacuum the preparation chamber and the discharge chamber until the set vacuum level is reached, then open the fourth and fifth isolation valves. After casting begins, move one mold forward for each casting. Once casting is complete, move all 9 molds to the discharge chamber and close the fourth and fifth isolation valves. After the discharge chamber is filled with air, start the cooling fan to cool the 9 molds. After 60 minutes, open the discharge chamber door, move the 9 molds out of the discharge chamber, and remove the copper plate. 8. Open the condensate collectors in the upper and lower isolation boxes and remove the zinc ingots.

[0157] After weighing, the zinc ingots in the first collector and the condensed metal collector weighed a total of approximately 1216 kg, and the copper plates weighed a total of approximately 1765 kg. Analysis showed that the copper ingots had a purity of 99.97% and a copper yield of approximately 99.7%; the zinc had a purity of 99.5% and a zinc yield of approximately 98.9%. The obtained copper and zinc materials meet the demand of high-end manufacturing industries for high-purity copper and zinc raw materials.

Claims

1. A multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace, characterized in that, The system includes a melting chamber, a feeding chamber, a first isolation valve, a second isolation valve, and a third isolation valve. The melting chamber includes a vacuum melting shell, an induction heating device, a rotating mechanism, and a lifting and translating device. The vacuum melting shell includes an upper melting shell and a lower melting shell, which are connected. Rotating parts are provided on both sides of the upper melting shell and are supported on the rotating mechanism. The upper melting shell can drive the lower melting shell to rotate around the rotating parts. The rotating parts include a first part and a second part, the interior of which is a cavity, forming a channel. The first part of the rotating parts on both sides is connected to the vacuum melting shell, and the second part is connected to the second isolation valve and the third isolation valve, respectively. The first and second parts are connected by a dynamic seal. When the vacuum melting shell rotates, the first part rotates with the vacuum melting shell, while the second part, the second isolation valve, and the third isolation valve do not rotate. The induction heating device is fixed inside the lower melting shell, and a melting crucible is provided inside the induction heating device. The lifting and translating device is located below the lower melting shell; when the connection between the upper and lower melting shells is released, the induction heating device rises and falls and moves together with the lower melting shell; the feeding chamber includes a feeding chamber shell and a feeding device, the feeding device being located inside the feeding chamber shell; one end of the first isolation valve is connected to the melting chamber, and the other end can dock with the feeding chamber; when the feeding chamber docks with the first isolation valve, the first isolation valve is opened, and the feeding device can transfer raw materials and / or auxiliary materials from the feeding chamber to the melting crucible inside the melting chamber.

2. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a separation chamber; the separation chamber includes a separation chamber shell, a first vacuum pipe, and a distillation collection device; the distillation collection device includes a distillation column, a first condenser, and a first collector; the distillation collection device is connected to a first vacuum unit outside the separation chamber shell through the first vacuum pipe; the separation chamber can also be connected to the other end of a first isolation valve; when the separation chamber is connected to the first isolation valve, the first isolation valve is opened, and the distillation collection device passes through the first isolation valve from the separation chamber into the melting chamber; the metal vapor evaporated by heating the melting crucible is collected through the distillation column of the distillation collection device, the condensed metal liquid enters the first collector after passing through the first condenser, and the gas is discharged from the first vacuum unit through the first vacuum pipe.

3. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a first flow channel and an ingot casting chamber; the ingot casting chamber includes an ingot casting chamber shell and a casting mold; the ingot casting chamber is connected to a second isolation valve; when casting is to be performed, the second isolation valve is opened, the melting chamber and the ingot casting chamber are connected, the first flow channel is moved between the melting chamber and the ingot casting chamber, the vacuum melting shell is rotated, and the melt in the melting crucible is poured into the casting mold in the ingot casting chamber through the first flow channel under vacuum or protective atmosphere to obtain a metal ingot.

4. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a second flow channel and a second separation chamber; the second separation chamber includes a second separation chamber shell, a heating chamber, a heater, and an isolation box; the heating chamber is located inside the second 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; the upper molten pool and the lower molten pool are provided with plugs; when the plug of the upper molten pool is opened, the melt in the upper molten pool can flow to 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 isolation box; the second separation chamber is connected to a third isolation valve; when the third isolation valve is opened, the second flow channel is moved between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, the vacuum melting shell is rotated, and the melt in the melting crucible flows into the upper molten pool through the second flow channel.

5. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a second flow channel and a second separation chamber; the second separation chamber includes a second separation chamber shell, a heating chamber, a heater, an isolation box, and a molten pool; the heating chamber is located inside the second 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 multiple isolation boxes, the multiple isolation boxes are arranged vertically; there is one or more molten pools inside the isolation boxes, and the molten pools are provided with plugs. When the plugs are opened, the melt in the molten pool can flow to the molten pool in the next layer; the heater is used to heat the isolation box and the molten pool; the second separation chamber is connected to a third isolation valve; when the third isolation valve is opened, the second flow channel is moved between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, and the vacuum melting shell is rotated, the melt in the melting crucible flows through the second flow channel to the uppermost molten pool in the second separation chamber.

6. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a flow guiding device and a mold system. The mold system includes a preparation chamber, a fourth isolation valve, a casting chamber, a fifth isolation valve, and a discharge chamber connected in sequence. The preparation chamber, the casting chamber, and the discharge chamber are all equipped with transmission devices. Opening the fourth isolation valve can transfer the mold from the preparation chamber to the casting chamber. Opening the fifth isolation valve allows the mold to be transferred from the casting chamber to the discharge chamber; The casting chamber is connected to the second separation chamber. A flow guiding device is set between the casting chamber and the second separation chamber. When the plug of the lowest layer of the molten pool in the second separation chamber is opened, the molten material in the molten pool can be quantitatively poured into the mold in the casting chamber through the flow guiding device.

7. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace according to claim 6, characterized in that, The flow guiding device includes a metering device; The molten pool, the flow guiding device, and the mold system work together repeatedly to perform the casting operation, enabling quantitative and continuous casting. The casting process includes: opening the plug of the lowest layer of the molten pool in the second separation chamber to allow the melt to flow out; the melt flows into the metering device; when the weight of the melt in the metering device reaches the set value, closing the plug to stop the melt from flowing out of the molten pool; tilting the metering device to pour the melt into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber; after casting is completed, resetting the metering device; moving the mold at the casting position out of the casting position and moving the empty mold into the casting position.

8. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The second separation chamber also includes a condensation device and a second vacuum unit; the condensation device includes a cooler and a condensed metal collector; there is one or more condensation devices and a second vacuum unit; the second vacuum unit is located outside the shell of the second separation chamber; one end of the condensation device is connected to the isolation box, and the other end is connected to the second vacuum unit; the steam discharged from the isolation box is cooled by the cooler of the condensation device, the condensed liquid metal is collected in the condensed metal collector, and the gas is discharged by the second vacuum unit.

9. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace according to claim 5, characterized in that: There are two isolation chambers, namely the upper isolation chamber and the lower isolation chamber, which are positioned vertically; each isolation chamber contains one molten pool; the vacuum degree in the upper isolation chamber and the vacuum degree in the lower isolation chamber are controllable within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa; the heating temperature of the heating chamber is controllable within the range of 700-1500℃.

10. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a trough chamber; the trough chamber includes a trough shell and a trough drive device; the trough chamber is connected to a second isolation valve; when the second isolation valve and the third isolation valve are opened, the trough drive device drives the second trough to move between the trough chamber, the melting chamber and the second separation chamber.

11. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace according to claim 3, characterized in that: The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a sixth isolation valve and a trough chamber; the trough chamber includes a trough shell and a trough drive device; one end of the sixth isolation valve is connected to the trough shell and the other end is connected to the ingot casting chamber; when the sixth isolation valve and the second isolation valve are opened, the trough drive device drives the first trough to move between the trough chamber, the ingot casting chamber and the melting chamber.

12. A method for separating brass, implemented using the multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a first flow channel and a casting chamber; the casting chamber includes a casting mold; a second isolation valve is connected to the casting chamber; the method includes the following steps: (1) Load the brass raw material into the feeding chamber, move the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, and send the brass raw material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device; then close the first isolation valve and move the feeding chamber away; (2) The movable separation chamber is connected to the first isolation valve. The first isolation valve is opened, and the movable distillation collection device passes through the separation chamber and the first isolation valve into the melting chamber and approaches the melting crucible. The melting chamber is evacuated, and the medium frequency induction heating power supply is started to heat the brass raw material in the melting crucible into a molten liquid. (3) Evacuate the melting chamber through the first vacuum pipe, control the vacuum degree to be within the range of 0.1Pa-200Pa, control the temperature of the melt in the melting crucible to be within the range of 900-1200℃, and keep it at the temperature for 60-180 minutes; then, lift the distillation collection device back to the separation chamber, close the first isolation valve and remove the separation chamber; (4) Open the second isolation valve to connect the melting chamber and the ingot casting chamber; move the first flow channel between the melting chamber and the ingot casting chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the molten liquid in the melting crucible into the casting mold in the ingot casting chamber through the first flow channel to obtain a metal ingot; after casting is completed, remove the first flow channel and close the second isolation valve. Repeat the work of steps (1)-(4) to achieve continuous production.

