ZINC MELTING FURNACE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR RECYCLING HARD ALLOY

The role of zinc in the recycling of hard alloys is like a "chemical key"

Why Zinc?

Zinc is not merely a heating medium—it is the core chemical agent that enables the efficient separation of valuable tungsten carbide (WC) and cobalt (Co) from scrap cemented carbide. The process leverages a fundamental metallurgical principle: zinc and cobalt can form low-melting-point intermetallic compounds.

How the Zinc Melting Process Works

1. Penetration & Alloying: At temperatures between 900°C and 1,000°C, molten zinc penetrates the scrap carbide along grain boundaries—specifically, the interfaces between WC particles and the cobalt binder phase. The zinc reacts with cobalt to form cobalt-zinc intermetallic compounds (such as CoZn₁₀ and CoZn₇), which have significantly lower melting points than the original alloy.

2. Structural Disintegration: The formation of these cobalt-zinc compounds results in substantial volume expansion—in some cases, several times larger than the original phase. This expansion generates immense internal stress within the alloy, causing the once-dense WC skeleton to become porous, brittle, and easily fractured.

3. Separation & Recovery: After the structure has been broken down, the furnace temperature is adjusted, and the system is placed under vacuum. Zinc, with its high vapor pressure at elevated temperatures, evaporates and is condensed for recovery. What remains is a loose, friable mixture of tungsten carbide and cobalt powder—ready for reprocessing into high-quality recycled cemented carbide products.

Introduce: Zhuzhou Ruideer's Horizontal Zinc Melting Furnace is designed with the zinc melting process forcemented carbide recycling, adopting a dual-chamber horizontal vacuum furnace structure. Thecontrol system integrates semi-automatic and manual operation modes, offering both centralizedcontrol and operational flexibility. The entire unit features a modular design for easy upgrades.Equipped with an integrated rapid cooling device, the cooling time has been significantly reduced.

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