A product comprising recycled metal fragments and an alloying supplement, and methods and system for producing same. In some examples, the product comprises a container, shot blasted pieces of aluminum alloy wheels and an alloying supplement. In some examples, the product also comprises an indication on the container of a composition estimate of the combined shot blasted pieces and alloying supplement. In other examples, the indication and/or the alloying supplement may be provided by a company in the business of providing alloying supplements.

A product comprising recycled metal fragments and an alloying supplement, and methods and system for producing same. In some examples, the product comprises a container, shot blasted pieces of aluminum alloy wheels and an alloying supplement. In some examples, the product also comprises an indication on the container of a composition estimate of the combined shot blasted pieces and alloying supplement. In other examples, the indication and/or the alloying supplement may be provided by a company in the business of providing alloying supplements.

A mold powder which prevents surface defects from occurring on a surface of a cast slab of Al-containing hypo-peritectic steel having Al: 0.2% to 2.0%, by mass %, and, in a hypo-peritectic region, C: 0.08% to 0.17%, by mass %. The mold powder includes CaO, SiO.sub.2, Na.sub.2O, Li.sub.2O, F, and C. Li.sub.2O/Na.sub.2O is 0.6 or more, 1.0+0.05?Al?CaO/SiO.sub.2?2.0?0.35?Al, 10<Li.sub.2O+0.5?Na.sub.2O+0.8?F<20, and 1.00?F/(Li.sub.2O+0.5?Na.sub.2O+1.46)?1.24 are satisfied where Al is content by mass % of molten steel, and respective contents of the remaining elements are by mass %. A viscosity of the mold powder at 1,300? C. is in a range of 0.05 Pa.Math.s to 0.20 Pa.Math.s, and a crystallization temperature of the mold powder is in a range of 1,100? C. to 1,250? C.

A mold powder which prevents surface defects from occurring on a surface of a cast slab of Al-containing hypo-peritectic steel having Al: 0.2% to 2.0%, by mass %, and, in a hypo-peritectic region, C: 0.08% to 0.17%, by mass %. The mold powder includes CaO, SiO.sub.2, Na.sub.2O, Li.sub.2O, F, and C. Li.sub.2O/Na.sub.2O is 0.6 or more, 1.0+0.05?Al?CaO/SiO.sub.2?2.0?0.35?Al, 10<Li.sub.2O+0.5?Na.sub.2O+0.8?F<20, and 1.00?F/(Li.sub.2O+0.5?Na.sub.2O+1.46)?1.24 are satisfied where Al is content by mass % of molten steel, and respective contents of the remaining elements are by mass %. A viscosity of the mold powder at 1,300? C. is in a range of 0.05 Pa.Math.s to 0.20 Pa.Math.s, and a crystallization temperature of the mold powder is in a range of 1,100? C. to 1,250? C.

Improved casting powders and improved casting slags enable production of steels having high aluminum contents of greater than or equal to 1% by weight and, in some cases, high manganese content of greater than or equal to 15% by weight. In some examples, such steels may also or alternatively include greater than or equal to 0.2% by weight titanium. The casting slag may result from a casting powder that comprises CaO and Al.sub.2O.sub.3 components essentially in the form of prefused calcium aluminate. Methods for casting steel, including methods for continuously casting steel, are also disclosed based on the use of the disclosed casting powders or casting slags.

Improved casting powders and improved casting slags enable production of steels having high aluminum contents of greater than or equal to 1% by weight and, in some cases, high manganese content of greater than or equal to 15% by weight. In some examples, such steels may also or alternatively include greater than or equal to 0.2% by weight titanium. The casting slag may result from a casting powder that comprises CaO and Al.sub.2O.sub.3 components essentially in the form of prefused calcium aluminate. Methods for casting steel, including methods for continuously casting steel, are also disclosed based on the use of the disclosed casting powders or casting slags.

A flux feeding apparatus 10 for delivering flux to a mold 13 during a continuous casting process is described. The apparatus comprises: a plurality of silos 20a-20c each containing a different flux or flux component; a receiver 52 for receiving process parameters of the casting process; and a controller 44 which is configured to: analyse the process parameters received by the receiver 52; determine whether a current flux composition is appropriate for the received process parameters; and if the current flux composition is not appropriate for the received process parameters, change the delivery of flux or flux components from the plurality of silos to provide a required flux composition to the mold 13 for the received parameters. A corresponding method is also described.

A flux feeding apparatus 10 for delivering flux to a mold 13 during a continuous casting process is described. The apparatus comprises: a plurality of silos 20a-20c each containing a different flux or flux component; a receiver 52 for receiving process parameters of the casting process; and a controller 44 which is configured to: analyse the process parameters received by the receiver 52; determine whether a current flux composition is appropriate for the received process parameters; and if the current flux composition is not appropriate for the received process parameters, change the delivery of flux or flux components from the plurality of silos to provide a required flux composition to the mold 13 for the received parameters. A corresponding method is also described.

A method of producing an exothermic mold powder in a form of sprayed granules of the present invention includes spray-drying into granules, an aqueous slurry containing: a raw material blend; and a metal silicon powder and/or a silicon alloy powder, the method comprising adjusting the pH of the aqueous slurry to 13 or less.

A mold flux is used in continuous casting of Ti-containing hypo-peritectic steel so as to prevent longitudinal cracks from forming on a surface of a slab. The mold flux contains CaO, SiO.sub.2, an alkali metal oxide and a fluorine compound as major components. f(1), f(2) and f(3), which are calculated from the initial chemical composition, are (1.10.5T) to (1.90.5T), 0.05 to 0.40 and 0 to 0.40, respectively, if the Ti content of the molten steel (mass %) is T. The TiO.sub.2 content in the melting state during the casting is no more than 20 mass % and the ratio of the first peak height of perovskite to the first peak height of cuspidine in the mold flux film is no more than 1.0.