Metal Smelting Furnace
Electric Arc + Induction Furnace for Metal Production
The electric arc and induction smelting furnace is a 500-kilogram system that extracts aluminum, iron, titanium, and stainless steel from beneficiated lunar regolith feedstock at a rate of 10 kilograms per hour. The unit uses graphite electrodes for primary reduction at temperatures up to 2,200 °C alongside copper induction coils for refining and alloying within a magnesia refractory liner. Operating at 20,000 watts, the hardware utilizes the natural lunar vacuum to prevent melt oxidation, integrating robotic charge and pour automation to manage molten material transfers across a design life of 30,000 mean operating hours between failures.
Electric arc + induction furnace producing aluminum, iron, titanium, and stainless steel from beneficiated lunar regolith feedstock.
Purpose
Electric arc + induction furnace producing aluminum, iron, titanium, and stainless steel from beneficiated lunar regolith feedstock.
Context
Child of L2-MFG-SMELT within the Lunar Ark system
Principles
- ▸Electric arc for primary reduction at 2000+ C
- ▸Induction for refining and alloying
- ▸Vacuum atmosphere prevents oxidation
- ▸Per-alloy charge recipe with L3-WMS-METAL melt
- ▸Long-life refractory liner
Typical implementations
- ▸Industrial electric arc furnaces (terrestrial)
- ▸Aerospace vacuum induction melting
- ▸NASA ISRU metal extraction studies
Lunar considerations
- ▸Vacuum natural for high-quality melt
- ▸ISRU feedstock from L3-ISR-BEN beneficiation
- ▸Robotic charge / pour automation
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Electric arc + induction furnace producing aluminum, iron, titanium, and stainless steel from beneficiated lunar regolith feedstock. |
| throughput kg per hour | 10 |
| max temperature c | 2200 |
Physical
| mass kg | 500 |
| materials | Magnesia refractory liner, Graphite electrodes, Cu induction coil |
| vacuum compatibility | True |
Operational
| power consumption w | 20000 |
| thermal range c | -40, 70 |
| lifetime years | 20 |
| mtbf hours | 30000 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Reduced metal melt
- Metal feed for atomisation
Requires
- Beneficiated mineral feedstock
- Furnace power (~20 kW)
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Metal Smelting Furnace" (L3-MFG-SMELT-FURN). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-MFG-SMELT-FURN
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.