13. The method for separating brass according to claim 12, characterized in that: Between steps (3) and (4), the process also includes loading the separation auxiliary material into the feeding chamber, moving the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, feeding the separation auxiliary material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device, starting the electromagnetic stirring function of the medium frequency induction heating power supply, keeping it warm for 5-20 minutes, further removing impurities from the melt to improve purity.

14. A method for separating brass, implemented using a multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace as described in any one of claims 4, 6-10, characterized in that, The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace includes a flow guiding device and a casting chamber connected to a second separation chamber; The flow guiding device is disposed between the casting chamber and the second separation chamber; the method includes: (1) Load the brass raw material into the feeding chamber, move the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, and send the brass raw material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device. Then retract the feeding device, close the first isolation valve and move the feeding chamber away; evacuate the melting chamber and / or fill it with protective gas, start the induction heating power supply to start heating, and melt the brass raw material in the melting crucible into molten liquid. (2) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; open the third isolation valve to connect the second separation chamber and the melting chamber, move the second flow channel between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the molten liquid in the melting crucible into the upper melting pool through the second flow channel; after casting, move the second flow channel back to its original position and close the third isolation valve. (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃ and the vacuum degree in the isolation box within the range of 0.5Pa-200Pa; adjust the plug of the upper molten pool to a suitable position so that the molten liquid in the upper molten pool flows into the inclined part and then flows into the lower molten pool through the inclined part. (4) Open the plug of the lower molten pool, and the molten liquid is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the guide device to obtain metallic copper material; (5) When the molten liquid in the mold reaches a certain 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; Repeat steps (4)-(5) to achieve continuous casting.

15. The method for separating brass according to claim 14, characterized in that, The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a preparation chamber, a fourth isolation valve, a fifth isolation valve, and a discharge chamber, which are connected in sequence. After step (5), the process also includes: placing the empty mold into the preparation chamber, evacuating the vacuum chamber, opening the fourth isolation valve, and moving the empty mold into the casting chamber for later use. Open the fifth isolation valve, and after the mold containing molten metal cools in the discharge chamber, move the mold to the discharge chamber. Then close the fifth isolation valve, open the discharge chamber door, move the mold out, remove the copper material, and then move the empty mold to the preparation chamber for later use.

16. A method for separating brass, implemented using a multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace as described in any one of claims 5-10, characterized in that, The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace includes a flow guiding device and a casting chamber connected to a second separation chamber; the flow guiding device is located between the casting chamber and the second separation chamber; there are two isolation boxes, designated as an upper isolation box and a lower isolation box in vertical position; the method includes: (1) Load the brass raw material into the feeding chamber, move the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, and send the brass raw material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device. Then retract the feeding device, close the first isolation valve and move the feeding chamber away; evacuate the melting chamber and / or fill it with protective gas, start the induction heating power supply to start heating, and melt the brass raw material in the melting crucible into molten liquid. (2) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; open the third isolation valve to connect the second separation chamber and the melting chamber, move the second flow channel between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the molten liquid in the melting crucible into the uppermost molten pool in the second separation chamber through the second flow channel; after casting, remove the second flow channel and close the third isolation valve; (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 900-1200℃; the molten liquid 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 50Pa-200Pa; open the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation box, and the molten liquid flows into the molten pool in the lower isolation box; the molten liquid 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 0.5Pa-200Pa; (4) Open the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box, and the molten liquid is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the guide device to obtain metallic copper material; (5) When the molten liquid in the mold reaches a certain 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)-(5) until the molten liquid in the molten pool is completely poured.

17. The method for separating brass according to claim 14 or 16, characterized in that, The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a separation chamber; the separation chamber includes a first vacuum pipe and a distillation collection device; the distillation collection device includes a first condenser and a first collector; the distillation collection device is connected to a first vacuum unit through the first vacuum pipe; the separation chamber can be connected to a first isolation valve; Between steps (1) and (2) is included: The movable separation chamber is connected to the first isolation valve. The first isolation valve is opened, and the movable distillation collection device passes through the first isolation valve from the separation chamber and enters the melting chamber, approaching the melting crucible. The melting chamber is evacuated through the first vacuum pipe, and the vacuum level is controlled to be 0.1 Pa-200 Pa. The temperature of the molten liquid in the melting crucible is controlled to be in the range of 900-1200℃ and held for 60-180 minutes. During this period, the metal vapor evaporated by heating the melting crucible enters the distillation collection device, is condensed by the first condenser and then enters the first collector. The gas is extracted by the first vacuum unit through the first vacuum pipe. Then, the distillation collection device is lifted back to the separation chamber, the first isolation valve is closed and the separation chamber is removed. After the first collector cools down, the condensed metal is taken out.

