Melting Loss

What is the melting loss of aluminum? How it is calculated? How it can be minimized?

Hello Milind,

An average of 4% by weight of melted aluminum is lost to oxidation. Please read the following Adobe Acrobat PDF project from the Argonne National Laboratory to understand this:

www.es.anl.gov/Energy_systems/Process_En...m_and_Its_Alloys.pdf

Minimization of melting loss however will have to come from someone with that particular metallurgical background and experience or by you contacting the Argonne labs directly to learn the results of their project.

Sincerely
Peter J. Stewart-Hay
Principal
Stewart-Hay Associates
www.Stewart-Hay.com

1) Don't charge light scrap on the top of the charge.
2) Stay away from really light stuff like chips. It just turns to dross.
3) Don't over heat your furnaces.
4) Don't ever try and recharge dross because some bean counter thinks that there is good metal in it. Just send it out and wait for the RSI (Recycling Services Income) to return. If you put the dross back it your furnace it will just make a LOT more dross.
5) Don't leave an alloyed furnace sitting for long periods of time before casting.