Materials & Components

Bill of materials (indicative, USD)

Prices match the v0.1 manual and assume new commercial hardware unless noted. Substitute equivalent or surplus parts where available.

Hot-zone & MOE cell (~$3,150)

  • High-temperature insulation kit (1700 °C fiber boards/blanket, panels, fasteners) — $350

  • Modular steel frame (80/20 extrusion or welded assembly) with panels and hardware — $250

  • Crucible set: primary ZrO₂ liner (1.5–2 L) plus two Al₂O₃ backups — $400

  • Refractory-metal electrodes: W cathode set with Mo spares and an optional IrO₂ inert anode — $900

  • Heater package: MoSi₂ elements (1700 °C rating) with holders or induction coil + 3–5 kW driver (120 V input) — $950

  • Thermography: dual two-color pyrometers covering 600–2000 °C — $300

  • Fixtures: ceramic feed port, UV-grade fused silica viewports, fast-shut baffles — $150

Vacuum refining vessel (~$1,750)

  • Small high-vacuum furnace can (stainless shell, water-cooled feedthroughs) — $600

  • Heater insert (MoSi₂ elements or induction coil) — $450

  • Cold-trap assembly (water-cooled finger plus removable cryo cup) — $250

  • Vacuum hardware set: KF25/KF40 fittings, valves, and gauges (Pirani + capacitance manometer) — $300

  • Silicon crucible for refining (graphite or high-density SiC that avoids direct silica contact) — $150

Gas & vacuum (~$1,600)

  • Rotary vane pump (5–8 m³ h⁻¹) with backing filter — $700

  • Dry scroll pump (used or small new) as an optional upgrade — $700

  • Argon loop components: 20–40 L buffer tank, 0.1 µm filter, desiccant dryer — $200

Feed handling & casting (~$900)

  • Hopper with vacuum-tolerant auger (stainless screw, NEMA 17/23 stepper, driver) — $300

  • Inline dryer with 500 W cartridge heater and PID controller (150–250 °C) — $150

  • Screening kit: 250 µm and 100 µm meshes plus a benchtop jaw crusher — $250

  • Directional solidification station: Si₃N₄-coated quartz crucibles (2–3), mold base, slow-cool plate — $200

Controls & sensing (~$1,900)

  • PLC or compact industrial controller with IO modules, SSRs/contactors, and E-stop — $600

  • LIBS head (OEM pulsed laser + gated spectrometer, 200–900 nm) — $800

  • OES spectrometer (300–900 nm) with optics and fiber — $250

  • RGA (bench quadrupole, 1–100 amu, used/refurbished) — $250

Power & energy (~$1,500)

  • 120 V line conditioner/UPS or portable power station (≥1.8 kW continuous, ~1.5 kWh) — $1,000

  • Power distribution unit, breakers, cabling, GFCI, and grounding hardware — $300

  • Optional 400–600 W PV input cabling for recharging the storage pack — $200

Budget guidance

  • Subtotal (new parts): ~\$10,800

  • Targeted v0.1 build cost: \$8.8k–9.8k when leveraging surplus UPS/pumps/spectrometers (–\$800 to –\$1,500), choosing resistance heaters over induction (–\$300), limiting to a single pyrometer (–\$150), and fabricating the frame in-house (–\$200).

Document every substitution so operating parameters can be adjusted accordingly. Consumables and tool requirements are summarized in the Appendix.