A continuous casting process of a steel semi-product is provided. The process includes a step of casting using a hollow jet nozzle located between a tundish and a continuous casting mould. The nozzle includes, in its upper part, a dome for deflecting the liquid metal arriving at the inlet of the nozzle towards the internal wall of the nozzle, defining an internal volume with no liquid metal. A simultaneous step of injecting powder through a hole of the dome occurs. The powder has a particle size of 200 ?m or less. The dome includes a first device to inject the powder without any contact with the dome and a second device to avoid sticking or sintering of the powder onto the first device.

A continuous casting process of a steel semi-product is provided. The process includes a step of casting using a hollow jet nozzle located between a tundish and a continuous casting mould. The nozzle includes, in its upper part, a dome for deflecting the liquid metal arriving at the inlet of the nozzle towards the internal wall of the nozzle, defining an internal volume with no liquid metal. A simultaneous step of injecting powder through a hole of the dome occurs. The powder has a particle size of 200 ?m or less. The dome includes a first device to inject the powder without any contact with the dome and a second device to avoid sticking or sintering of the powder onto the first device.

A continuous casting process of a steel semi-product is provided. The process includes a step of casting using a hollow jet nozzle located between a tundish and a continuous casting mould. The nozzle includes, in its upper part, a dome for deflecting the liquid metal arriving at the inlet of the nozzle towards the internal wall of the nozzle, defining an internal volume with no liquid metal. A simultaneous step of injecting powder through a hole of the dome occurs. The powder has a particle size of 200 ?m or less. The dome includes a first device to inject the powder without any contact with the dome and a second device to avoid sticking or sintering of the powder onto the first device.

A distribution device for use with a vertical casting system includes a body made of a refractory material, which includes a base and a peripheral wall. The base and the peripheral wall enclose a trough for containing and distributing liquid metal. A thermally insulating layer is located in a recess beneath the base. The refractory material of the body has a first thermal conductivity and the thermally insulating layer is made of a material having a second thermal conductivity that is less than the first thermal conductivity.

A distribution device for use with a vertical casting system includes a body made of a refractory material, which includes a base and a peripheral wall. The base and the peripheral wall enclose a trough for containing and distributing liquid metal. A thermally insulating layer is located in a recess beneath the base. The refractory material of the body has a first thermal conductivity and the thermally insulating layer is made of a material having a second thermal conductivity that is less than the first thermal conductivity.

The apparatus for continuous slab casting having a nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism capable of moving a submerged nozzle at the exchange of the nozzle through a moving-connecting space D of a base under a slide valve mechanism and keeping the connection between the submerged nozzle and the slide valve mechanism during the operation, and a rotation mechanism to rotate the base of the nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism, which is characterized by a fixing mechanism that fixes the submerged nozzle in the nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism by pressing the submerged nozzle toward one or both inner sides of the moving-connecting space D of the base in one or both directions perpendicular to the moving direction of the submerged nozzle during the nozzle exchange.

The apparatus for continuous slab casting having a nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism capable of moving a submerged nozzle at the exchange of the nozzle through a moving-connecting space D of a base under a slide valve mechanism and keeping the connection between the submerged nozzle and the slide valve mechanism during the operation, and a rotation mechanism to rotate the base of the nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism, which is characterized by a fixing mechanism that fixes the submerged nozzle in the nozzle exchanging-holding mechanism by pressing the submerged nozzle toward one or both inner sides of the moving-connecting space D of the base in one or both directions perpendicular to the moving direction of the submerged nozzle during the nozzle exchange.

The invention provides rotating a submerged nozzle during casting to arbitrarily change the discharge angle of molten metal, causing the molten metal in the mold for slab to be rotated and stirred. A slab continuous casting apparatus according to the invention supplies molten metal from a tundish to a water-cooled mold for slab through at least an upper nozzle, a slide valve and a submerged nozzle and solidified the molten metal and provided with a submerged-nozzle quick replacement mechanism. The slab continuous casting apparatus further includes a discharge-direction changing mechanism capable of arbitrarily changing discharge angle of the molten metal as viewed in a horizontal cross section, during casting, the discharge-direction changing mechanism being provided between a slide valve device for opening and closing the slide valve and the submerged nozzle.

The invention provides rotating a submerged nozzle during casting to arbitrarily change the discharge angle of molten metal, causing the molten metal in the mold for slab to be rotated and stirred. A slab continuous casting apparatus according to the invention supplies molten metal from a tundish to a water-cooled mold for slab through at least an upper nozzle, a slide valve and a submerged nozzle and solidified the molten metal and provided with a submerged-nozzle quick replacement mechanism. The slab continuous casting apparatus further includes a discharge-direction changing mechanism capable of arbitrarily changing discharge angle of the molten metal as viewed in a horizontal cross section, during casting, the discharge-direction changing mechanism being provided between a slide valve device for opening and closing the slide valve and the submerged nozzle.

Disclosed herein is a casting cluster for casting a body of a golf club head made of titanium or a titanium alloy. The casting cluster comprises a receptor and a plurality of runners coupled to the receptor and configured to receive molten metal from the receptor. The casting cluster also includes at least twenty-eight main gates. At least two of the main gates are coupled to each of the runners and each main gate is configured to receive molten metal from a corresponding one of the plurality of runners. The casting cluster further comprises at least twenty-eight molds. Each mold of the at least twenty-eight molds is configured to receive molten metal from a corresponding one of the main gates and to cast a body of a golf club head that has a volume of at least 100 cm.sup.3.