Heating Elements and Crucibles

Before we consider crystal growth in detail, let us examine the hardware needed to obtain a melt. Many of the furnace components available have temperature limitations, and many of the crystals we might wish to grow have high melting points, i.e.- 1600 C. Thus, we may have to choose certciin combinations in order to get a furnace which will adequate for the task at hand. 

There are many ways to build a furnace. Basically, a furnace consists of a few essential parts, each of which can be varied according to the final operating requirements needed for the furnace. The following shows the essentials required for the proper design of a furnace, as shown in 4.2.2. presented on the next page  

The power source, relay, set-point controller and sensor need not be discussed here. However, the insulation, heating elements, and crucibles involve materials, and need to be examined in more detail. 

Heating elements can be metal wires or ceramic rods which become incandescent when an electrical current flows through them. Their compositions are critical and have been developed over many years to optimize their performance as heaters. Insulation is used to retain the 

Measuring particle size and growing single crystals 

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