Melting tank
Encyclopedia
A melting tank is a tank
used by manufacturing companies
to manufacture a variety of products.
products such as:
waxes such as soy, for making scented and colored candles. For example, tanks used for adhesives may need to heat up to 500degrees
(°) Fahrenheit
(F), while an organic soy wax will be ruined at over 140°F and should never be heated above 200°F. A delicate soy wax used to make candle
s would be burned and destroyed if not heated in an even, lower temperature than solder or tar. Also, since soaps and candles are scented and colored, the tanks designed for melting these substances need to be specially polished
so there is no cross-contamination
between different scents of candles or soaps. Based on this challenge, there are melting tanks that are specially coated for candle wax melting, while some have created specially coated tanks for soap making. Obviously, tar and solder makers care very little about the scent of their product, whereas fragrance is probably the most important determinant of purchasing a candle or soap.
similar to an oven
. These are generally more expensive than normal heaters, even though they are inefficient and take a longer time to heat, simply because they rely on air to heat.
Direct-heat melters are generally made from aluminum and can heat up to over 500°F. The uses vary from wax to solder. They heat with the heating element
directly on the aluminum which is directly against the substance to be melted, hence the name direct melter. Since direct-heat melters apply heat directly, they generally cannot be larger than 5-10 gallon
s.
Water-jacket melters function more like a large, commercial double boiler
in that they keep substances evenly heated but they generally only heat up to 212°F, since that is when the water would evaporate. They can be made of aluminum, but are generally made of stainless steel
. Unlike direct-heat melters, water-jacket melters can be almost unlimited in size, with 153 gallons being common and up to the larger 1000-gallon melters and more.
In the future, there is hope that one day the benefits of both direct-heat melters and water-jacket melters can somehow be combined. Currently, research is being conducted to achieve that end among some of the leading makers of melting tanks.
When selecting a melting tank, it is important that the application is known. For example, if melting large amounts of substances (or at least more than 10 or so gallons) is the goal, then water-jacket melting is the proper choice. If the substance needs to be heated to over 212°F, then a direct-heat melter would be necessary. If heavily-scented or colored substances are to be melted, then it is important that the melter be polished with a coating to prevent cross-contamination.
Storage tank
A storage tank is a container, usually for holding liquids, sometimes for compressed gases . The term can be used for reservoirs , and for manufactured containers. The usage of the word tank for reservoirs is common or universal in Indian English, American English and moderately common in British...
used by manufacturing companies
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
to manufacture a variety of products.
Melting tank uses
Melting tanks can be designed to meltMelting
Melting, or fusion, is a physical process that results in the phase change of a substance from a solid to a liquid. The internal energy of a substance is increased, typically by the application of heat or pressure, resulting in a rise of its temperature to the melting point, at which the rigid...
products such as:
- ResinResinResin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives, and food glazing agents; as an important source of raw materials...
- SolderSolderSolder is a fusible metal alloy used to join together metal workpieces and having a melting point below that of the workpiece.Soft solder is what is most often thought of when solder or soldering are mentioned and it typically has a melting range of . It is commonly used in electronics and...
- alloys with a low melting temperature
- Paraffin Wax
- Soy
- Vegetable oil
- Palm wax
- SoapSoapIn chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
- GelGelA gel is a solid, jelly-like material that can have properties ranging from soft and weak to hard and tough. Gels are defined as a substantially dilute cross-linked system, which exhibits no flow when in the steady-state...
s - TarTarTar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
- Candle wax
- GlueGlueThis is a list of various types of glue. Historically, the term "glue" only referred to protein colloids prepared from animal flesh. The meaning has been extended to refer to any fluid adhesive....
- BabbittBabbitt metalBabbitt, also called Babbitt metal or bearing metal, is any of several alloys used for the bearing surface in a plain bearing.The original Babbitt metal was invented in 1839 by Isaac Babbitt in Taunton, Massachusetts, USA. Other formulations were later developed...
