Induction Furnaces & Precious Metal

Refining

Melting Precious Metals

Precious metal refining is hot work. Because of there high melting points, precious metals can be challenging to work with:

• Gold melting point: 1948 °F • Silver melting point 1763 °F • Palladium melting point: 2831 °F • Platinum melting point: 3215 °F

Induction Heating

• In order to generate the necessary heat, most precious metal refineries use a powerful induction furnace.

Induction Science: A Brief History• English scientist Michael Faraday discovered

electromagnetic induction in 1831.

• Induction furnaces became popular near the end of World War II. • Induction furnaces were used to melt and weld weapon

parts faster, cheaper, and more precisely. • After the war, they easily transferred into peacetime

applications – including precious metal refining.

How an Induction Furnace Works• Because they use electromagnetic induction, induction

furnaces require no combustible fuel and have no emissions.

• The furnace itself is usually designed as a box built around a transformer, with a hollow spot where materials are heated.

• The hollow contains a coil of high conductivity copper tubing that is magnetically shielded and water cooled. • This copper tubing is responsible for controlling the heat levels in

the furnace.

How an Induction Furnace Works• Precious metals are placed within a crucible,

which is placed within the hollow surrounded by the copper tubing.

• High-frequency AC electricity is passed through an electromagnet and generated in the precious metal. • The metal’s resistance to the electric current

generates heat – the level of which can be increased or decreased by changing the flow of electricity.

• With induction heating, iron (melting point 2800 °F) can go from solid to liquid within an hour.

Other Induction Advantages• Induction furnaces are widely used throughout metallurgy not

just because of their efficient melting abilities, but also because of their usefulness in forging new alloys.

• Because induction is a no-contact process that doesn’t utilize combustion, induction furnaces can work in inert atmospheres and vacuums – which is necessary when creating alloys that oxidize if heated in the presence of air.

• As an additional benefit, the magnetic forces in an induction furnace can be directed to stir the molten metal, which is very useful for creating fully homogenized alloys.

About MGS

Manhattan Gold & Silver (MGS) is a precious metals refiner that has been based in Manhattan’s historic Diamond District since 1985. We are a B2B company that buys and recycles precious metal scraps that accumulate in other businesses. We serve:

• Jewelers• Pawnbrokers• Dentists• The industrial sector• Antique dealers• Machinists • Domestic mining• And more!

• MGS also creates charts, calculators, and other online tools for our customers to use.• Try our Precious Metals Prices app, which lets you monitor the real-time precious metals

market situation from anywhere, right from your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

Recycle your Precious Metals for Profit• MGS accepts gold, silver, platinum, and palladium.

• Payouts are based on the London Fixing.

• Up to 99% payout (among the highest in the US)• Up to 98.5% for gold brought in for hand testing.

• Not in NYC? Ship us your precious metals using our Ship & Sell service which offers:• Same day wired payment (once lot is received)• Discounted, insured shipping• Payout calculator

Connect with MGS

• For amazing facts, history and news, read our gold and precious metals blog.

• Join the conversation about precious metals on the MGS page on Facebook.

• Follow gold, silver, and other precious metal trends at the MGS Twitter account.

• Circle MGS on Google+ to hear our latest updates.

• If you do business with us, connect with us on the MGS LinkedIn page.

• To see precious metal melting and refinement in action, visit the MGS YouTube channel.