Rancang Bangun Tungku Crucible Untuk Peleburan Aluminium Dengan Memanfaatkan Oli Bekas Sebagai Bahan Bakar

Abstract

The utilization of used oil as an alternative fuel is gaining attention in various industrial sectors, including metal melting processes. With its relatively high calorific value, used oil has the potential to become a cost-effective and environmentally friendly heat source. This study aims to design and evaluate the performance of a crucible furnace for aluminum melting using used oil as fuel. The research was conducted experimentally, starting from the design phase using AutoCAD software, fabrication of the furnace, and performance testing. The furnace was designed with an outer diameter of 25 cm and a height of 40 cm, and was lined with refractory material in the form of TNC-13 castable cement. Testing was carried out over 60 minutes with temperature and fuel consumption recorded every 5 minutes. The results showed that the furnace reached a maximum temperature of 978 °C with a total used oil consumption of 2095 ml. The melting point of aluminum 7075 (640 °C) was achieved within 30 minutes. However, the thermal efficiency was only 0.991%, categorized as very low due to significant heat losses through conduction, convection, and radiation. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates that used oil has potential as an alternative fuel in metal melting processes and can serve as a foundation for developing more efficient furnace designs in future research.