A method for casting a melt uses a melt container in which a melt receiving space is formed. The melt container has a spout in the form of a lance on the bottom on the melt container. The method includes the following steps: filling the melt container with melt, wherein the melt is introduced into the melt receiving space of the melt container from a crucible using a spout orifice of the lance; casting at least one cast workpiece with melt; filling the melt container with melt again. When filling the melt container with melt, more melt is received in the melt receiving space than is needed for casting the cast workpiece. Directly before the renewed filling of the melt container, a remainder of melt having an oxide skin formed at the melt surface is present in the melt receiving space of the melt container.

A method for casting a melt uses a melt container in which a melt receiving space is formed. The melt container has a spout in the form of a lance on the bottom on the melt container. The method includes the following steps: filling the melt container with melt, wherein the melt is introduced into the melt receiving space of the melt container from a crucible using a spout orifice of the lance; casting at least one cast workpiece with melt; filling the melt container with melt again. When filling the melt container with melt, more melt is received in the melt receiving space than is needed for casting the cast workpiece. Directly before the renewed filling of the melt container, a remainder of melt having an oxide skin formed at the melt surface is present in the melt receiving space of the melt container.

A simplified and downsized coupling position switching mechanism capable of transmitting reliably and smoothly the driving force of the drive unit to the slide metal frame to switchably change a coupling position between the slide metal frame and the drive unit in the sliding nozzle apparatus. A coupling portion in the slide metal frame protrudes on the side of the drive unit and allows a rod head of the drive unit to be coupled thereto, and the coupling portion has a coupling space allows the rod head to be disposed movably in a sliding direction of the slide metal frame. A separator is inserted into the coupling space to divide the coupling space into first and second coupling chambers in the sliding direction of the slide metal frame. The coupling portion has a fitting section for allowing the separator to be fitted thereinto when it is inserted into the coupling space.

A simplified and downsized coupling position switching mechanism capable of transmitting reliably and smoothly the driving force of the drive unit to the slide metal frame to switchably change a coupling position between the slide metal frame and the drive unit in the sliding nozzle apparatus. A coupling portion in the slide metal frame protrudes on the side of the drive unit and allows a rod head of the drive unit to be coupled thereto, and the coupling portion has a coupling space allows the rod head to be disposed movably in a sliding direction of the slide metal frame. A separator is inserted into the coupling space to divide the coupling space into first and second coupling chambers in the sliding direction of the slide metal frame. The coupling portion has a fitting section for allowing the separator to be fitted thereinto when it is inserted into the coupling space.

Process control of intense stirring along a solidification front and adjustments in casting speeds during direct chill casting of 7xxx series alloys can decrease an ingot’s cracking susceptibility. Intense stirring control is used to reduce the thickness of the solidification front, promote agglomeration of hydrogen gas rejected at the solidification front, remove impurities rejected at the solidification front, and improve grain size. Intense stirring control is used to operate at faster casting speeds without risk of increasing the thickness of the solidification front. Optional reheating during casting to promote dispersoid formation is used to generate a high-strength zone of dispersoid-strengthened solidified metal in the outer periphery of the ingot, which can further decrease the ingot’s susceptibility to cracking.

Provided is a ZrO.sub.2—CaO—C based refractory material which is capable of maintaining high adhesion resistance over a long period of time, while exhibiting significant slaking resistance, and suppressing self-fluxing, i.e., exhibiting corrosion-erosion resistance. The refractory material comprises a CaO—ZrO.sub.2 composition containing a CaO component in an amount of 40% by mass to 60% by mass, wherein a mass ratio of the CaO component to a ZrO.sub.2 component is 0.67 to 1.5, and wherein the CaO—ZrO.sub.2 composition includes a eutectic microstructure of CaO crystals and CaZrO.sub.3 crystals, wherein a width of each of the CaO crystals observable in a cross-sectional microstructure is 50 μm or less.

Provided is a ZrO.sub.2—CaO—C based refractory material which is capable of maintaining high adhesion resistance over a long period of time, while exhibiting significant slaking resistance, and suppressing self-fluxing, i.e., exhibiting corrosion-erosion resistance. The refractory material comprises a CaO—ZrO.sub.2 composition containing a CaO component in an amount of 40% by mass to 60% by mass, wherein a mass ratio of the CaO component to a ZrO.sub.2 component is 0.67 to 1.5, and wherein the CaO—ZrO.sub.2 composition includes a eutectic microstructure of CaO crystals and CaZrO.sub.3 crystals, wherein a width of each of the CaO crystals observable in a cross-sectional microstructure is 50 μm or less.

A submerged entry nozzle includes a bottomed cylinder having a vertical side face with at least two outlet ports and having an inner side and an outer side. The outlet port satisfies the following expressions:

Vi/Vo≥1.1  Expression (l)

Ho/Hi≥1.1  Expression (2)

where Vi indicates a vertical opening dimension of each of the at least two outlet ports on the inner side, Hi indicates a horizontal opening dimension of each of the at least two outlet ports on the inner side, Vo indicates a vertical opening dimension of each of the at least two outlet ports on the outer side, and Ho indicates a horizontal opening dimension of each of the at least two outlet ports on the outer side.

In a sliding gate, a flow path vertical angle a between a flow path axial direction and a vertical downstream direction in a flow path hole in each plate is 5° or more and 75° or less, and a flow path axial direction projected on sliding surface in which the flow path axial direction is projected on a sliding surface differs between the plates and is changed clockwise or counterclockwise toward a downstream side. Then, molten metal forms a turning flow in the flow path hole of the sliding gate. Furthermore, the molten metal also forms a turning flow in a ladle shroud on the downstream side of the sliding gate.

A bubbling plate for a sliding nozzle includes a plate body defining an inner hole therein and a gas-permeable ring installed inside the plate body to define part of the inner hole. The ring has a lower end surface formed with a stepped part, a convex part or a concave part; and the plate body has an upper surface in contact with the lower end surface with the upper surface formed with a stepped part, a concave part or a convex part capable of being opposed to and fittingly engaged with a corresponding part of the ring. The area in which the part of the ring is fittingly engaged with the corresponding part of the plate body has a length of 2 mm or more along a direction of a central axis of the inner hole, and mortar is interveningly provided in at least a longitudinally-extending joint part in the fitting engagement area.