- Paraffin
- Synthetic adhesives
- Eutectic salts
- OilOilAn oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
- Capping compound
- PlasticPlasticA plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
s
Different types of tanks
The type of tank used to melt solder and tar is far different than something that is used to melt waxes, especially organicOrganic compound
An organic compound is any member of a large class of gaseous, liquid, or solid chemical compounds whose molecules contain carbon. For historical reasons discussed below, a few types of carbon-containing compounds such as carbides, carbonates, simple oxides of carbon, and cyanides, as well as the...
waxes such as soy, for making scented and colored candles. For example, tanks used for adhesives may need to heat up to 500degrees
Degree (temperature)
The term degree is used in several scales of temperature. The symbol ° is usually used, followed by the initial letter of the unit, for example “°C” for degree Celsius...
(°) Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
(F), while an organic soy wax will be ruined at over 140°F and should never be heated above 200°F. A delicate soy wax used to make candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
s would be burned and destroyed if not heated in an even, lower temperature than solder or tar. Also, since soaps and candles are scented and colored, the tanks designed for melting these substances need to be specially polished
Polishing
Polishing is the process of creating a smooth and shiny surface by rubbing it or using a chemical action, leaving a surface with a significant specular reflection In some materials polishing is also able to reduce diffuse reflection to...
so there is no cross-contamination
Contamination
Contamination is the presence of a minor and unwanted constituent in material, physical body, natural environment, at a workplace, etc.-Specifics:"Contamination" also has more specific meanings in science:...
between different scents of candles or soaps. Based on this challenge, there are melting tanks that are specially coated for candle wax melting, while some have created specially coated tanks for soap making. Obviously, tar and solder makers care very little about the scent of their product, whereas fragrance is probably the most important determinant of purchasing a candle or soap.
Heating variations
Melting tanks are generally classified as either direct-heating or water-jacket-heating. There is another type of melter which uses convection heatingConvective heat transfer
Convective heat transfer, often referred to as convection, is the transfer of heat from one place to another by the movement of fluids. The presence of bulk motion of the fluid enhances the heat transfer between the solid surface and the fluid. Convection is usually the dominant form of heat...
similar to an oven
Oven
An oven is a thermally insulated chamber used for the heating, baking or drying of a substance. It is most commonly used for cooking. Kilns, and furnaces are special-purpose ovens...
. These are generally more expensive than normal heaters, even though they are inefficient and take a longer time to heat, simply because they rely on air to heat.
Direct-heat melters are generally made from aluminum and can heat up to over 500°F. The uses vary from wax to solder. They heat with the heating element
Heating element
A heating element converts electricity into heat through the process of Joule heating. Electric current through the element encounters resistance, resulting in heating of the element....
directly on the aluminum which is directly against the substance to be melted, hence the name direct melter. Since direct-heat melters apply heat directly, they generally cannot be larger than 5-10 gallon
Gallon
The gallon is a measure of volume. Historically it has had many different definitions, but there are three definitions in current use: the imperial gallon which is used in the United Kingdom and semi-officially within Canada, the United States liquid gallon and the lesser used United States dry...
s.
Water-jacket melters function more like a large, commercial double boiler
Double boiler
A double boiler, also known as a bain Marie, is a stove top apparatus used to cook delicate sauces such as beurre blanc, to melt chocolate without burning or seizing, or cook any other thick liquid or porridge that would normally burn if not stirred constantly. It consists of an upper vessel...
in that they keep substances evenly heated but they generally only heat up to 212°F, since that is when the water would evaporate. They can be made of aluminum, but are generally made of stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
. Unlike direct-heat melters, water-jacket melters can be almost unlimited in size, with 153 gallons being common and up to the larger 1000-gallon melters and more.
In the future, there is hope that one day the benefits of both direct-heat melters and water-jacket melters can somehow be combined. Currently, research is being conducted to achieve that end among some of the leading makers of melting tanks.
When selecting a melting tank, it is important that the application is known. For example, if melting large amounts of substances (or at least more than 10 or so gallons) is the goal, then water-jacket melting is the proper choice. If the substance needs to be heated to over 212°F, then a direct-heat melter would be necessary. If heavily-scented or colored substances are to be melted, then it is important that the melter be polished with a coating to prevent cross-contamination.