Note: Heating a crucible for Melting plastic
Objective:
To heat a crucible for a plastic melting application.
End Product:
Plastic waste
Equipment:
Ambrell 5 kW induction heating system, equipped with a remote workhead containing two 1.5μF capacitors for a total of 0.75μF
An induction heating coil designed and developed specifically for this application.
Materials:
Stainless steel crucible, 3 in (76 mm ) diameter, 18 in (457 mm.) height
ground plastic compound
Temperature:
400 °F (204 °C)
Frequency:
288 kHz
Testing:
A single-position 6-turn helical coil is used to generate the required heating for application. The crucible is heated in 70 seconds with the 5kW power supply. The plastic takes approximately 7 minutes to melt. This melting time may be decreased by either mixing, or by increasing the surface area in contact with the plastic material.
The customer is designing a medical disposal system. The medical bottles and pills are run through a grinding machine, and then put into the stainless steel crucible. They want to melt the material into a solid mass, and eventually empty the crucible through the bottom and dispose of the waste. What would benefit the customer is that induction heating would provide a small and portable process. Control of bio hazards would also be optimally maintained, as opposed to a more open heating environment.
Benefits:
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Flexible and cleanliness can not be duplicated by conventional methods.
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Fast, controllable temperature ramp, allowing for consistent, quality results.
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Faster startup/shutdown time saves energy
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