Heat Inconel 718 Alloy With Bunsen Burner

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter aali94
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    heating radiation
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

Heating a 10x10x5 mm sheet of Inconel 718 alloy to 1000 degrees Celsius using the Integra Fireboy safety Bunsen burner is impractical due to significant heat loss and insufficient flame temperature. The burner has a maximum flame temperature of 1200 degrees Celsius but cannot maintain the necessary heat against a calculated heat loss of 3 kW. Alternatives such as a muffle furnace or a blown charcoal heater are recommended for achieving the desired temperature effectively.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of heat transfer principles, specifically radiation loss
  • Familiarity with Inconel 718 alloy properties and heating requirements
  • Knowledge of muffle furnace design and operation
  • Experience with high-temperature heating methods, such as using propane torches
NEXT STEPS
  • Research muffle furnace designs and their insulation requirements
  • Learn about high-temperature heating techniques using propane torches
  • Investigate the use of ceramic fiber insulation for reducing heat loss
  • Explore the capabilities and specifications of blown charcoal heaters
USEFUL FOR

Metallurgists, materials engineers, hobbyists in metalworking, and anyone involved in high-temperature heating applications will benefit from this discussion.

aali94
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
This may be a ridiculous question but I wanted to find out whether it would be possible to heat a 10x10x5 mm sheet of inconel 718 alloy (weighs around 500 g) to 1000 degrees C using a bunsen burner. The burner I have in mind is the Integra Fireboy safety bunsen burner (link below). It has a max flame temperature of 1200 degrees C, and a nominal heat rate of 1.6 kW.

At 1000 degrees C, I have calculated the overall heat loss due to radiation to be around 3 kW. Can this be reduced with ceramic fibre insulation (k = 0.48 W/m/K), and using radiant barriers? I would really appreciate your views and any suggestions on methods of getting to a 1000 degrees C.

https://www.integra-biosciences.com/united-kingdom/en/flame-sterilization/fireboy
 
Science news on Phys.org
Hi and welcome to PF.
It strikes me that you need a Muffle Furnace design (do a Google Images search for an idea of whet they look like). They usually (these days) use electrical heating but the secret is to use lots of refractory insulation. It's quite possible but not a quick fix. Unless you are set on using the bunsen, you may find it better to use a blown charcoal heater (like a blacksmith's forge). 1200C from the flame may not be high enough. I have heated a steel bar to cherry red (750C) after extended heating in a barbecue with a blower but 1000C is more like light orange.
Basically, I think the "safety" bunsen name says it all - it's hard to use something like that for extreme heating. I am sure you will need a better solution. Just try to heat up the end of a piece of steel rod ( say 10mmX 5mm) and see how red you can get it. You will need a long rod or some fibre insulation or you will burn your hand before the rod glows much.
Btw, I think you must mean 100mm square, not 10mm. How important is an even temperature over the plate?
When I need something like this, I tend to look at eBay but that can involve a long wait or a long drive.
 
sophiecentaur said:
Hi and welcome to PF.
It strikes me that you need a Muffle Furnace design (do a Google Images search for an idea of whet they look like). They usually (these days) use electrical heating but the secret is to use lots of refractory insulation. It's quite possible but not a quick fix. Unless you are set on using the bunsen, you may find it better to use a blown charcoal heater (like a blacksmith's forge). 1200C from the flame may not be high enough. I have heated a steel bar to cherry red (750C) after extended heating in a barbecue with a blower but 1000C is more like light orange.
Basically, I think the "safety" bunsen name says it all - it's hard to use something like that for extreme heating. I am sure you will need a better solution. Just try to heat up the end of a piece of steel rod ( say 10mmX 5mm) and see how red you can get it. You will need a long rod or some fibre insulation or you will burn your hand before the rod glows much.
Btw, I think you must mean 100mm square, not 10mm. How important is an even temperature over the plate?
When I need something like this, I tend to look at eBay but that can involve a long wait or a long drive.
I've not done it but I think most pottery kilns will get you above 2000F...
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: sophiecentaur
hutchphd said:
I've not done it but I think most pottery kilns will get you above 2000F...
Pretty expensive for a one off experiment though. A couple of big propane torches would be better sources of heat than the safe bunsen.
It would be nice to know the budget that the OP has for the heating operation.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: davenn
sophiecentaur said:
Pretty expensive for a one off experiment though. A couple of big propane torches would be better sources of heat than the safe bunsen.
It would be nice to know the budget that the OP has for the heating operation.
I guess I know too many old hippies...probably could borrow one! Would be nice and uniform.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: sophiecentaur
The OP hasn't given us the context of the heating operation. The metal won't melt but it will cool down as soon as it's removed from the furnace.