AU2003238317B2

AU2003238317B2 - Continuous furnace

Info

Publication number: AU2003238317B2
Application number: AU2003238317A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Boyne Friedrich Hohenstein
Original assignee: Innovative Met Products Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Innovative Met Products Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2002-05-22
Filing date: 2003-05-22
Publication date: 2008-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 2023-05-22
Also published as: WO2003098140A1; AU2003238317A1; ZA200409330B

Description

WO 03/098140 PCT/ZA03/00066 CONTINUOUS FURNACE Field of the Invention THIS invention relates to a continuous furnace particularly suitable for the treatment of mineral samples such as in a fire assay process, homogenisation process, and loss of ignition processes.

Description of Prior Art 1 0 The Applicant's co-pending Patent Application No. 2001/2214 discloses a handling means for introducing and removing crucibles into and from a furnace. Such handling mechanism is adapted for use with a stationary furnace.

Object of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel furnace which will be particularly suitable for the treatment of mineral ore contained in crucibles or the like.

WO 03/098140 PCT/ZA03/00066 2 Summary of the Invention According to the present invention, a furnace suitable for the treatment of samples contained in a crucible or the like comprises an outer wall structure enclosing an interior furnace space which is adapted to be heated by heating means, a moving carrier within the interior furnace space which is adapted to carry a crucible or the like along a predetermined pathway within the interior furnace space, and access means for locating and retrieving a crucible on and from the carrier. The heating means could be in the nature of electric resistance heating elements, electric induction heating means or the like.

In a preferred arranged, the carrier will be in the nature of a rotating platform or ring member, which transports a crucible in a circular pathway through the furnace.

With such an arrangement, the wall of the furnace could for example be in the 1 5 nature of an annulus defining an annular interior furnace space.

With the arrangement above, it is contemplated that access means to the interior of WO 03/098140 PCT/ZA03/00066 3 the furnace could be in the form of an interruption in the annular wall of the furnace.

Also included within the scope of the invention is a method of processing a mineral sample contained in a crucible or the like comprising the steps of: providing a furnace as disclosed above; locating a crucible on the moving carrier of the furnace; and transporting the crucible along a predetermined path through the furnace.

Further according to this aspect of the invention the method may include the step of transporting a plurality of crucibles containing mineral samples through the furnace, preferably in a circular pathway.

Also according to the method, a crucible may be transported through the furnace WO 03/098140 PCT/ZA03/00066 4 through a predetermined number of circuits as a preheating step before receiving a mineral sample.

Yet further according to the invention, a crucible may be retrieved from the carrier, discharged and thereafter reintroduced onto the carrier for a repeat of a treatment process. With such an arrangement, a crucible may be replaced after serving for a predetermined number of treatment processes.

Thus, in one example of the invention, the method includes the steps of transporting a plurality of crucibles in an endless pathway, preheating a crucible through one or more circuits of the endless pathway, introducing a mineral sample into the crucible, causing the sample to be heated during a further predetermined number of circuits through the circular pathway, retrieving the crucible from the pathway, discharging the heated contents of the crucible therefrom and reintroducing the crucible onto the carrier. As previously mentioned a used crucible could be discarded after serving for a predetermined number of tests.

WO 03/098140 PCT/ZA03/00066 Brief Descrintion of the Drawings In order more clearly to illustrate the invention an embodiment thereof is described hereunder purely by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a furnace in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 Figure 3 is a sectioned plan view of the furnace in Figure 1; and is a sectioned elevation of the furnace in Figure 1.

Detailed Description of Drawings Referring to the drawings, a furnace 10 in accordance with the invention comprises an annular wall structure 11 which defines an annular interior furnace space 12 which is adapted to be heated by means of heating or induction coils 13, burners WO 03/098140 PCT/ZA03/00066 6 (not shown), or the like.

It is a feature of the invention that the furnace includes a moving carrier 14 which is adapted to carry a crucible 15 or the like through the annular space 12 of the furnace 10. In the arrangement illustrated, such a moving carrier 14 comprises a disc or ring member which is rotatable about an axis which is concentric with the oven structure 11. Doubtless variations are possible in this regard and the invention is not limited to such a moving disc 14.

1 0 The furnace of the invention further includes access means 16 to the interior space 12 of the furnace 10 and in the arrangement illustrated, such access means 16 comprises an interruption in the annular furnace wall 11.

A method of treating a movable sample utilizing the furnace 10 of the invention 1 5 could thus comprise the steps of preheating a crucible 15 by locating it on the moving carrier 14 and transporting the crucible 15 through the annular space 12 of the furnace 10 for a predetermined number of circuits, usually one. Once preheated, the mineral sample will be deposited into the crucible 15 via the access WO 03/098140 PCT/ZA03/00066 7 means 16, and thereafter the crucible will again be conducted through the annular interior 12 of the furnace 10 for a predetermined number of circuits. Once the sample has been treated, for example by way of fusion for a fire assay process, or fusion for an homogenizing process, or in respect of a loss of ignition process or the like, the crucible 15 will be retrieved from the moving carrier 14 via the access means 16 and discharged into a suitable vessel for further treatment. Thereafter the crucible 15 can be reintroduced onto the moving carrier 14 and after being preheated could be charged with a fresh mineral sample upon such reintroduction to the carrier 14. After serving for a predetermined number ore treatments, the crucible 15 could be discarded and replaced with a new crucible 15. It will be understood that the above method could be applied to a plurality of crucibles simultaneously.

It will also be understood by persons skilled in the art that the furnace 10 of the invention will permit continuous treatment of ore samples and will be suitable for an automated process.

WO 03/098140 PCT/ZA03/00066 Doubtless variations of the invention exist in detail without departing from the principles set out in the consistory clauses.

Claims

2. The furnace according to claim 1 wherein the outer wall structure of the furnace is in the form of an annulus defining an annular interior furnace space.
3. The furnace according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the access means for locating and retrieving a crucible on and from the carrier comprises an interruption in the wall structure of the furnace.
4. The furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the heating means comprises electrical resistance or induction heating means. 00 0 5. A furnace suitable for the treatment of samples contained in a crucible or the like substantially as herein described and exemplified with Sreference to the accompany drawings. 5 6. A method of processing a mineral sample contained in a crucible or the 00 like comprising the steps of providing a furnace as claimed in any one of (iclaims 1 to 6; locating a crucible on the moving carrier of the furnace; 0 and transporting the crucible along a circular pathway through the furnace.
7. The method according to claim 6 including the step of transporting a plurality of crucibles containing mineral samples through the furnace.
8. The method according to claims 6 or 7 wherein the crucible is transported through the furnace through a predetermined number of circuits to preheat such crucible before receiving a mineral sample therein.
9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8 wherein a crucible is retrieved from the carrier, discharged, and thereafter reintroduced onto the carrier for a repetition of a treatment process. 00 The method according to claim 9 wherein a crucible is discarded after (serving for a predetermined number of treatment processes. S 11. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 10 comprising the steps of transporting a plurality of crucibles along an endless pathway, 0 preheating a crucible through one or more circuits of the endless 0 Spathway, introducing a mineral sample into the crucible, causing the sample to be heated during a further predetermined number of circuits through the circular pathway, retrieving the crucible from the pathway, discharging the heated contents of the crucible therefrom and reintroducing the crucible onto the carrier.
12. A method of processing a mineral sample contained in a crucible or the like substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.