Beolvasztás

Beolvasztás is the Hungarian term for the process of turning a solid material into a liquid by heating it above its melting point. It is used primarily in metallurgy, materials processing, and glass production. The term emphasizes bringing a material into a molten state to enable refining, alloying, casting, or recycling.

In metalworking, beolvasztás occurs in furnaces such as electric arc furnaces, blast furnaces, or induction furnaces. Before melting, feedstock may be prepared to remove impurities. During heating, fluxes and protective atmospheres help control oxidation and set conditions for purification or alloying. Once molten, the metal can be poured into molds or combined with other elements to achieve desired properties. Recycling often relies on beolvasztás to recover metals from scrap and to produce new ingots or alloys.

In glassmaking and some ceramics, beolvasztás refers to melting silicate materials and additives to form a homogeneous liquid that can be shaped into products.

The term is predominantly used in technical contexts. In everyday Hungarian, olvadás is more common for melting due to heat, while beolvasztás conveys a controlled entry into the molten state for processing, casting, or integration with other materials. Environmental and safety considerations include energy consumption, emissions from high-temperature processes, and management of slags and other byproducts.