Sandblasting Titanium Crucible

In the fields of special non-ferrous metal melting, vacuum coating (PVD) and advanced material synthesis, crucibles are not only carrying vessels, but also the core medium that determines the purity of the melt and the uniformity of the thermal field. Although polished titanium crucibles are beautiful, when faced with specific high-viscosity melts or thermal cycles, they often "stick the pot" due to excessive interfacial tension or crack due to thermal stress concentration.

In 2026, titanium crucibles treated by the multi-stage micron sandblasting process (Engineered Sandblasting Surface) are becoming irreplaceable high-end consumables in top laboratories and industrial vacuum furnaces in North America and Europe with their unique micro-rough topology.

1. Core advantages: three major technological leaps brought about by microscopic topology

Excellent Non-Sticking and Demolding: The uniform sandblasting surface forms countless tiny "air traps" microscopically, which significantly increases the contact angle between the molten metal and the crucible. This makes the solid caking after melting cooling easy to peel off, and greatly prolongs the reuse life of the crucible.

Optimized Inter-facial Thermal Resistance (Optimized Inter-facial Thermal Resistance): The micro-hairy surface enhances the diffuse heat radiation efficiency during vacuum induction heating or resistance heating, so that the heat flow in all directions of the wall thickness of the crucible is more uniform in the working range of 600 °C-800 °C, effectively eliminating the abnormal grain growth caused by local overheating.

Stress Relieving Micro-Texture: Precision sandblasting is equivalent to a lightweight "cold shot peening" treatment on the surface of the crucible, introducing a beneficial residual compressive stress layer on the surface, which significantly improves the resistance of the crucible. Thermal Shock fatigue life.

2. Chemical Profile & Standards

We strictly comply with international non-ferrous metal industry standards, and usually select high-purity and high-ductility industrial pure titanium (Gr1/Gr2) or high-strength and corrosion-resistant titanium alloy (Gr5) to ensure that there is no volatilization and no outgassing under extreme vacuum.

Material Grade	Ti Purity (%)	Fe (max %)	O (max %)	C (max %)	N (max %)	H (max %)	Standard
Gr1 (CP Ti)	≥99.5	0.20	0.18	0.08	0.03	0.015	ASTM B348 /B381/B265
Gr2 (CP Ti)	≥99.2	0.30	0.25	0.08	0.03	0.015	ASTM B348 / B381/B265
Gr5(Ti-6Al-4V)	Balance	0.40	0.20	0.08	0.05	0.015	For high stress compression applications

3. Lean production process: from custom forgings to precision profile control

Pure titanium bar/plate selection: 100% high-quality titanium billets smelted by 3 vacuum consumable electric arc furnaces (VAR) are used to eliminate slag inclusion from the source.

Integral CNC Machining/precision Spinning: According to the volume requirements, integral bar hollowing machining (CNC Machining) or thick plate machine hot Spinning (Spinning) is used to ensure that the crucible has no welding seams and prevent high-temperature stress cracking of welds risk.

High vacuum stress relief annealing: intermediate annealing is carried out in a 10-3Pa vacuum furnace to completely eliminate processing residual stress.

Digital automatic sandblasting (Engineered Sandblasting): Pure white corundum (Al2O3) or glass beads are used to uniformly bombard the inner and outer walls in a fully automatic numerical control sandblasting machine, and the surface roughness is strictly controlled between Ra 1.6-3.2 um.

4. Product Specifications and basic information parameters (Specifications

We offer a full range of customization from laboratory microscale (ML) to industrial ton (L):

Capacity Range: 5ml-5000ml (supports non-standard customization according to drawings)

Outer diameter versus height (Dimensions): φ 20mm-φ 400mm; Height up to 500 mm;

Wall Thickness range: 2.0 mm-10.0 mm (heavy-duty large crucible wall thickness is thickened to prevent high-temperature deformation)

Surface Finish: The inner and outer walls are evenly sandblasted (Matte Sandblasted, Ra 1.6-3.2 um), and the bottom can retain a smooth surface for easy placement.

Geometric Tolerances: OD/ID ± 0.1 mm, wall thickness tolerance ± 0.05 mm.

5. Cross-border application fields: empowering modern advanced manufacturing processes

Vacuum electron beam and PVD coating: In the evaporation coating of aluminum, silver, gold and other metals such as semiconductors, optical lenses, and blades, it serves as a crucible for the long-life electron beam bombardment evaporation source.

Smelting of non-ferrous metals and special alloys: Used for smelting low melting point rare and precious metals, magnesium alloys, zinc alloys or conducting laboratory high-temperature analysis experiments.

Salt bath and chemical corrosive molten salts: Titanium has excellent resistance to local pitting corrosion in molten salts containing chlorine and sulfur, and is a container for chemical high temperature molten salt reactions.

FAQ

Q1: Why choose a sandblasted finish over a polished surface for titanium crucibles?

A: A sandblasted finish creates a micro-rough surface topography (Ra 1.6-3.2um) that increases the apparent contact angle between the molten metal and the crucible wall. This drastically reduces chemical bonding and capillary adhesion, facilitating effortless demolding and non-sticking performance after cooling. Additionally, it helps diffuse thermal radiation more uniformly under vacuum induction heating.

Q2: Can a Grade 2 Titanium crucible withstand high-temperature molten steel or iron?

A: No. Titanium has a melting point of 1668°C, but its maximum recommended continuous working temperature in non-reactive environments is around 600°C - 800°C. It is highly

Q 3: How does your factory ensure the vacuum integrity and lifespan of the crucibles?

A: We manufacture our titanium crucibles through 100% seamless CNC machining or precision spinning from single-crystal-grade forged titanium forgings (ASTM B381). By eliminating all welding seams, we eradicate the risk of localized thermal stress cracking and microscopic pinhole leaks during high-vacuum operations.