Design of an apparatus to produce a predictable size drop of molten metal

This thesis describes the design, construction, and testing of an experimental apparatus which will produce a molten metal droplet of predictable size. Previous efforts to produce an acceptable apparatus have failed as a result of two primary problems. First, the nature of a molten metal makes the metal very difficult to work with; and secondly, the high temperatures to which the apparatus is subjected limit the materials that can be used in design. Tests were performed and data obtained for low melting point metals (tin, lead, and Wood's metal) at various temperatures ranging from the metals' melting point to 1000 F, with the higher limit being established by the method of heating. In the thesis the results of this testing are presented and compared with theoretical calculations of the weights of the molten-metal drops.