A nozzle for casting steel contains an inlet portion, an elongated portion extending along a first longitudinal axis, an outlet portion and a pouring bore having a front port inlet. A planar cut of the nozzle outlet portion normal to the first longitudinal axis passing through the front port inlet contains the outline of the bore, the outline of the outer peripheral wall of the outlet portion of the nozzle, and a first transverse axis. In the planar cut, the bore centroid and wall centroid are distinct and separated by a distance, d?0; and the segment extending along the first transverse axis, from the bore centroid, to the wall perimeter is longer than the segment extending from the wall centroid to the intersecting point between the first transverse axis and the wall perimeter.

An H-section steel has a predetermined chemical composition in which Ti oxides having a grain size of 0.01 m to 3.0 m are included at a density of 30 pieces/mm.sup.2 or more, a thickness of a flange is 100 mm to 150 mm, an area fraction of bainite at a position from a surface of the flange in a length direction and at a position from the surface thereof in a thickness direction is 80% or more, a yield strength or 0.2% proof stress is 450 MPa or more, and a tensile strength is 550 MPa or more, a Charpy absorbed energy at 21 C. at a position from the surface of the flange in the length direction and at a position from the surface thereof in the thickness direction is 100 J or more, and an average austenite grain size is 50 m to 200 m.

An aluminum power transmission rail product comprises a profile main component made from molten aluminum onto which a stainless steel cap has been co-cast. Preferably, this main component has a locking feature such as a down-turn on at least one edge of the stainless steel cap. The rail product is preferably cast on a casting unit selected from the group consisting of a horizontal caster, a horizontal DC caster, an MDC caster and a semi-solid casting unit.

A continuous casting apparatus and method is disclosed for casting a metal strip with a cross sectional form which varies along the length of the strip. The apparatus comprises: opposing cooling means; a molten metal feed system positionable to provide a molten metal feed for solidification between the opposing cooling means to form a solidified metal strip along a length direction; and a form adjustment system. The form adjustment system comprises at least one dam to determine, at least in part, the cross sectional form of the molten metal feed to the opposing cooling means. In this way, it is possible to determine the cross sectional form of the solidified metal strip. The dam is moveable during operation of the apparatus to vary the cross sectional form of the molten metal feed to the opposing cooling means. The apparatus further comprises a molten metal pressure control system, operable to control the pressure of the molten metal in the molten metal feed during operation of the apparatus in coordination with movement of the dam. Optionally, the dam acts as a diverter, operational to divert the flow of molten metal to form an opening in the cast strip.

A method of manufacturing an aluminum power transmission rail product with a metallurgically bonded stainless steel cap comprises providing molten aluminum in a tundish; providing a roll formed stainless steel wear cap; pretreating and preheating the stainless steel cap, then introducing that cap into the tundish; co-casting the aluminum and cap through one or more dies; and tensioning the stainless steel cap at an exit of the casting die and rapidly cooling the same. An aluminum-stainless composite product is also disclosed.

A mold for use in a continuous caster is provided that includes a tubular structure having a plurality of wall structures. Each of the outer faces of the wall structures is configured to have reduced thicknesses centrally located between corners of the wall structures so as to provide rigidity to the tubular structure for handling thermal loads during a continuous casting process.

Continuous casting apparatus, comprising a mold and a crystallizer for the continuous casting of a metal product. The mold is provided with primary cooling means using a cooling fluid and associated with the walls of the crystallizer. A plurality of cooling members is installed downstream of the mold to perform a secondary cooling of the product, said cooling members comprising a plurality of delivery nozzles configured to deliver a liquid for cooling the product.