Threaded Crucible Lid Design for High-Purity Carbon Production

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for manufacturing carbon materials, such as graphite, often result in impurities re-adhering to the raw material during heat treatment, leading to reduced purity of the final product.

Innovation Solution

A crucible design featuring a cylindrical container with a male thread on its outer periphery and a lid with a female thread on its inner periphery, along with a through-hole in the lid, prevents powder dust and volatilized impurities from re-entering the container, ensuring high-purity carbon material production by discharging impurities effectively during heat treatment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a conventional crucible without threads is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but powder dust enters the container during lid attachment, reducing product purity

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovepurityVSAvoidcrucible structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The crucible is divided into separate components (container body and lid) with threaded connections, allowing the lid to be securely attached while maintaining the ability to open and close. The threading mechanism segments the sealing function from the container body, preventing dust entry during assembly while preserving structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The threaded connection acts as an intermediary mechanism between the container body and lid, providing a controlled interface that prevents unauthorized entry paths for powder dust. The threads create a defined assembly path that excludes contaminants while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard threading processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If the lid is sealed tightly without a through-hole, then foreign matter is prevented from entering, but inner pressure builds up and may break the lid during heat treatment

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovepurityVSAvoidlid integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The lid is designed with a localized through-hole that provides a controlled escape path for volatilized matter while maintaining the overall sealed structure. This local modification allows pressure relief without compromising the general sealing quality that prevents foreign matter entry, balancing purity maintenance with pressure management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The through-hole converts the harmful effect of pressure buildup into a beneficial pressure relief mechanism. By providing a controlled exit for volatilized matter, the design prevents catastrophic lid failure while maintaining the sealed environment needed for purity, transforming a potential weakness into a strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Ease of operation

If the crucible is opened frequently to add or remove material, then material handling is flexible, but powder dust enters the container each time, reducing purity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial handlingVSAvoidpurity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The threaded lid connection enables preliminary sealing of the container before heat treatment begins. This preliminary action prevents dust entry during the entire heat treatment process, while the threaded design still allows easy opening for material addition or removal when needed, maintaining both purity and operational flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The crucible lid system transitions from a static open/closed state to a dynamic sealed state through threading. The threaded connection provides a controlled dynamic interface that can be quickly engaged or disengaged, allowing flexible material handling while maintaining a sealed environment that excludes powder dust during processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The described crucible design effectively prevents foreign matter from mixing with the raw material and allows for the discharge of volatilized impurities, resulting in carbon materials with increased purity and stability during high-temperature processing.

Implementation Method 1

a male thread is provided on an outer periphery of the body, and a female thread is provided on an inner periphery of the cylindrical portion of the lid for being screwed on the male thread. This will prevent powder dust produced as the male and female threads slide on each other from entering the interior of the container

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

The disc has a through-hole. With this construction, even when the inner pressure rises at a high rate, volatilized matter is discharged through the through-hole, thereby preventing the lid from breaking

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVolatilization: Evaporation

Data Source

PatentEP3248938B1Production method for carbon material using crucible
Publication Date: 2019.01.16 SEC CARBON
  • EP3248938B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3248938B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3248938B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A carbon material with increased purity is manufactured. The method of manufacturing a carbon material includes the steps of: preparing a crucible (10) including a container having a cylindrical body and a bottom closing an end of the body, and a lid having a cylindrical portion and a disc closing an end of the cylindrical portion; placing raw material in the crucible (10); heating a graphite tube (20) positioned such that its axial direction is horizontal; and loading the crucible (10) with the raw material placed therein into the interior of the graphite tube (20) such that the axial direction of the body is parallel to the axial direction of the graphite tube (20). A male thread is provided on the outer periphery of the body, and a female thread is provided on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion for being screwed on the male thread. The lid has an outer diameter equal to that of the container, and the disc has a through-hole.