Process for cooling and supporting a continuously cast metal bar

Claim 2

A process for cooling and supporting a continuously cast metal strand, particularly a steel slab, in which the metal strand is formed in a cooled mould and extracted from the mould by roller trains, the metal strand being cooled during extraction until it has completely hardened, the improvement comprising subjecting the surface of the metal strand, in the region of solidification of the metal strand, along its path of extraction, to the action of a gaseous medium having about the same pressure as the ferrostatic internal pressure of the metal strand and, at the same time, cooling said metal strand by spraying liquid on its surface, the metal strand leaving the mould being guided first along an inclined and curved path and then along a substantially horizontal path, the surface of the metal strand being subjected to the pressure of the gaseous medium increasing by steps along the inclined path, the value of the pressure in each step being substantially constant and corresponding to the medium value of the ferrostatic internal pressure of the portion of the metal strand traversing said step.

Claim 3

A process For cooling and supporting a continuously cast metal strand, particularly a steel slab, in which the metal strand is formed in a cooled mould and extracted from the mould by roller trains, the metal strand being cooled during extraction until it has completely hardened, the improvement comprising subjecting the surface of the metal strand, in the region of solidification of the metal strand, along its path of extraction, to the action of a gaseous medium having about the same pressure as the ferrostatic internal pressure of the metal strand and, at the same time, cooling said metal strand by spraying liquid on the surface thereof and subjecting the lower surface of the metal strand to a higher pressure of the gaseous medium than the upper surface of the metal strand in a horizontal portion of the path thereof.

Claim 4

A process For cooling and supporting a continuously cast metal strand, particularly a steel slab, in which the metal strand is formed in a cooled mould and extracted from the mould by roller trains, the metal strand being cooled during extraction until it has completely hardened, the improvement comprising subjecting the surface of the metal strand, in the region of solidification of the metal strand, along its path of extraction, to the action of a gaseous medium having about the same pressure as the ferrostatic internal pressure of the metal strand and, at the same time, cooling said metal strand by spraying liquid on the surface thereof and subjecting the lower surface of the metal strand to a higher pressure of the gaseous medium than the upper surface of the metal strand in a horizontal portion of the path thereof.

Claim 5

A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein said gaseous medium is steam.

Claim 6

A process as claimed in claim 2 wherein said gaseous medium is steam.

Claim 7

A process for cooling and supporting a continuously cast metal strand, particularly a steel slab, in which the metal strand is formed in a cooled mould and extracted from the mould by roller trains, the metal strand being cooled during extraction until it has completely hardened, the improvement comprising subjecting the surface of the metal strand, in the region of solidification of the metal strand, along its path of extraction, to the action of a gaseous medium having about the same pressure as the ferrostatic internal pressure of the metal strand at various positions along said strand and, at the same time, cooling said metal strand by spraying liquid on the surface thereof, said gaseous medium being steam produced by spraying hot water on the surface of the metal strand, the temperature of the sprayed water being near the vapour saturation temperature corresponding to the desired pressure.

Claim 8

A process for cooling and supporting a continuously cast metal strand, particularly a steel slab, in which the metal strand is formed in a cooled mould and extracted from the mould by roller trains, the metal strand being cooled during extraction until it has completely hardened, the improvement comprising subjecting the surface of the metal strand, in the region of solidification of the metal strand, along its path of extraction, to the action of a gaseous medium having about the same pressure as the ferrostatic internal pressure of the metal strand at various positions along said strand and, at the same time, cooling said metal strand by spraying liquid on the surface thereof, said gaseous medium being steam produced by spraying hot water on the surface of the metal strand, the temperature of the sprayed water being near the vapour saturation temperature corresponding to the desired pressure.

Claim 9

A process as claimed in claim 5 wherein the temperature of the sprayed water is between 100* and 180* C.

Claim 10

A process for cooling and supporting a continuously cast metal strand, particularly a steel slab, in which the metal strand is formed in a cooled mould and extracted from the mould by roller trains, the metal strand being cooled during extraction until it has completely hardened, the improvement comprising subjecting the surface of the metal strand, in the region of solidification of the metal strand, along its path of extraction, to the action of a gaseous medium having about the same pressure as the ferrostatic internal pressure of the metal strand and, at the same time, cooling said metal strand by spraying liquid on the surface thereof and in which the metal strand leaving the mould is guided first along an inclined and curved path and then along a substantially horizontal path, and whereby the surface of the metal strand is subjected to the pressure of the gaseous medium increasing by steps along the inclined path, the value of the pressure in each step being substantially constant and corresponding to the medium value of the ferrostatic internal pressure of the portion of the metal strand traversing said step and wherein the steam is conducted along the metal strand in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the latter, said steam being condensed to form hot water, and the hot water being used to produce the vapor of the desired pressure.

Claim 11

A process for cooling and supporting a continuously cast metal strand, particularly a steel slab, in which the metal strand is formed in a cooled mould and extracted from the mould by roller trains, the metal strand being cooled during extraction until it has completely hardened, the improvement comprising subjecting the surface of the metal strand, in the region of solidification of the metal strand, along its path of extraction, to the action of a gaseous medium having about the same pressure as the ferrostatic internal pressure of the metal strand and, at the same time, cooling said metal strand by spraying liquid on the surface thereof and in which the metal strand leaving the mould is guided first along an inclined and curved path and then along a substantially horizontal path, and whereby the surface of the metal strand is subjected to the pressure of the gaseous medium increasing by steps along the inclined path, the value of the pressure in each step being substantially constant and corresponding to the medium value of the ferrostatic internal pressure of the portion of the metal strand traversing said step and wherein the steam is conducted along the metal strand in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the latter, said steam being condensed to form hot water, and the hot water being used to produce the vapor of the desired pressure.