An acoustic rotary liquid processor coupled with high-intensity ultrasonic vibration, rotary stiffing, gas purging, and melt surface stabilizing is described. The processor can be used for the synthesis of particulate reinforced composite materials, scavenging dissolved gases in molten materials, and preparation of a slurry containing a small fraction of non-dendritic solid particles for semi-solid material processing.

A molten metal processing apparatus selected from a pump, a degasser, a flux injector, and a scrap submergence device constructed to include at least one element comprised of C/C composite.

A production method of a maraging steel includes: the step of producing, by vacuum melting, a remelt electrode which comprises from 0.2 to 3.0% by mass of Ti and from 0.0025 to 0.0050% by mass of N; and the step of remelting the remelt electrode to produce a steel ingot having an average diameter of 650 mm or more; wherein the resulting maraging steel includes from 0.2 to 3.0% by mass of Ti.

An apparatus and method is disclosed for forming an item in a mould using a casting process, typically a counter gravity casting system. Heating assembly, transfer assembly and mould filling assembly can be used in combination. The transfer assembly includes apparatus and method for removing sedimentation from the liquid metal and/or metal alloy received from the heating assembly and extracting the same prior to the metal and/or metal alloy reaching the mould filling assembly at which the same is supplied to fill a cavity of a mould and which, once filled, can be slid to a location to cool and thereby make available the mould filling assembly for the next mould to be filled. This apparatus and method provide an efficient, high throughput system, along with high quality cast items.

A die casting method includes stirring an aluminum alloy liquid in a stirrer under an airtight vacuum condition. The stirrer includes an electromagnetic inductor and a stirring rod. The aluminum alloy liquid is simultaneously subjected to an electromagnetic stirring in a direction of a magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic inductor and a mechanical stirring under a rotation action of the stirring rod. The aluminum alloy liquid is stirred for 20-80 minutes until the aluminum alloy liquid becomes semisolid to obtain a semisolid aluminum alloy slurry. The method further includes injecting the semisolid aluminum alloy slurry into a filter die to perform die casting molding at an injection speed of 1.5-2.5 m/s, an injection specific pressure of 30-80 MPa, a pressurization pressure of 60-80 MPa, and a temperature of the filter die of 250-400° C., and maintaining pressure for 7-30 seconds to obtain the filtering cavity.

A die casting method includes stirring an aluminum alloy liquid in a stirrer under an airtight vacuum condition. The stirrer includes an electromagnetic inductor and a stirring rod. The aluminum alloy liquid is simultaneously subjected to an electromagnetic stirring in a direction of a magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic inductor and a mechanical stirring under a rotation action of the stirring rod. The aluminum alloy liquid is stirred for 20-80 minutes until the aluminum alloy liquid becomes semisolid to obtain a semisolid aluminum alloy slurry. The method further includes injecting the semisolid aluminum alloy slurry into a filter die to perform die casting molding at an injection speed of 1.5-2.5 m/s, an injection specific pressure of 30-80 MPa, a pressurization pressure of 60-80 MPa, and a temperature of the filter die of 250-400° C., and maintaining pressure for 7-30 seconds to obtain the filtering cavity.

A high shear liquid metal treatment device for treating metal includes a barrel, a rotor shaft, rotor fans, and stator plates. The barrel has a longitudinal axis that extends between an upper end and a lower end, and an opening at its upper and lower ends. The rotor shaft is mounted centrally through, and parallel to the longitudinal axis. The rotor fans are mounted along an axial length of the shaft. The stator plates are formed on an inner surface of the barrel and are located between adjacent rotor fans. Each stator plate has at least one passage formed therethrough to allow fluid to pass through the plate; and upper and lower surfaces of each stator plate are formed to be within the minimum distance of an adjacent rotor fan. The minimum distance is between 10 μm and 10 mm. The device allows improved treatment of liquid and semi-liquid metals during processing.

A gas purging plug for blowing gas into a metallurgical vessel, having the form of an elongated body made of a first refractory material, contains a final visual wear indicator in the form of an elongated core extending from an inlet end to a distance, along a central longitudinal axis, less than the length of the elongated body. The final visual wear indicator is made of a second refractory material that differs in visual appearance from the first refractory material between 800 and 1500 degrees C. The plug also contains an intermediate visual wear indicator extending from the inlet end to a point between the end of the final visual wear indicator and the opposite end of the elongated body. The intermediate visual wear indicator is made of a third refractory material that differs in visual appearance from the first and second refractory materials between 800 and 1500 degrees C.

A method of manufacturing a metal material is provided. The method includes steps of manufacturing a metal material in which oxygen atoms are dispersed, and forming a protective coating on a surface of the metal material by using an anode oxidation treatment, wherein the oxygen atoms in the metal material are supplied to the surface of the metal material during the anode oxidation treatment, so that the metal material and the protective coating are interface-bonded to each other substantially without pores therebetween or without an interface layer in which pores are formed, thereby improving corrosion resistance, as compared to a protective coating formed on a surface of a metal material in which oxygen atoms are not dispersed.

A method of manufacturing a metal material is provided. The method includes steps of manufacturing a metal material in which oxygen atoms are dispersed, and forming a protective coating on a surface of the metal material by using an anode oxidation treatment, wherein the oxygen atoms in the metal material are supplied to the surface of the metal material during the anode oxidation treatment, so that the metal material and the protective coating are interface-bonded to each other substantially without pores therebetween or without an interface layer in which pores are formed, thereby improving corrosion resistance, as compared to a protective coating formed on a surface of a metal material in which oxygen atoms are not dispersed.