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Shanghai Kairuo Instrument Co., Ltd
Remember! Regular maintenance is the key to ensuring the purity of alumina crucibles
Date: 2025-10-09Read: 0
Aluminum oxide crucibles are widely used in high-temperature experiments such as melting, ashing, heat treatment, XRF sample preparation, etc. due to their excellent high temperature resistance (able to withstand temperatures above 1600 ℃), excellent chemical stability, and good thermal shock resistance. Although its ceramic material is hard, it is brittle. If used and maintained improperly, it is prone to cracking, deformation, or contamination, which seriously affects the experimental results and service life. Mastering the regular maintenance methods of alumina crucibles is the key to extending their service life and ensuring experimental purity.
1、 Clean immediately after use
Cool to room temperature:
After high-temperature use, do not immediately come into contact with cold water or cold air. It should be naturally cooled to room temperature to prevent cracking caused by thermal stress;
It can be placed in a dryer or asbestos mesh to slowly cool down.
Remove residues:
Gently scrape off unmelted or loose residues with a soft bristled brush or bamboo stick;
Do not use metal scrapers to avoid scratching the inner wall or causing microcracks.
Water washing treatment:
Rinse with deionized water to remove soluble salts;
For stubborn attachments, they can be soaked in dilute acid (such as 5-10% nitric acid or hydrochloric acid) for several hours, and then rinsed with deionized water until neutral;
Avoid using hydrofluoric acid (HF) as it can corrode aluminum oxide.
2、 Deep cleaning and regeneration
High temperature incineration regeneration:
For organic matter carbonization or slightly contaminated crucibles, they can be incinerated in a muffle furnace at 1000-1200 ℃ for 2-4 hours to ashing the organic matter;
The heating rate should be controlled at ≤ 5 ℃/min to prevent thermal shock.
Alkali fusion residue treatment:
If it has been used for alkaline melting (such as Na2CO2, Li2B2O2), the residual alkaline melt should be soaked and dissolved in dilute acid (such as 1:1 nitric acid), and then thoroughly washed with water;
Avoid prolonged soaking to prevent lattice corrosion.
3、 Drying and Storage
dry:
After cleaning, dry in a 110 ℃ oven for 2 hours to prevent residual moisture from causing explosion during the next heating;
It can also be naturally dried in a clean environment.
Properly stored:
Store it upside down in a dryer or specialized crucible rack to prevent dust from falling in;
Avoid stacking and prevent collision damage;
Crucibles of different materials or uses (such as alumina, quartz, corundum) should be placed separately to avoid cross contamination.