A sponge indium smelting furnace
By designing an automated sponge indium smelting furnace and adopting automatic stirring components and slag discharge pipes, the problems of high labor intensity and safety hazards in sponge indium smelting were solved, and efficient production was achieved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HUNAN RE TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-31
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
AI Technical Summary
The current sponge indium smelting process is labor-intensive, lacks specialized equipment, poses occupational safety hazards, and has low production efficiency.
A sponge indium smelting furnace was designed, equipped with an automatic stirring assembly, slag discharge pipe and indium discharge pipe, combined with a crucible heating assembly and a temperature measuring assembly to achieve automated operation and reduce manual intervention.
It reduced labor intensity, improved the working environment, increased production efficiency, and avoided the safety hazards of manual stirring and slag removal.
Smart Images
Figure CN224534752U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of smelting furnace technology, and more specifically, relates to a sponge indium smelting furnace. Background Technology
[0002] Sponge indium is a sponge-like metallic indium produced by hydrometallurgical processing of indium-containing materials. This material is in the state of slurry and contains various impurities. It needs to be pressed into cakes and smelted to produce crude indium, which provides raw materials for subsequent purification.
[0003] Industrially, indium is mainly extracted using byproducts of zinc smelting or various indium-containing materials recovered from other sources. The extraction-electrolysis method is used for production, and the main process is as follows: indium-containing raw material → leaching → purification → extraction → back extraction → displacement → briquetting → sponge indium casting → electrolytic refining → secondary refining → qualified refined indium.
[0004] Currently, due to its small production capacity, the smelting process of sponge indium has long been neglected. There is no dedicated smelting furnace equipment, and relevant enterprises use the simplest crucible furnace for smelting, which requires manual feeding, manual stirring, manual unloading, and manual slag removal. This is labor-intensive and poses occupational safety hazards. Utility Model Content
[0005] To address the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this application is to provide a sponge indium smelting furnace that reduces labor intensity, improves the working environment, and increases production efficiency.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: a sponge indium smelting furnace is provided, comprising: a shell, a furnace cavity formed inside the shell, a crucible placed inside the furnace cavity and mounted on the shell; a heating assembly for heating the crucible is provided inside the furnace cavity, a stirring assembly for stirring the material inside the crucible is provided at the top of the shell; a temperature measuring assembly for measuring the temperature of the furnace cavity and the crucible is provided on the shell, and a slag discharge pipe and an indium discharge pipe are provided at the lower part of the crucible, a first valve is provided on the slag discharge pipe, and a second valve is provided on the indium discharge pipe.
[0007] In one embodiment, the housing is provided with an insulation layer, and the furnace cavity is formed within the insulation layer.
[0008] In one embodiment, a lifting assembly is provided on the top of the housing, and the stirring assembly is disposed on the lifting assembly.
[0009] In one embodiment, the lifting assembly includes a four-column synchronous lifter disposed on the top of the housing and a base disposed on the four-column synchronous lifter, and the stirring assembly is disposed on the base.
[0010] In one embodiment, the stirring assembly includes: a frame, a variable frequency motor, a reducer, a stirring shaft, and a stirring paddle. The variable frequency motor and the reducer are mounted on the frame. The stirring paddle is mounted at one end of the stirring shaft, and the other end is connected to the output shaft of the variable frequency motor via the reducer.
[0011] In one embodiment, both the first valve and the second valve are needle valves, which are installed vertically and whose operating handles extend to the top outer side of the housing.
[0012] In one embodiment, the heating assembly includes: a resistance band heating element, an insulating tube, and a conductive rod. The insulating tube extends through the housing, and the conductive rod is disposed inside the insulating tube and electrically connected to the resistance band heating element. The resistance band heating element is arranged on the side wall and bottom surface of the furnace cavity.
[0013] In one embodiment, the outer side of the housing is provided with a junction box cover that covers each of the conductive rods.
[0014] In one embodiment, the temperature measuring assembly includes a crucible temperature measuring thermocouple and a furnace temperature measuring thermocouple. A protective sleeve is provided inside the crucible, and the crucible temperature measuring thermocouple is installed inside the protective sleeve. Both the crucible temperature measuring thermocouple and the furnace temperature measuring thermocouple are electrically connected to a PLC system or a PID temperature controller.
