A furnace for electromagnetic casting a tubular-shaped silicon ingot is provided. The furnace includes a mold, outer and inner induction coils and a support member. The mold includes an outer crucible and an inner crucible. The outer crucible is annular-shaped. The inner crucible is disposed in the outer crucible and spaced away from the outer crucible to provide a gap between the inner crucible and the outer crucible. The mold is configured to receive granular silicon in the gap. The outer induction coil disposed around the outer crucible. The inner induction coil disposed in the inner crucible. The outer induction coil and the inner induction coil are configured to heat and melt the granular silicon in the mold to form a tubular-shaped silicon ingot. The support member is configured to hold and move a seed relative to the mold during formation of the tubular-shaped silicon ingot on the seed.

An apparatus for producing metal bars and ingots with quality monitoring, includes at least one mold essentially constituted by a body that forms at least one cavity for forming an ingot or a bar and by at least one cover that is detachably associated with the body in order to upwardly close the cavity. The apparatus has at least one passage, provided on the body of the mold, on the cover or on both, for connecting the inside of the cavity to the outside even when the cover is associated with the body in order to upwardly close the cavity. The apparatus according to the invention also has the particularity that it includes a means for taking a sample of the melted material contained in a mold, constituted essentially by a body that forms at least one cavity for forming an ingot or a bar and by at least one cover that is detachably associated with the body in order to upwardly close the cavity. The present invention also relates to a plant and a method for producing metal bars and ingots with quality monitoring.

An apparatus for producing metal bars and ingots with quality monitoring, includes at least one mold essentially constituted by a body that forms at least one cavity for forming an ingot or a bar and by at least one cover that is detachably associated with the body in order to upwardly close the cavity. The apparatus has at least one passage, provided on the body of the mold, on the cover or on both, for connecting the inside of the cavity to the outside even when the cover is associated with the body in order to upwardly close the cavity. The apparatus according to the invention also has the particularity that it includes a means for taking a sample of the melted material contained in a mold, constituted essentially by a body that forms at least one cavity for forming an ingot or a bar and by at least one cover that is detachably associated with the body in order to upwardly close the cavity. The present invention also relates to a plant and a method for producing metal bars and ingots with quality monitoring.

A method of forming a cutting element comprises forming a first material comprising discrete coated particles within a container. The first material is pressed to form a first green structure comprising interbonded coated particles. A second material comprising additional discrete coated particles is formed over the first green structure within the container. The second material is pressed to form a second green structure comprising additional interbonded coated particles. The first green structure and the second green structure are sintered to form a multi-layered cutting table. Additional methods of forming a cutting element, a cutting element, and an earth-boring tool are also described.

An ingot mould for continuous casting, with a lubricant channel (2) opening to the running surface (1), has a distribution portion (3) adjoining the running surface (1). In an ingot mould of the aforementioned type a uniform lubrication of the running surface of the ingot mould is possible using as few wear-susceptible components as possible, where the flow resistance within the distribution portion (3) increases in the direction of the running surface (1) and is constant in a discharge region (4) of the distribution portion (3) adjoining the running surface parallel to the running surface (1).

An ingot mould for continuous casting, with a lubricant channel (2) opening to the running surface (1), has a distribution portion (3) adjoining the running surface (1). In an ingot mould of the aforementioned type a uniform lubrication of the running surface of the ingot mould is possible using as few wear-susceptible components as possible, where the flow resistance within the distribution portion (3) increases in the direction of the running surface (1) and is constant in a discharge region (4) of the distribution portion (3) adjoining the running surface parallel to the running surface (1).

A rectangular parallelepiped ingot defined by a height H, a width W and a length L, having longitudinal faces extending between two end faces, having a volume between 0.15 m.sup.3 and 0.80 m.sup.3 and a surface area to volume ratio between 10 m.sup.?1 and 18 m.sup.?1, made of at least one metal, including at least one notch and a notch tip along the ingot length, wherein the at least one notch is configured such that: MaxD<H/2, MaxD<W/2 and MaxD being the maximum distance between any point of the ingot and the closest surface of the ingot.

A rectangular parallelepiped ingot defined by a height H, a width W and a length L, having longitudinal faces extending between two end faces, having a volume between 0.15 m.sup.3 and 0.80 m.sup.3 and a surface area to volume ratio between 10 m.sup.?1 and 18 m.sup.?1, made of at least one metal, including at least one notch and a notch tip along the ingot length, wherein the at least one notch is configured such that: MaxD<H/2, MaxD<W/2 and MaxD being the maximum distance between any point of the ingot and the closest surface of the ingot.

A mold for producing ingots and bars made of precious metal, comprising a body defining at least one cavity for forming an ingot, or a bar, closed in an upward region by at least one removable lid. The particularity of the mold according to the present invention resides in that it comprises at least one recess for forming a sample to be assayed, which is formed on the body, on the lid or on both.

A mold for producing ingots and bars made of precious metal, comprising a body defining at least one cavity for forming an ingot, or a bar, closed in an upward region by at least one removable lid. The particularity of the mold according to the present invention resides in that it comprises at least one recess for forming a sample to be assayed, which is formed on the body, on the lid or on both.