Vacuum arc remelting

Vacuum arc remelting (VAR) is a secondary melting process for production of metal ingots with elevated chemical and mechanical homogeneity for highly demanding applications.

[1] The VAR process has revolutionized the specialty traditional metallurgical techniques industry, and has made possible tightly controlled materials used in biomedical, aviation and aerospace.

[4] Use of this technique over traditional methods presents several advantages: The alloy to undergo VAR is formed into a cylinder typically by vacuum induction melting (VIM) or ladle refining (airmelt).

At the bottom of the crucible is a small amount of the alloy to be remelted, which the top electrode is brought close to prior to starting the melt.

[5] This is because there is a complex heat transfer occurring involving conduction, radiation, convection within the liquid metal, and advection caused by the Lorentz force.