Continuous casting apparatus

Abstract

Abstract APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING OF METALS, HAVING A NOZZLE WITH A CHARGING SECTION AND DISCHARGING SECTION. A LIQUID COOLED CONTINUOUS CASTING MOLD HAVING AN ENTRY END AND A DISCHARGE END. THE NOZZLE HAS A MOLTEN METAL RECEIVING OPENING IN A CHARGING SECTION AND A MOLTEN METAL DISCHARGE OPENING IN THE DISCHARGE SECTION COMMUNICATING WITH THE ENTRY END OF THE MOLD. THE NOZZLE HAS A LINER OF REFRACTORY MATERIAL AND MAY ALSO HAVE AN INSULATING MATERIAL DISPOSED EXTERNALLY OF THE REFRACTORY MATERIAL. A HEATED ZONE DISPOSED ADJACENT THE DISCHARGE OPENING OF THE NOZZLE FOR PREVENTING SOLIDIFICATION OF THE MOLTEN METAL WITHIN THE ZONE. IN ONE FORM, THE HEATING MEANS MAINTAINS THE NOZZLE LINER WITHIN THE HEATED ZONE AT NO LESS THAN THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF THE METAL. THE CHARGING SECTION OF THE NOZZLE MAY BE HEATED TO MAINTAIN FLOWABILITY OF THE METAL THERETHROUGH. SUCH AN ASSEMBLY WHEREIN THE NOZZLE LINER MAY EXTEND INTO THE ENTRY END OF THE MOLD OR BE ABUTTED AGAINST THE UPSTREAM END OF THE MOLD. THE NOZZLE LINER MAY HAVE A PORTION OF INCREASED THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY WITHIN THE HEATED ZONE RELATIVE TO THE REMAINDER OF THE LINER. THE NOZZLE MAY TERMINATE IN A TRANSVERSE HEATED WALL ABUTTING OR EXTENDING INTO THE MOLD. SEALING MEANS, PREFERABLY HAVING INSULATING PROPERTIES, DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE THE LINER AND THE MOLD. LUBRICATING RESERVOIRS DISPOSED WITHIN THE MOLD WALL COMMUNICATING WITH THE MOLD INTERIOR. A METHOD OF CONTINUOUS CASTING WHEREIN A NOZZLE HAS CHARGING AND DISCHARGING SECTIONS WITH HEATED ZONE WITHIN THE DISCHARGE SECTION. THE DISCHARGE SECTION IS POSITIONED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ENTRY END OF THE MOLD. INTRODUCING A STREAM MOLTEN METAL INTO THE CHARGING SECTION OF THE NOZZLE, PASSING THE STREAM OF MOLTEN. CONTINUOUSLY HEATING DISCHARGING SECTION AND INTO THE MOLD. CONTINUOUSLY HEATING THE NOZZLE IN THE HEATED ZONE IN ORDER TO PREVENT SOLIDIFICATION OF THE MOLTEN METAL WITHIN THIS ZONE. THE CHARGING SECTION MAY BE HEATED TO MAINTAIN FLOWABILITY WITH OR WITHOUT SOME SOLIDIFICATION THERETHROUGH. PASSING COMPLETELY MOLTEN METAL TO THE MOLD FOR SOLIDIFICATION INITIATED AT A POINT WITHIN THE MOLD LONGITUDINALLY SPACED FROM THE NOZZLE.

Inventors

• 👤 Robert K Hopkins

Bibliographic Details