A copper ingot of the present invention which is casted by a belt-caster type continuous casting apparatus includes: 1 ppm by mass or less of carbon; 10 ppm by mass or less of oxygen; 0.8 ppm by mass or less of hydrogen; 15 ppm by mass to 35 ppm by mass of phosphorus; and a balance of Cu and inevitable impurities, and includes inclusions formed of oxides containing carbon, phosphorus, and Cu.

A die casting furnace system includes a die casting holding furnace unit defining a cavity for holding a molten metal. A dosing unit is disposed within the cavity and defines a dosing area disposed in fluid communication with the cavity for receiving the molten material during a pressurization of the cavity. The cavity of said die casting holding furnace unit has a first storage capacity and the dosing area of said dosing unit has a second storage capacity being less than the first storage capacity. An ultrasonic unit is operably coupled with the finitely sized dosing area and is configured to introduce vibration into the received molten material for facilitating the removal of gases from the received molten material. The treatment of the finitely sized dosing area with the ultrasonic unit leads to improved metal cleanliness and accuracy that is not achievable with prior art systems.

An apparatus for countergravity casting a metallic material, comprises: a crucible for holding melted metallic material; a casting chamber for containing a mold; a fill tube capable of extending into the crucible to communicate melted metallic material to the casting chamber; a gas source coupled a headspace of the melting vessel to allow the gas source to pressurize said headspace to establish a pressure differential to force the melted metallic material upwardly through said fill tube into said mold; and means for gettering sulfur.

A method for producing metals or metal alloys includes melting, by a melting apparatus, a metal or a metal alloy to produce a casting melt, transporting, by a feed line, the casting melt to casting moulds to be filled, adding, during the transporting of the casting melt by the feed line, solids to the casting melt, and mixing the casting melt with the added solids in a mixing zone during the transporting of the casting melt by the feed line.

A molten metal processing device including a molten metal containment structure for reception and transport of molten metal along a longitudinal length thereof. The device further includes a cooling unit for the containment structure including a cooling channel for passage of a liquid medium therein, and an ultrasonic probe disposed in relation to the cooling channel such that ultrasonic waves are coupled through the liquid medium in the cooling channel and through the molten metal containment structure into the molten metal.

A method of fluxing or degassing a molten metal residing as a bath in a furnace. The bath of molten metal includes a bath surface height and the method provides at least one rotating impeller in the molten metal bath to initiate a flow of the molten metal. The flow in the molten metal results in elevating a portion of the molten metal above the bath surface height where at least one of a fluxing agent and an inert gas is introduced into the elevated portion of the molten metal.

A method of manufacturing a dissolvable article comprises forming a liquid-solid mixture comprising secondary particles homogeneously dispersed in a molten metallic matrix material; disposing the liquid-solid mixture in a mold; agitating the liquid-solid mixture in the mold; and molding the liquid-solid mixture under agitation to form a dissolvable article, wherein the secondary particles and the metallic matrix material form a plurality of micro- or nano-sized galvanic cells in the dissolvable article.

A molten metal purification device for purifying molten metal flowing through a flow body having a flow path formed by a pair of opposed side walls and a bottom wall. The device includes internal and external members provided inside and outside the flow body, respectively. The internal member includes an electrode body provided inside the path made of a conductive member and has a pair of opposed electrodes provided in the path where current flows across the electrodes through the molten metal and a non-conductive filter. The external member is configured as a magnetic field device having an upper surface side magnetized to an N or S pole and disposed below the flow body. Lines of magnetic force coming out from the N pole or entering the S pole intersect with the current to generate Lorentz force for driving the molten metal along a flowing direction in the path.

A degassing and grain refinement system for a cast aluminum-based component and a method of achieving both hydrogen gas presence reduction and grain size reduction in a cast aluminum-based component. Ultrasonic vibrations are imparted to both the liquid metal travel path from its source to the mold to achieve the reduction in hydrogen gas in the molten metal, as well as to one or more locations within the mold to achieve relatively small and equiaxed grains in the component upon solidification.

Provided are a molten steel treatment apparatus and a molten steel treatment method capable of quickly measuring an inclusion adhesion state inside a nozzle during an operation. The molten steel treatment apparatus includes a container, a nozzle equipped in a molten steel tap hole of the container, a liner disposed on a portion of an inner circumferential surface of the nozzle and formed of an ion-conductive material, a power supply for applying electric power to the molten steel and the liner, and a measuring unit for measuring a voltage value or a current value between the molten steel and the liner. The molten steel treatment method includes measuring a voltage value or current value between the molten steel and the liner; and determining a thickness of an inclusion adhering to an interface between the molten steel and the liner by using the voltage value or the current value.