Iron sand melting 2

Melting some more iron sand.
Experiment..
The temperature of the liquid iron must be below 1083° Celcius because the copper electrodes did not melt.
I used dishwasher soap again to trigger the process.
It looks a bit like lava with it's elasticity.
Adding salt didn't create any special effects or colour of the flames.
Watch the ammeter pointer jump, when the electrodes are moved. The base load is around 20 Ampères at 240 Volts.

Note of caution !!

This experiment is done with 240 Volts mains , so utmost care has to be taken when trying it out during experimenting with this exercise.

I'm in the process of sourcing carbon rods so more tests will follow, with an arc furnace set up.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• iron
• sand
• melting
• arc
• furnace
• salt
• glowing
• red
• hot
• liquid

[virgilius1979]

Iron melts at 1538C and the copper melts at 1084C so you cannot get melted iron without melting the copper electrodes; i thing you succeeded melting some sand using iron conductivity.

[RODALCO2007]

@virgilius1979 Yes you are correct with the temperatures. The ironsand will be below 1084°C as the Cu electrodes don't melt.

[danielww100]

Hello RODALCO.... Are experimenting to find a process to produce pig iron , or cast iron? Carbon introduced into a iron oxygen atmosphere should work to remove the oxygen , thus reducing the iron to molten iron. The electrodes in theory should start to work as anode , and cathode to precipitate iron while leaving the oxygen as a free radical to float away. This could be a way to reduce iron oxides without the need for carbon based fluxes. A sheilding gas like argon over the melt may help.

[RODALCO2007]

Thanks for your detailed reply.

This was just an experiment, and was surprised how easy the iron sand actually melted with only 20 Amps. I have built a prototype arc furnace but haven't fully tested it yet.

I'm using AC, working on a 5 kVA 55 Volts 80 Ampère transformator

[sz42781]

what would happen if youy got zapped by 240?

[RODALCO2007]

Worst case: death. Or you could get a good zap and survive.

Simply, be carefull when experimenting with mains electricity.

[AlexusPius]

This is really sad, I was hoping to see the end result - the glass or whatever that was produced.

[marieomagpie]

how about lime and charcoal? and carbon electrodes? might make some calcium carbide.

[RODALCO2007]

Electrische verwarming en fornuis, oven en boiler. alhoewel gecontroleerd over de piek periode.

[BarneySaysHi]

Goeie dag! 80 Ampère is geen kattenpis!