It is intended to suppress flaming and smoking due to combustion of combustible substances in a certain-shaped joint material, while maintaining hot sealability of the certain-shaped joint material. A certain-shaped joint material for hot installation is obtained by: adding organic additives to a blend in a combined amount of 26 mass % to 50 mass %, with respect to and in addition to 100 mass % of the blend, wherein the blend comprises 50 mass % to 90 mass % of gibbsite type aluminum hydroxide raw material, 1 mass % to 9 mass % of clay, and 9 mass % to 23 mass % of graphite, with the remainder mainly composed of an additional refractory raw material; and subjecting the resulting mixture to kneading, forming and drying.

It is intended to suppress flaming and smoking due to combustion of combustible substances in a certain-shaped joint material, while maintaining hot sealability of the certain-shaped joint material. A certain-shaped joint material for hot installation is obtained by: adding organic additives to a blend in a combined amount of 26 mass % to 50 mass %, with respect to and in addition to 100 mass % of the blend, wherein the blend comprises 50 mass % to 90 mass % of gibbsite type aluminum hydroxide raw material, 1 mass % to 9 mass % of clay, and 9 mass % to 23 mass % of graphite, with the remainder mainly composed of an additional refractory raw material; and subjecting the resulting mixture to kneading, forming and drying.

A collector nozzle for continuous casting may include: a nozzle body extended toward a shroud nozzle, and having an internal movement path through which molten steel is moved; a first case covering a side surface of the nozzle body; and a second case including a second metal component, connected to the first case, and covering an exit surface of the nozzle body facing the shroud nozzle. The first case can include a first metal component, and the first and second cases may be connected through welding or formed as one body.

A collector nozzle for continuous casting may include: a nozzle body extended toward a shroud nozzle, and having an internal movement path through which molten steel is moved; a first case covering a side surface of the nozzle body; and a second case including a second metal component, connected to the first case, and covering an exit surface of the nozzle body facing the shroud nozzle. The first case can include a first metal component, and the first and second cases may be connected through welding or formed as one body.

With a method for detecting variables in an outlet of a metallurgical vessel, different variables in the outlet are detected or measured by at least one coil surrounding the outlet channel and/or an induction coil of an induction heater as a monitoring system, wherein the variables relate to the slag portion when pouring out the metal melt, wear condition of refractory parts in the outlet channel, the solidified metal melt, flow rate and/or plugging mass in the outlet channel. After evaluation, a closure element for the outlet is actuated, heating of the metal in the outlet channel is activated and/or renewal of the outlet channel is triggered. In this way, optimum operation in the pouring of metal melt out of a vessel is simply achieved, wherein occurrence of irregularities are detected during the entire pouring, and pouring out of slag can be successfully prevented at the end of the pouring.

A slab nozzle for use in a continuous slab casting installation is characterized by a specific geometry of the outer wall of a downstream portion thereof which is inserted in a slab mould cavity. The specific geometry promotes a “round-about” effect whereby converging opposite streams of molten metal flowing towards two opposite flanks of the slab nozzle are each preferentially deviated towards one side of the slab nozzle where they can freely flow through the narrow channels formed between the slab nozzle and the slab mould cavity wall without impinging with one another. This prolongs the service life of the slab nozzle by substantially reducing the erosion rate of the outer wall thereof.

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.

A continuous casting nozzle 1 includes a nozzle main body 2 and a nozzle hole 3 formed to extend through the nozzle main body so that molten steel flows therethrough, and an alumina-hardly-adherable refractory 5 containing components of MgO, CaO and SiO.sub.2 is disposed on an inner surface defining the nozzle hole. Consequently, even when a temperature of the nozzle is low, adhesion of inclusions in molten steel to a portion in contact with the molten steel can be reduced, with the result that the nozzle hole can be prevented from being blocked and the continuous casting nozzle can contribute to an improvement in the steel quality.

A continuous casting nozzle 1 includes a nozzle main body 2 and a nozzle hole 3 formed to extend through the nozzle main body so that molten steel flows therethrough, and an alumina-hardly-adherable refractory 5 containing components of MgO, CaO and SiO.sub.2 is disposed on an inner surface defining the nozzle hole. Consequently, even when a temperature of the nozzle is low, adhesion of inclusions in molten steel to a portion in contact with the molten steel can be reduced, with the result that the nozzle hole can be prevented from being blocked and the continuous casting nozzle can contribute to an improvement in the steel quality.

A slab nozzle for use in a continuous slab casting installation is characterized by a specific geometry of the outer wall of a downstream portion thereof which is inserted in a slab mould cavity. The specific geometry promotes a round-about effect whereby converging opposite streams of molten metal flowing towards two opposite flanks of the slab nozzle are each preferentially deviated towards one side of the slab nozzle where they can freely flow through the narrow channels formed between the slab nozzle and the slab mould cavity wall without impinging with one another. This prolongs the service life of the slab nozzle by substantially reducing the erosion rate of the outer wall thereof.