General Electric Company
CRUCIBLE FOR MELTING REACTIVE ALLOYS

Abstract:

A ceramic crucible having an Al.sub.2TiO.sub.5 body with face layers of non-reactive ceramic and a method of making the crucible. The ceramic crucible is made by utilizing a plaster mold and forming a crucible body as backing material in the plaster mold with a slurry. The slurry is fired to form the crucible body of aluminum titanate. Non-reactive ceramic slurry is applied to the interior of the crucible body to a predetermined thickness, wetting the crucible body and then fired forming a non-reactive layer as the interior surface of the ceramic crucible. The non-reactive layer forming the interior surface of the ceramic crucible is more dense than non-reactive layers in prior art crucibles. The dense non-reactive layer forms a stronger bond with the crucible body, reducing the potential for delamination of the non-reactive layer when a reactive alloy is melted in the crucible by vacuum induction melting.