A melting process which takes place in a vacuum, the heat being produced by a focused electron beam.

It's used principally for refining metals to a higher degree of purity than is possible with conventional vacuum-melting techniques.

Its chief advantage is the ability to control the temperature of the molten material and the time it remains melted because both affect the degree of volatilization of impurities.

Volatilization is the conversion of a chemical substance from a liquid or solid state to a gaseous or vapor state by the application of heat, by reducing pressure, or by a combination of these processes. It is also known as vaporization.