Smelting iron in a microwave

[Buzzkill]

So, after looking up the specific video it appears that he used silicon carbide and fiber blanket to create the system and he did use it inside a microwave.  However, he did mention that it was more suitable to fuse glass and that it's not the best way to melt metal.

[Steve Sells]

Hard to trust anyones information when they cant even gets the terms correct, they have already proven they are ignorant about it

[Scott NC]

  This old thread has a mention of using one for glass.  I have always been interested in adding slumping glass to some of my sculptures but don't think I will ever go that route.  There are some comments on safety as well.

  Mod note: I merged the threads since they are a continuation of the same thing

[anvil]

I worked with a glass guy for a few months. We made iron/slumped glass flower pots. I did a long 3 legged round trivet and he slumped the glass into the center and over the sides of my iron. Very attractive, but I don't know his process. I just supplied the iron. So basically all I can add is that it works.    

[Latticino]

As a former "glass guy" I would venture to guess that he used a standard glass slumping oven to slump plate glass into your iron forms, rather than a microwave.  These glass slumping ovens are essentially the same as bladesmith heat treating ovens, but don't usually have to get to quite as high temperatures.  One of the more critical parts of the process would be the required annealing for the glass.  I wouldn't expect that a microwave would be well adapted for that.  In fact, I thought that microwaves were fairly transparent to normal glass, so can't see how they would heat the glass directly.

[JHCC]

Science writer Theodore Gray had an article in "Popular Science" about twenty years ago, in which he describes low-temperature melting in a microwave*. His description of the process is interesting, in that he uses a silicon carbide block to absorb the microwave energy and turn it into heat, which then melts (not "smelts", as the editor unfortunately put in the headline) the metal in a microwave-safe measuring cup. I suppose one could similarly use a silicon carbide crucible and cut out the middleman.

Smelting in a Microwave

 

*He successfully melted tin/silver solder at 392°F/220°C, but could only get silver up to 1,475°F/800°C, short of the 1,964°F/962°C melting point.