Provided is a non-oriented electrical steel sheet having such a low Al concentration so that it is excellent in terms of the recycling efficiency of scrap iron and having a high magnetic flux density and low iron loss.

The non-oriented electrical steel sheet according to the present invention has a chemical composition containing C; 0.0050 mass % or less, Si; 1.5 mass % to 5.0 mass %, Mn; 0.2 mass % to 3.0 mass %, sol.Al; 0.0030 mass % or less, P; 0.2 mass % or less, S; 0.0050 mass % or less, N; 0.0040 mass % or less, T.Ca; 0.0010 mass % to 0.0080 mass %, T.O; 0.0100 mass % or less, REM; 0.0001 mass % to 0.0050 mass %, and a balance of Fe and inevitable impurities, in which a value of a mass-related fractional expression ((T.Ca+REM)/(T.O+S)), which is a relational expression for the masses of the four constituents described above, that is, T.Ca, REM, T.O, and S, is 0.4 or more.

Provided is a high purity tin (Sn) having an extremely low oxygen content. A high purity tin having a tin purity of 5N (99.999% by mass, provided that carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen are excluded) or more, wherein the high purity tin has an oxygen content of less than 10 ppb by mass, as measured by elemental analysis using Dynamic-SIMS.

Provided is a high purity tin (Sn) having an extremely low oxygen content. A high purity tin having a tin purity of 5N (99.999% by mass, provided that carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen are excluded) or more, wherein the high purity tin has an oxygen content of less than 10 ppb by mass, as measured by elemental analysis using Dynamic-SIMS.

Processes for producing low nitrogen, essentially nitride-free chromium or chromium plus niobium-containing nickel-based alloys include charging elements or compounds which do not dissolve appreciable amounts of nitrogen in the molten state to a refractory crucible within a vacuum induction furnace, melting said elements or compounds therein under reduced pressure, and effecting heterogeneous carbon-based bubble nucleation in a controlled manner. The processes also include, upon cessation of bubble formation, adding low nitrogen chromium or a low nitrogen chromium-containing master alloy with a nitrogen content of below 10 ppm to the melt, melting and distributing said added chromium or chromium-containing master alloy throughout the melt, bringing the resulting combined melt to a temperature and surrounding pressure to permit tapping, and tapping the resulting melt, directly or indirectly, to a metallic mold and allowing the melt to solidify and cool under reduced pressure.

Processes for producing low nitrogen, essentially nitride-free chromium or chromium plus niobium-containing nickel-based alloys include charging elements or compounds which do not dissolve appreciable amounts of nitrogen in the molten state to a refractory crucible within a vacuum induction furnace, melting said elements or compounds therein under reduced pressure, and effecting heterogeneous carbon-based bubble nucleation in a controlled manner. The processes also include, upon cessation of bubble formation, adding low nitrogen chromium or a low nitrogen chromium-containing master alloy with a nitrogen content of below 10 ppm to the melt, melting and distributing said added chromium or chromium-containing master alloy throughout the melt, bringing the resulting combined melt to a temperature and surrounding pressure to permit tapping, and tapping the resulting melt, directly or indirectly, to a metallic mold and allowing the melt to solidify and cool under reduced pressure.

Processes and methods related to processing and hot working alloy ingots are disclosed. A metallic material layer is deposited onto at least a region of a surface of an alloy ingot before hot working the alloy ingot. The processes and methods are characterized by a reduction in the incidence of surface cracking of the alloy ingot during hot working.

Processes and methods related to processing and hot working alloy ingots are disclosed. A metallic material layer is deposited onto at least a region of a surface of an alloy ingot before hot working the alloy ingot. The processes and methods are characterized by a reduction in the incidence of surface cracking of the alloy ingot during hot working.

Processes and methods related to processing and hot working alloy ingots are disclosed. A metallic material layer is deposited onto at least a region of a surface of an alloy ingot before hot working the alloy ingot. The processes and methods are characterized by a reduction in the incidence of surface cracking of the alloy ingot during hot working.

Processes and methods related to processing and hot working alloy ingots are disclosed. A metallic material layer is deposited onto at least a region of a surface of an alloy ingot before hot working the alloy ingot. The processes and methods are characterized by a reduction in the incidence of surface cracking of the alloy ingot during hot working.

Disclosed is a pyrometallurgical process for producing a crude solder from a feedstock selected in terms of its levels of Sn, Cu, Sb, Bi, Zn, As, Ni and Pb, the process comprising at least the steps of obtaining in a furnace a liquid bath of metal and slag, introducing a reducing agent and optionally also energy, separating the crude solder from the slag and removing liquid from the furnace. Further disclosed is a crude solder comprising at least 9.5-69% wt of tin and at least 25% wt lead, at least 80% tin and lead together, 0.08-12% wt of copper, 0.15-7% wt of antimony, 0.012-1.5% wt of bismuth, 0.010-1.1% wt of zinc, at most 3% wt of arsenic, at most 2.8% wt of nickel, at most 0.7% wt of zinc, at most 7.5% wt of iron and at most 0.5% wt of aluminium. The crude solder may readily be further prepared to become suitable as feedstock for vacuum distillation.