furnace propane or electric??

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rookieminer

New Member
#1
Hello,
As I mentioned in a thread I posted on crushing and pulverizing, I'm setting up a testing lab.
I was thinking about getting a propane furnace to start with because of the cost. I figure I could also use it in the field after I got an electric one. Are there any draw backs to a propane furnace?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

rookieminer
 
fireguy

fireguy

Supermoderator
#2
rookieminer said:
Hello,
As I mentioned in a thread I posted on crushing and pulverizing, I'm setting up a testing lab.
I was thinking about getting a propane furnace to start with because of the cost. I figure I could also use it in the field after I got an electric one. Are there any draw backs to a propane furnace?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

rookieminer
The propane pot furnaces are a good choice for small refining melting jobs. If you are thinking about this for use as an assay furnace also that is another matter. Since the combustion takes place in the furnace chamber you cannot cupel in this type of furnace. Oxygen is needed to react with the lead and turn it into lead oxide (litharge). Since the combustion consumes all the oxygen, the lead will never oxidize. And I do mean NEVER. I tried it once .
 
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rookieminer

New Member
#3
Thanks for the info. I didn't know that and would have gotten very frustrated the first time I tried to do a fire assay. I think I'll spend the extra for an electric furnace.

rookieminer
 
fireguy

fireguy

Supermoderator
#4
rookieminer said:
Thanks for the info. I didn't know that and would have gotten very frustrated the first time I tried to do a fire assay. I think I'll spend the extra for an electric furnace.

rookieminer
An electric pot furnace for refining is more expensive than propane, but does have the advantage of an automatic temperature controller:
27395zZz.jpg
Cress Model B1414 Pot Furnace W/ Electronic Controls (230v)


For assaying, a box furnace is probably a better configuration- and you can still do small refining jobs in it. Be careful of contamination between the high grade refining products and your low grade assays. This small furnace also has an automatic controller, is 110v so plugs into regular household power, and is relatively low cost:
26100-BzZz.jpg
100-6B Cress Furnace with Digital Control - 110v w/vent
 
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fireguy

fireguy

Supermoderator
#5
The old BICO #40 assay furnace is not made any more, but they were a great little gas assay furnace.
I learned to assay on one of these and it was amazing what good results you can get.
With Propane burner. Naturally aspirated (no blower needed).
Bottom chamber for crucible fusion. Holds 6 crucibles.
Top muffle chamber for cupellation, holds 12 or more cupels depending on size.
 
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JonSnow

New Member
#6
What a great find you have there. So simple, yet so efficient!
Bico was way ahead of the game back then.

Depending on how many assays a day you plan to run is to me the difference between
Gas or Electric. If you plan to do more then 40 assays a day, I would go with gas.
They recover their temperatures much faster then electric. I refer to real "assay" horizontal
load gas furnaces, not "pot" style furnaces. I still cupel in electric furnaces though only for ease
of use, and the gas furnace is too busy performing fusions.
 
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jimferguson

New Member
#7
Propane furnace is a ideal option for cleaner alternative to electrical heating. But don't forget Propane furnaces are much more dangerous than electrical heaters, even they can also cause of a death. These types of furnace generates harmful gases which can cause death or severe health problems.
 
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AndeeW

New Member
#8
I would think an electric furnace would be cleaner than a propane. I do like that old gas furnace that is pictured. It's too bad they don't make those anymore. I agree for cupeling that an electric is easier and it's much cleaner.
 
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Junii21

New Member
#9
electric mabey a bit cheaper but will not be as warm
 
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furnaceoven

New Member
#10
A propane furnace can offer you a cheaper and also much cleaner alternative for electrical heating. However, the benefits of using a propane furnace come with some disadvantages. This furnace actually can be more dangerous than when you are using electrical heaters and even it can cause death.

Thanks.
 
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furnaceoven

New Member
#11
A propane furnace can offer you a cheaper and also much cleaner alternative for electrical heating. However, the benefits of using a propane furnace come with some disadvantages. This furnace actually can be more dangerous than when you are using electrical heaters and even it can cause death.

Thanks.
 
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RavinAegis

New Member
#12
As I know, The propane pot furnaces are the best choice for tiny refining melting jobs.
 
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chris.davis43

New Member
#14
Hello. I'm new to the forum and new to fire assays and could use some advice. I currently am doing fire assays with an acetylene torch and have gotten some pretty good results but it seems to be something of an art form and gives inconsistent results depending on how I set the flame, how far away I am from the button or bead, how long I hold the flame and how much I rotate the cupel, etc. I'd therefore like to move away from the art of the torch assays and move toward something a bit more scientifically predictable. So I am now looking at an oven but don't know what to get and have a confusion on what temperatures are needed. My confusion has to do with melting temperatures. It seems that the melting temperatures range from a low of about 1764 with silver to a high of 5491 with Osmium. My torch is hot enough to handle all of these ranges and I often find some of all of the pgm group in my assays, so the high temp of the acetylene torch seems to work but the ovens that I've seen only go to about 2200 F. Can someone steer me in the right direction? I would also like to get into some small scale smelting of concentrates that I generate so I can produce my own dore bars. Is there an oven that can do both?
 
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