[0015] In one embodiment, the housing is provided with chute mounting ports corresponding to the indium discharge pipe and the slag discharge pipe, respectively.
[0016] The beneficial effects of the sponge indium smelting furnace provided in this application are as follows: by setting up a stirring component to automatically stir the material in the crucible, and by setting up a slag discharge pipe, an indium discharge pipe, a first valve, and a second valve to replace the manual stirring, manual material discharge, and slag discharge operations in the prior art, the labor intensity is greatly reduced, the working environment is improved, and the production efficiency is increased. Attached Figure Description
[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0018] Figure 1 A top view of the indium sponge smelting furnace provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of section AA;
[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of the structure at point BB.
[0021] The following are the labeling elements in the figure:
[0022] 1. Shell; 11. Furnace cavity; 12. Insulation layer; 13. Sluice box mounting port; 2. Crucible; 21. Mounting base; 3. Heating assembly; 31. Resistance heating element; 32. Insulating tube; 33. Conductive rod; 34. Junction box cover; 4. Stirring assembly; 41. Frame; 42. Variable frequency motor; 43. Reducer; 44. Stirring shaft; 45. Stirring paddle; 5. Temperature measuring assembly; 51. Crucible temperature measuring thermocouple; 52. Furnace temperature measuring thermocouple; 53. Protective sleeve; 6. Slag discharge pipe; 61. First valve; 7. Indium discharge pipe; 71. Second valve; 8. Lifting assembly; 81. Four-column synchronous lifter; 82. Base. Detailed Implementation
[0023] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.
[0024] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.
[0025] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.
[0026] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0027] like Figures 1-3As shown, an embodiment of this application provides a description of a sponge indium smelting furnace. The sponge indium smelting furnace includes: a shell 1, with an insulation layer 12 inside the shell 1, the insulation layer 12 being made of insulation bricks or insulation cotton, forming a furnace cavity 11; a crucible 2 is mounted on the shell 1 and placed inside the furnace cavity 11. Specifically, the upper part of the crucible 2 is fixed to the top of the shell 1 by a mounting base 21; a heating assembly 3 for heating the crucible 2 is provided inside the furnace cavity 11, and a stirring assembly 4 for stirring the material inside the crucible 2 is provided on the top of the shell 1, using mechanical stirring instead of traditional manual stirring; a temperature measuring assembly 5 is provided on the shell 1 for measuring the temperature of the furnace cavity 11 and the crucible 2, used for real-time monitoring of the temperature inside the furnace cavity 11 and the crucible 2. A slag discharge pipe 6 and an indium discharge pipe 7 are provided on the lower part of the crucible 2, the slag discharge pipe 6 having a first valve 61 and the indium discharge pipe 7 having a second valve 71. During the smelting reaction, the first valve 61 and the second valve 71 are closed. The heating component 3 heats the crucible 2, and the heating temperature is controlled by the temperature measuring component 5. The stirring component 4 stirs the material in the crucible 2, which is a sponge indium cake, and industrial caustic soda flakes are added to accelerate the smelting and impurity removal reaction. After the smelting reaction is completed, the second valve 71 is opened, and the molten crude indium is discharged from the indium discharge pipe 7. When alkali slag begins to flow out, the second valve 71 is closed. At the same time, the first valve 61 is opened to discharge the alkali slag. After the slag is discharged, the material is fed back in for the next batch of production. In this embodiment, the shell 1 is provided with chute installation ports 13 corresponding to the indium discharge pipe 7 and the slag discharge pipe 6, respectively. The chute installation ports 13 are used to install chutes, which are used to discharge crude indium or alkali slag into the corresponding collection equipment. The chutes also facilitate observation of whether the discharged crude indium contains alkali slag.
