Described herein are techniques for improving the grain structure of a metal product by applying ultrasonic energy to a continuously cast metal product at a position downstream from the casting region and allowing the ultrasonic energy to propagate through the metal product to the solidification region. At the solidification region, the ultrasonic energy can interact with the growing metal grains, such as to deagglomerate and disperse nucleating particles and to disrupt and fragment dendrites as they grow, which can promote additional nucleation and result in smaller grain sizes.

A continuous steel casting method includes producing a strand. The producing of the strand includes pouring molten steel into a mold of a continuous casting machine and withdrawing a solidified shell from the mold, the solidified shell being a solidified portion of the molten steel. The method includes applying a static magnetic field to at least a portion of a region of the strand, the strand being in the continuous casting machine, the region being a region where a solid fraction fs at a thickness-wise middle position of the strand is in a given range, the static magnetic field having a magnetic field strength of greater than or equal to 0.15 T and being in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the strand is withdrawn, the static magnetic field being applied at an application time ratio of greater than or equal to 10%.

An induction coil assembly associated with controlling the flow of molten material used in casting or deposition of precious and/or non-precious metals on a substrate is disclosed. The assembly comprises one or more induction coils associated with induction melting of electrically conductive material by applying a predetermined current value. The assembly further comprises a crucible comprising the electrically conductive material in which an electromagnetic field is generated therein by the predetermined current value applied to the induction coils. The electromagnetic field associated with the electrically conductive material is modulated; and is used to generate smaller units of the electrically conductive material by interrupting velocity of a flow of the material in order to produce grains or apply layers on the substrate. Corresponding methods are also disclosed.

A method for continuous casting of thin slabs may involve feeding a molten metal into a mold, molding a partially solidified thin-slab strand from the molten metal in the mold, reducing a flow rate of the molten metal in the partially solidified thin-slab strand by way of an electromagnetic brake positioned in a region of the mold, and removing the partially solidified thin-slab strand from the mold by way of a strand guiding system. Unsolidified parts of the partially solidified thin-slab strand may be stirred by an electromagnetic stirrer arranged underneath the mold downstream along a strand takeoff direction of the thin-slab strand. Further, a traveling electromagnetic field may be produced by the electromagnetic stirrer in a region of the thin-slab strand that is at a distance from the mold of between 20 and 7000 millimeters along the strand takeoff direction.

A method for containing a slab during continuous casting, including casting a slab along a casting axis, said slab having a predefined width, wherein the method provides a containment of the slab with a plurality of rolls, said rolls being disposed in pairs facing to each other, and defining a passage along the casting axis for the cast slab, wherein the plurality of rolls includes electromagnetic rolls provided with an electromagnetic stirrer which stirs the liquid contained in the slab.

A defect detection and remediation system can be used to detect and remediate sub-surface defects within a cast metal during the continuous casting stage. The system can include a detection device having one or more detection units to detect a defect within the cast metal using ultrasonic waves and a remediation device having one or more remediation units to remediate the defect detected by the detection device in a target area of the cast metal containing the detected defect.

A monitoring device (6) records variables that are characteristic of operating parameters of a continuous casting mold (1) for casting a metal strand (2). The monitoring device (6) records at least some of the characteristic variables by independently performing measurements during the casting of the metal strand (2). The monitoring device (6) forms groups (G1, G2) of operating parameters and independently tests whether the operating parameters of the respective group (G1, G2) satisfy a respective predetermined stability criterion. The monitoring device (6) accepts the operating parameters into a database (12). The monitoring device (6) determines those data records (11) contained in the database (12) that coincide in their input variables with the basic operating parameters and determines admissible operating parameter ranges for supplementary operating parameters. The monitoring device (6) independently tests whether the supplementary operating parameters lie within the admissible operating parameter ranges.

An apparatus for continuous casting of molten material includes an elongate tube of electrically conductive material having an inner and an outer wall defining a molding cavity therein, the inner and outer walls having a first end having an inlet for receiving the molten material and a second end having an outlet for removing a solidifying billet formed from the molten material; an electrical coil with inner and outer surfaces, the electrical coil arranged to surround the outer wall of the elongate tube; and an annular channel defined by the outer wall of the elongate tube and the inner surface of the electrical coil. When pulsating current passes through the electrical coil, a counter current is induced in the elongate mold causing a repelling force between the electrical coil and the elongate mold, thereby causing inward radial flexure of the elongate mold.

A steel, including: between 0.45 and 0.70 wt. % of carbon, between 0.10 and 0.50 wt. % of silicon, between 0.30 and 0.70 wt. % of manganese, between 0.20 and 0.60 wt. % of chromium, less than or equal to 0.025 wt. % of phosphorus, between 0.003 and 0.030 wt. % of sulfur, less than or equal to 0.1 wt. % of molybdenum, less than or equal to 0.2 wt. % of nickel, less than or equal to 0.04 wt. % of aluminum, less than or equal to 0.3 wt. % of copper, less than or equal to 0.001 wt. % of calcium, less than or equal to 0.003 wt. % of titanium, less than or equal to 0.001 wt. % of oxygen, less than or equal to 0.04 wt. % of arsenic, less than or equal to 0.03 wt. % of tin.

A defect detection and remediation system can be used to detect and remediate sub-surface defects within a cast metal during the continuous casting stage. The system can include a detection device having one or more detection units to detect a defect within the cast metal using ultrasonic waves and a remediation device having one or more remediation units to remediate the defect detected by the detection device in a target area of the cast metal containing the detected defect.