Magnesium oxide (MgO) crucibles are well known for their suitability for ultra-high temperature applications and can withstand temperatures up to 2300°C under vacuum conditions. These crucibles are a superior alternative to aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) crucibles due to their excellent chemical resistance and inertness towards metals, slags, and superconducting compounds.
Main Features of Magnesium Oxide Crucibles
High Purity
MgO crucibles are typically composed of 99% magnesium oxide, ensuring high purity and excellent performance in demanding applications. Edgetech offers MgO crucibles tailored to specific requirements.
Thermal Stability
With a melting point of 2800°C, magnesium oxide has excellent thermal stability. It has a strong corrosion resistance towards metals and slags. In an inert atmosphere, MgO does not react with metals such as nickel, molybdenum, niobium, etc., even at temperatures up to 1800°C. Under reduced pressure (0.1-0.5 mmHg), the reaction temperature of magnesium oxide with carbon is 1800°C, and the reaction temperature with nickel can reach 2000°C.
Application of magnesium oxide crucible
Lithium solid electrolyte synthesis and sintering:
Unlike the Al₂O₃ crucible, the MgO crucible is used for lithium solid electrolyte synthesis or sintering. Short-term sintering at high temperatures can effectively reduce the volatilization of lithium during high temperatures and avoid the formation of secondary phases such as lanthanum zirconate.
Metallurgical use:
Due to its high melting point and strong corrosion resistance, magnesium oxide is an effective metallurgical container. It can handle the smelting of rare metals, zinc, copper, lead, platinum, diamond, and various alloys. In addition, MgO is also used as a mold for casting pure metals and a crucible for melting gold-boron alloys in semiconductor technology.
High-temperature experiment
Magnesium oxide crucible uses graphite as a conductor in an induction furnace or a resistance furnace and can be used for experiments in a short time at a high temperature of 2300-2400°C. Magnesium oxide crucibles can be used to melt high-purity radioactive metals such as uranium and polonium and their alloys in high-frequency induction furnaces.
Overall, magnesium oxide crucibles have unparalleled performance in ultra-high temperature environments, making them an indispensable part of advanced materials synthesis, metallurgy, and other high-temperature scientific applications.