[0028] In this embodiment, the crucible 2 is relatively small, with a diameter of approximately 700mm. To facilitate material input, a lifting assembly 8 is provided at the top of the shell 1, and the stirring assembly 4 is mounted on the lifting assembly 8. When material needs to be added, the stirring assembly 4 is first raised by the lifting assembly 8, making it convenient for workers to pour the material into the crucible 2. Specifically, the lifting assembly 8 includes a four-column synchronous lifter 81 mounted at the top of the shell 1 and a base 82 mounted on the four-column synchronous lifter 81. The base 82 has a frame structure, and the stirring assembly 4 is mounted on the base 82. The four-column synchronous lifter 81 can stably raise or lower the base 82 to achieve the raising and lowering of the stirring assembly 4.
[0029] The stirring assembly 4 includes a frame 41, a variable frequency motor 42, a reducer 43, a stirring shaft 44, and a stirring paddle 45. The frame 41 is mounted on the base 82. The variable frequency motor 42 and the reducer 43 are mounted on the frame 41. The stirring paddle 45 is mounted on one end of the stirring shaft 44, and the other end is connected to the output shaft of the variable frequency motor 42 via the reducer 43. When the variable frequency motor 42 operates, it drives the stirring shaft 44 to rotate via the reducer 43. When the stirring shaft 44 rotates, it drives the stirring paddle 45 to rotate, thereby stirring and mixing the materials in the crucible 2 and accelerating the melting reaction.
[0030] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, both the first valve 61 and the second valve 71 are needle valves. Each needle valve includes a lead screw, an operating handle, and a lead screw nut. The lead screw nut is fixed to the top of the crucible 2. A guide ring can also be installed inside the crucible 2 to ensure linear movement of the lead screw. The lead screw and the lead screw nut are threaded together. One end of the lead screw has an operating handle, and the other end has a conical sealing head. In this embodiment, the needle valve is installed vertically. One end of the slag discharge pipe 6 or indium discharge pipe 7 inside the crucible 2 is closed, and the other end is its discharge outlet. The slag discharge pipe 6 or indium discharge pipe 7 has a feed hole on the top side wall inside the crucible 2 that cooperates with the conical sealing head. The operating handle of the needle valve extends to the top outer side of the housing 1. When it needs to be opened, the lead screw is rotated counterclockwise by the operating handle. The lead screw gradually moves out of the crucible 2, simultaneously causing the conical sealing head to disengage from the feed hole, thus opening the feed hole. The crude indium or alkali slag inside the crucible 2 can enter the indium discharge pipe 7 or the slag discharge pipe 6 through the feed hole and then be discharged onto the chute. When shutting down is required, the screw is rotated clockwise by operating the handle. The screw gradually moves into the crucible 2, simultaneously causing the conical sealing head to move downwards and gradually seal the feed hole, preventing the material inside the crucible 2 from being discharged. By setting the feed hole perpendicular to the axis of the indium discharge pipe 7 or the slag discharge pipe 6, spraying during material discharge can be effectively avoided.
[0031] In this embodiment, the heating assembly 3 includes: a resistance band heating element 31, an insulating tube 32, and a conductive rod 33. Multiple insulating tubes 32 are provided and spaced apart through the housing 1. One end of each insulating tube 32 extends into the furnace chamber, and the other end extends outside the housing 1. Each insulating tube 32 contains a conductive rod 33, which is electrically connected to the resistance band heating element 31. The resistance band heating element 31 is arranged on the side walls and bottom surface of the furnace chamber 11. The conductive rod 33 is electrically connected to an external power source outside the housing 1. To ensure safety, a junction box cover 34 is provided on the outside of the housing 1 to cover each conductive rod 33.
[0032] In this embodiment, the temperature measuring component 5 includes a crucible temperature measuring thermocouple 51 and a furnace temperature measuring thermocouple 52. The crucible temperature measuring thermocouple 51 is set vertically, and the furnace temperature measuring thermocouple 52 is set horizontally. A protective sleeve 53 is provided inside the crucible 2. The crucible temperature measuring thermocouple 51 is installed in the protective sleeve 53 to prevent the material in the crucible 2 from damaging the crucible temperature measuring thermocouple 51. Both the crucible temperature measuring thermocouple 51 and the furnace temperature measuring thermocouple 52 are electrically connected to a PLC system or a PID temperature controller for automatic control of the heating temperature.
