in a foundry, why does the molten metal not melt the vat in which it’s being heated?

Question

I mean, obviously the vat must be made of a metal with a higher melting point. But then how did they cast the metal to make that vat?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

On a larger scale such at in the steel works I work at we have ladles and vessels lined with Magnesia Carbon bricks, sprayed with a refractory cement made of ceramics and various silicas. These ladles can withstand molten steel in excess of 1700 C / 3092 F. The slag pots we use are just steel and refractory sprayed.

Edit: by large scale I’m talking 300 tons of steel in a 140 ton ladle. Not small scale crucibles.