18. A method for separating alloy materials, characterized in that, The alloy material comprises a main metal material and a separated metal material. The content of the main metal material is in the range of 50-98%, and the separated metal material includes at least a first metal material, a second metal material, and a third metal material. The saturated vapor pressure of the separated metal material in the temperature range of 500-1450℃ is in the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa, and the saturated vapor pressure of the main metal material in the temperature range of 500-1450℃ is higher than that of the separated metal material. The method is implemented using a multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace as described in any one of claims 5-10. The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace includes a flow guiding device, a separation chamber, and a casting chamber connected to a second separation chamber. The flow guiding device is disposed between the casting chamber and the second separation chamber. There are two isolation boxes, which are positioned vertically as an upper isolation box and a lower isolation box. Both the upper and lower isolation boxes are connected to a condensed metal collector. The separation chamber includes a first vacuum pipe and a distillation collection device. The distillation collection device includes a first condenser and a first collector. The distillation collection device is connected to a first vacuum unit through the first vacuum pipe. The separation chamber can be connected to a first isolation valve. The method includes the following steps: (1) Load the alloy material into the feeding chamber, move the feeding chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, and send the alloy material into the melting crucible of the melting chamber through the feeding device. Then retract the feeding device, close the first isolation valve and move the feeding chamber away; move the separation chamber to connect with the first isolation valve, open the first isolation valve, and move the distillation collection device from the separation chamber through the first isolation valve into the melting chamber and approach the melting crucible. The induction heating power supply is turned on to start heating, melting the alloy material in the melting crucible into a molten liquid. (2) Vacuum the melting chamber through the first vacuum pipe, control the vacuum degree to be within the range of 0.1Pa-1000Pa, control the temperature of the molten liquid in the melting crucible to be within the range of 500-1450℃, and keep it at the temperature for 60-180 minutes. During this period, the metal vapor evaporated by heating the melting crucible enters the distillation collection device, is condensed by the first condenser and enters the first collector. The gas is extracted by the first vacuum unit through the first vacuum pipe. Then, the distillation collection device is lifted back to the separation chamber, the first isolation valve is closed and the separation chamber is removed. After the first collector is cooled, the condensed first metal material is taken out. (3) Control the temperature of the heating chamber within the range of 500-1450℃; open the third isolation valve to connect the second separation chamber and the melting chamber, move the second flow channel between the melting chamber and the second separation chamber, rotate the vacuum melting shell, and pour the molten liquid in the melting crucible into the uppermost molten pool in the second separation chamber through the second flow channel; after casting, remove the second flow channel and close the third isolation valve; (4) The temperature of the heating chamber is controlled within the range of 500-1450℃; the molten liquid 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; the plug of the molten pool in the upper isolation box is opened, and the molten liquid flows into the molten pool in the lower isolation box; the molten liquid 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; the molten liquid collected by the condensing metal collector connected to the upper isolation box is cooled to obtain the second metal material, and the molten liquid collected by the condensing metal collector connected to the lower isolation box is cooled to obtain the third metal material; the second metal material and the third metal material are metal materials of the same type as the first metal material, or the first metal material, the second metal material and the third metal material are metal materials of different types; (5) Open the plug of the molten pool in the lower isolation box, and the molten liquid is quantitatively poured into the mold at the casting position in the casting chamber through the guide device to obtain the main metal material; (6) When the molten liquid in the mold reaches a certain 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 (5) and (6) until the molten liquid in the molten pool is completely poured.

19. The method for separating alloy materials according to claim 18, characterized in that, The multi-purpose vacuum induction refining furnace also includes a preparation chamber, a fourth isolation valve, a fifth isolation valve, and a discharge chamber, which are connected in sequence. After step (6), the process further includes: placing the empty mold into the preparation chamber, evacuating the vacuum, opening the fourth isolation valve, and moving the empty mold to the casting chamber for later use; the mold containing a certain amount of molten metal continues to cool in the casting chamber, then moves to the set position, opens the fifth isolation valve, moves the mold to the discharge chamber, then closes the fifth isolation valve, opens the discharge chamber door to remove the mold, takes out the main metal material, and then moves the empty mold to the preparation chamber for later use.

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