2006-08-22 17:12:03 · 5 answers · asked by aSnxbByx113 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Because procelain is cheap, highly heat resistant and unreactive and a crucible needs all three properties.
The need for high heat resistance should be obvious. You can't make a crucible out of lead or glass because it would melt.
A crucible needs to be cheap because they often get material baked onto them that can't be removed. They need to be essentially disposable items. It would be possible to make crucibles out of high temperature metal alloys or carbon fibre, but they would cost $100 each, not excatly within the budget of most labs.
And of course they need to be unreactive. It is no use making a crucible out of metal since they are iften ued to hold acids, they can't be made out of organic materials the same sorts of reasons. A crucible has to be made out of material that doesn't react with most laboratory chemicals.
When you try to think of materials that are cheap, heat resistant and unreactive ceramics are about the only item on the list.
2006-08-22 17:17:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Clay can take higher degrees of heat than most things you could make a crucible out of.
2006-08-22 17:14:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the crucible is non porous and can handle high temperature well.
2006-08-22 17:17:31 · answer #3 · answered by konala 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they are generally porous if made of porcelein
2014-02-04 04:32:02 · answer #4 · answered by Child of the Light 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
smoothness and lack of porousness
2006-08-22 17:31:59 · answer #5 · answered by wizard 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