Simulation and experimental study of temperature and mass distributions of indium metal in vacuum evaporation

Abstract

The temperature field and spatial distribution of metal vapor (i.e., flow field) are critical for the purity and direct yield of metals. However, it is impossible to accurately determine the temperature field and distribution of the metal vapor in a vacuum furnace. This study developed a surface-to-surface thermal radiation and volume of fluid multiphase flow coupling model. The temperature distribution and mass distribution of indium vapor in the vertical vacuum furnace at different temperatures from 1423 to 1573 K under the condition of 1 Pa were obtained. The reliability of the model was verified by experimental data obtained under the same conditions as the simulation. The temperature difference between the inside and outside of the condensing plate was 30–45 K in the temperature interval of 1423–1573 K. The temperature difference between the inside wall and the center of the condensing plate was 10 K. The simulation results of indium vapor mass distribution match with the experimental values; the overall temperature error is 5%, and the volatility error is less than 15%. The model developed in this study can be used to predict the temperature field and metal vapor distribution in a vacuum furnace, which will significantly reduce experimental exploration and accurately guide the production practice of vacuum metallurgy. This will expand the application of vacuum metallurgy technology in metal purification, material preparation, waste recycling, and other industries. This can effectively reduce exploratory experiments in the process of vacuum distillation to prepare high-purity metals, reduce the consumption of resources and energy in the experiment and production process, and achieve clean production.