[0033] In this embodiment, the sponge indium smelting furnace is a kiln equipment specifically designed for indium metallurgical smelting. The crucible 2, stirring shaft 44, stirring paddle 45, first valve 61, and second valve 71 are all made of 316L stainless steel resistant to chloride ion corrosion, ensuring a long service life. By setting up the stirring assembly 4, continuous mechanical stirring can be achieved, solving the problems of high labor intensity and poor stirring effect caused by manual periodic stirring. The stirring assembly 4 is set on the lifting assembly 8, which is beneficial for material input given the small diameter of the crucible 2, and can be lowered for stirring after the material has melted. By setting up the indium-scraping pipe, slag discharge pipe 6, and first valve 61 and second valve 71 on the crucible 2, automatic material discharge is achieved, solving the problems of high labor intensity and occupational safety hazards caused by manual slag skimming and liquid scooping in the prior art, which are easily caused by scalding from splashing molten material.
[0034] The sponge indium melting furnace of this embodiment is not only suitable for melting sponge indium, but also for melting other similar low-melting-point materials.
[0035] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.
Claims
1. A sponge indium smelting furnace, characterized in that, include: A shell (1) is provided, a furnace cavity (11) is formed inside the shell (1), and a crucible (2) is installed on the shell (1) and placed inside the furnace cavity (11); a heating component (3) for heating the crucible (2) is provided inside the furnace cavity (11), and a stirring component (4) for stirring the material in the crucible (2) is provided at the top of the shell (1); a temperature measuring component (5) for measuring the temperature of the furnace cavity (11) and the crucible (2) is provided on the shell (1), and a slag discharge pipe (6) and an indium discharge pipe (7) are provided on the lower part of the crucible (2), a first valve (61) is provided on the slag discharge pipe (6), and a second valve (71) is provided on the indium discharge pipe (7).
2. The sponge indium smelting furnace as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The shell (1) is provided with a heat insulation layer (12), and the furnace cavity (11) is formed inside the heat insulation layer (12).
3. The sponge indium smelting furnace as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The top of the housing (1) is provided with a lifting assembly (8), and the stirring assembly (4) is disposed on the lifting assembly (8).
4. The sponge indium smelting furnace as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The lifting assembly (8) includes a four-column synchronous lifter (81) disposed on the top of the housing (1) and a base (82) disposed on the four-column synchronous lifter (81), and the stirring assembly (4) is disposed on the base (82).
5. The sponge indium smelting furnace according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The stirring assembly (4) includes: a frame (41), a variable frequency motor (42), a reducer (43), a stirring shaft (44), and a stirring paddle (45). The variable frequency motor (42) and the reducer (43) are mounted on the frame (41). The stirring paddle (45) is mounted on one end of the stirring shaft (44), and the other end is connected to the output shaft of the variable frequency motor (42) via the reducer (43).
6. The sponge indium smelting furnace as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first valve (61) and the second valve (71) are needle valves, which are installed vertically and whose operating handles extend to the top outer side of the housing (1).
7. The sponge indium smelting furnace as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The heating assembly (3) includes: a resistance band heating element (31), an insulating tube (32) and a conductive rod (33). The insulating tube (32) is disposed through the housing (1). The conductive rod (33) is disposed inside the insulating tube (32) and electrically connected to the resistance band heating element (31). The resistance band heating element (31) is arranged on the side wall and bottom surface of the furnace cavity (11).
8. The sponge indium smelting furnace as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The outer side of the housing (1) is provided with a junction box cover (34) that covers each of the conductive rods (33).
9. The sponge indium smelting furnace as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature measuring component (5) includes a crucible temperature measuring thermocouple (51) and a furnace temperature measuring thermocouple (52). The crucible (2) is provided with a protective sleeve (53). The crucible temperature measuring thermocouple (51) is installed in the protective sleeve (53). Both the crucible temperature measuring thermocouple (51) and the furnace temperature measuring thermocouple (52) are electrically connected to the PLC system or PID temperature controller.
10. The sponge indium smelting furnace as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (1) is provided with chute installation ports (13) corresponding to the indium discharge pipe (7) and the slag discharge pipe (6).