Slide closure unit on the spout of a metallurgical vessel, preferably a copper-anode furnace, includes a housing in which refractory closure plates, as well as at least one connecting refractory inner casing, are arranged. A removable induction heater is provided, having at least one induction coil surrounding the refractory inner casing outside of the housing. In this way, it is possible to constantly keep the melt located in the outlet channel of the spout sufficiently warm so that it does not freeze before and/or during the pouring of the melt, or that any frozen metal and/or slag can be melted in the spout.

Slide closure unit on the spout of a metallurgical vessel, preferably a copper-anode furnace, includes a housing in which refractory closure plates, as well as at least one connecting refractory inner casing, are arranged. A removable induction heater is provided, having at least one induction coil surrounding the refractory inner casing outside of the housing. In this way, it is possible to constantly keep the melt located in the outlet channel of the spout sufficiently warm so that it does not freeze before and/or during the pouring of the melt, or that any frozen metal and/or slag can be melted in the spout.

Drill bits for use in drilling well bores in subterranean formations, and associated systems and methods of making and using such drill bits, are provided. In certain embodiments, the drill bits comprise: a body; a plurality of blades on the body; a plurality of cutting elements on at least one of the plurality of blades; a reinforcement material forming portions of the body and the plurality of blades; a binder material infiltrated through the reinforcement material to form a composite material and forming portions of the body and the plurality of blades; and at least one interior displacement element located in an interior region of the body that is surrounded by the composite material.

Drill bits for use in drilling well bores in subterranean formations, and associated systems and methods of making and using such drill bits, are provided. In certain embodiments, the drill bits comprise: a body; a plurality of blades on the body; a plurality of cutting elements on at least one of the plurality of blades; a reinforcement material forming portions of the body and the plurality of blades; a binder material infiltrated through the reinforcement material to form a composite material and forming portions of the body and the plurality of blades; and at least one interior displacement element located in an interior region of the body that is surrounded by the composite material.

Provided is a molten material treatment apparatus including: a container having an upper portion, on which a molten material injection part is disposed, and a bottom part in which a hole is formed; a gas injection part attached to the bottom part between the molten material injection part and the hole; a chamber part formed on the upper portion of the container so as to face the gas injection part and having an inside open downward; and a plurality of vertical members disposed so as to cross a plurality of positions of a rotary flow region formed between the chamber part and the bottom part, wherein an inclusion removal efficiency can be improved while maintaining the molten material surface by a method in which a plurality of mutually different rotary flows are generated in a plurality of sections within the rotary flow region and are partially overlapped.

A refractory lining structure for a metallurgical vessel is characterized by at least one elongated expansion joint formed in and extending through the surface of the working lining in a substantially vertical direction. The elongated expansion joint accommodates thermal expansion of the working lining in a metallurgical vessel such as, for example, a tundish during preheating for a continuous casting operation. The elongated expansion joint decreases crack formation, delamination, and spalling of the working lining from underlying back-up linings and/or safety linings in metallurgical vessels during preheating and use, while still facilitating metal skull removal after the completion of metallurgical operations.

In the method for replacing an immersion nozzle while pushing out a used immersion nozzle by a new immersion nozzle, in order to minimize leakage of molten steel during the replacement, to enable the use of a shaped joint sealer in a joint interface, and to ensure high sealability, a concave portion is formed on the new immersion nozzle's upper plane so as to include a nozzle hole, and the shaped joint sealer is mounted in this concave portion. The immersion nozzle's upper plane is caused to slide while being pressed to the upper nozzle's lower plane.

A tundish, in particular a tundish for continuous steel casting for placement between a steel casting ladle and a continuous casting mold, with an inlet region and an outlet region, wherein in the inlet region, molten steel can be supplied in particular through a ladle shroud and in the outlet region, the molten steel can be drained from the tundish in particular by means of a plug and an outlet opening; in the vicinity of the inlet region in the tundish, a threshold or ramp is provided, which forms a region of the tundish bottom into a cup or tundish; the threshold or ramp has at least one channel at the side, which locally reduces the height of the threshold or ramp or breaks through the threshold.

A tundish, in particular a tundish for continuous steel casting for placement between a steel casting ladle and a continuous casting mold, with an inlet region and an outlet region, wherein in the inlet region, molten steel can be supplied in particular through a ladle shroud and in the outlet region, the molten steel can be drained from the tundish in particular by means of a plug and an outlet opening; in the vicinity of the inlet region in the tundish, a threshold or ramp is provided, which forms a region of the tundish bottom into a cup or tundish; the threshold or ramp has at least one channel at the side, which locally reduces the height of the threshold or ramp or breaks through the threshold.

A method for casting a melt uses a melt container in which a melt receiving space is formed. The melt container has a spout in the form of a lance on the bottom on the melt container. The method includes the following steps: filling the melt container with melt, wherein the melt is introduced into the melt receiving space of the melt container from a crucible using a spout orifice of the lance; casting at least one cast workpiece with melt; filling the melt container with melt again. When filling the melt container with melt, more melt is received in the melt receiving space than is needed for casting the cast workpiece. Directly before the renewed filling of the melt container, a remainder of melt having an oxide skin formed at the melt surface is present in the melt receiving space of the melt container.