Hexavalent
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Melting Ruthenium
Someone I know wants to know of the best way to melt ruthenium, which, unfortunately, melts at 2000*+. They have a powder and want a solid lump of it
for an element collection. Any ideas? He asked me about UK companies that could do this for him, but I wasn't sure and a Google search was no help.
"Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." Winston Churchill
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Adas
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Tell him to try induction heating. This may work.
Rest In Pieces!
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Hexavalent
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How does this work?
"Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." Winston Churchill
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Mr. Wizard
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Simply put you put the conducting powder into a coil of metal that has a high frequency alternating current going through it. The coil acts like the
primary of a transformer, and the conductive powder acts as the (shorted out) secondary. The powder has a lot of current flowing through it, and
starts getting hot through resistive heating.
Often the current is high enough to levitate the molten metal. Search you tube with the term 'inductive heating' . Here is a video of platinum powder
being melted.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItZ8dvMw3b4&feature=relat...
Generating high currents at frequencies above 50-60 Hz distribution frequencies requires special equipment. One exception is the use of a microwave
oven, which I will let you search for yourself. You might consider what reactivity Ruthenium has with air, and perhaps plan to use an inert gas
atmosphere on it.
[Edited on 6-2-2012 by Mr. Wizard]
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Engager
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Melt it using electric arc, use carbon crucible and carbon rod assembly covered by protective gas to prevent oxidation.
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