초록

In the fusion of vanadium pentoxide powder heat is generated in a melt of the powder by passing an electrical current along a current path in the melt and additional vanadium pentoxide powder is fed onto the surface of the melt. A furnace is used which has an overflow weir.

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A method for fusing vanadium pentoxide powder which comprises: adding a charge of vanadium pentoxide powder to a furnace having walls provided with electrode ports and an overflow weir, the electrode ports containing electrodes having ends submerged in the powder charge, the furnace additionally inc

A method for fusing vanadium pentoxide powder which comprises: adding a charge of vanadium pentoxide powder to a furnace having walls provided with electrode ports and an overflow weir, the electrode ports containing electrodes having ends submerged in the powder charge, the furnace additionally including a baffle located upstream from the weir and projecting downwardly into the melt, the baffle providing a quiet zone adjacent to the weir; passing an electric current through the melt by applying substantially constant electric power to the electrodes; feeding additional vanadium pentoxide powder onto the surface of the melt within a zone separated from the weir by the baffle, the powder forming a thin solidified film on the surface of the melt; allowing the vanadium pentoxide powder to build up as a layer on top of the thin solified film to a depth sufficient to provide an insulating blanket which limits the temperature of the air above the layer; allowing excess melt to flow out of the furnace through the weir; monitoring the temperature of the melt within the quiet zome adjacent to the weir; and controlling the rate of feed of vanadium pentoxide powder so as to supply more or less powder to the melt in response to changes in the melt temperature in order to keep the temperature within predetermined limits.