An unfired, refractory molded body (1), includes a binding agent matrix (2) containing at least one set, permanent binding material and aggregate grains (3) with and/or of biogenic silicic acid, preferably with and/or of rice husk ash, which grains are incorporated into the binding agent matrix (2), for thermal isolation of a molten metal, especially of molten steel, and/or of a metal ingot solidifying from the molten metal, and also the use of the molded body (1) for thermal isolation of a refractory lining, in particular in a multiple-layer brick wall or in a heat-treatment furnace, or as a corrosion barrier, e.g. against alkali attack, or as a fire protection lining or as filter material for hot gases.

Methods of billet casting are provided herein. The methods may include the steps of assembling a billet caster with a shroud extending from a tundish to above a mold such that the shroud does not reach molten metal in the mold, delivering molten metal from a ladle into the tundish, delivering molten metal from the tundish through the shroud to the mold, the shroud inhibiting contact between the molten metal and air, casting the molten metal into billets in the mold and cooling the billets below the mold with a coolant spray, and delivering the cooled billet to a runout table to be cut to length.

Methods of billet casting are provided herein. The methods may include the steps of assembling a billet caster with a shroud extending from a tundish to above a mold such that the shroud does not reach molten metal in the mold, delivering molten metal from a ladle into the tundish, delivering molten metal from the tundish through the shroud to the mold, the shroud inhibiting contact between the molten metal and air, casting the molten metal into billets in the mold and cooling the billets below the mold with a coolant spray, and delivering the cooled billet to a runout table to be cut to length.

Apparatus to control continuous casting, comprising a mold provided with at least one entrance end through which liquid metal is introduced. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the apparatus to control continuous casting comprises at least one electromagnetic brake associated with the mold, configured to induce in the liquid metal recirculation flows, and a control and command unit connected at least to the electromagnetic brake and configured to manage the functioning thereof.

An apparatus for continuous casting a metal strip and reducing snake eggs in the metal strip. A pair of counter rotating casting rolls through which a thin strip can be cast are provided. A metal delivery system is disposed above the nip for discharging molten metal into a casting pool supported on the rolls. A pair of side dam holders and a pair of side dams are assembled adjacent each end portion of the rolls. Each side dam holder is tapered and dovetails with an adjacent side dam to confine the casting pool of molten metal supported on casting surfaces of the rolls. An oscillation mechanism provides lateral oscillation to each side dam and side dam holder at a frequency 2-50 hertz and with an amplitude 100-2000 μm during casting.

In the technical field of metal melting, a unisource high-strength ultrasound-assisted method for casting large-specification 2XXX series aluminum alloy round ingots applies in an ingot guiding process, a unisource high-strength ultrasonic vibration system to the center of a hot-top crystallizer, ultrasound directly acts on the center position of a crystallizer, and enough ultrasonic field energy is provided for a melt by controlling the power of the ultrasonic vibration system, so that an aluminum alloy solidification process is implemented under the effect of ultrasound, homogenization of microstructures and components of ingots is promoted, and the existing problems that microstructures are thick and crystal phases are enriched due to slow cooling of centers of large-specification round ingots are effectively solved, meanwhile, the problems of great operation difficulty and heavy workload during multisource ultrasonic coupling are avoided.

This mold equipment is mold equipment provided with a mold, an electromagnetic brake device, and a control device. An immersion nozzle is provided with a pair of discharge holes of molten metal, the electromagnetic brake device is provided with an iron core including a pair of teeth and coils wound around the respective teeth, the coils on one side are connected in series in a first circuit, the coils on the other side are connected in series in a second circuit, and the control device is able to independently control voltage and current applied to each of the first and second circuits for each circuit, detects a drift of a discharge flow between the pair of discharge holes on the basis of the voltage applied to the coils in the first circuit and the voltage applied to the coils in the second circuit, and controls the current flowing through the first circuit and the current flowing through the second circuit on the basis of a detection result.

Method for directly producing a pickling-free hot-plated sheet strip product from molten steel comprising: obtaining a refined molten steel; thin strip continuous casting: a mixed gas of an inert gas and a reducing gas is used for protection in the billet casting process; hot rolling: the cast strip is levelled at a high temperature so as to improve the sheet shape and rolled to a suitable thickness so as to change the product specification, or provide a mechanical disruption action on the iron oxide skin on the surface of the cast strip; reduction annealing: a sectional reduction method is used to perform sectional reductions with the temperature held within two ranges, i.e., 450-600 C. and 700-1000 C., wherein the reduction is performed within a range of 450-600 C. for 1-5 minutes and within a range of 700-1000 C. for 1-3 minutes to remove the iron oxide skin produced in the previous procedure, the concentration of the reducing gas being not lower than 5%; and hot galvanization: after having been cooled in a protective atmosphere, the strip billet is brought into a zinc bath and hot-plated with zinc and other alloy, and then cooled and coiled. The present invention realizes a highly continuous production of a hot-plated product from molten steel with iron and steel, and hot plating with zinc or an alloy is directly performed without removing elementary iron produced by the reduction, so that the energy consumption in the middle stage can be saved and the recovery of metal reaches close to 100%.

Method for directly producing a pickling-free hot-plated sheet strip product from molten steel comprising: obtaining a refined molten steel; thin strip continuous casting: a mixed gas of an inert gas and a reducing gas is used for protection in the billet casting process; hot rolling: the cast strip is levelled at a high temperature so as to improve the sheet shape and rolled to a suitable thickness so as to change the product specification, or provide a mechanical disruption action on the iron oxide skin on the surface of the cast strip; reduction annealing: a sectional reduction method is used to perform sectional reductions with the temperature held within two ranges, i.e., 450-600 C. and 700-1000 C., wherein the reduction is performed within a range of 450-600 C. for 1-5 minutes and within a range of 700-1000 C. for 1-3 minutes to remove the iron oxide skin produced in the previous procedure, the concentration of the reducing gas being not lower than 5%; and hot galvanization: after having been cooled in a protective atmosphere, the strip billet is brought into a zinc bath and hot-plated with zinc and other alloy, and then cooled and coiled. The present invention realizes a highly continuous production of a hot-plated product from molten steel with iron and steel, and hot plating with zinc or an alloy is directly performed without removing elementary iron produced by the reduction, so that the energy consumption in the middle stage can be saved and the recovery of metal reaches close to 100%.

A method for producing a metal ingot by using an electron-beam melting furnace including an electron gun capable of controlling a radiation position of an electron beam, and a hearth that accumulates a molten metal of a metal raw material, in which, in a downstream region between an upstream region in which the metal raw material is supplied onto the surface of the molten metal and a first side wall, an irradiation line is disposed so as to block a lip portion and so that two end portions are positioned in the vicinity of the side wall of the hearth. A first electron beam is radiated onto the surface of the molten metal along the irradiation line, and the first electron beam is radiated along the irradiation line. By this means, the surface temperature (T2) of the molten metal along the irradiation line is made higher than the average surface temperature (T0) of the entire surface of the molten metal in the hearth, and a molten metal flow from the irradiation line toward upstream that is a direction toward the opposite side to the first side wall is formed in an outer layer of the molten metal.