A mold powder which prevents surface defects from occurring on a surface of a cast slab of Al-containing hypo-peritectic steel having Al: 0.2% to 2.0%, by mass %, and, in a hypo-peritectic region, C: 0.08% to 0.17%, by mass %. The mold powder includes CaO, SiO.sub.2, Na.sub.2O, Li.sub.2O, F, and C. Li.sub.2O/Na.sub.2O is 0.6 or more, 1.0+0.05×Al≤CaO/SiO.sub.2≤2.0−0.35×Al, 10<Li.sub.2O+0.5×Na.sub.2O+0.8×F<20, and 1.00≤F/(Li.sub.2O+0.5×Na.sub.2O+1.46)≤1.24 are satisfied where Al is content by mass % of molten steel, and respective contents of the remaining elements are by mass %. A viscosity of the mold powder at 1,300° C. is in a range of 0.05 Pa.Math.s to 0.20 Pa.Math.s, and a crystallization temperature of the mold powder is in a range of 1,100° C. to 1,250° C.

An apparatus for a high-throughput screw caster of a multi-component gradient metal material from elongate materials, such as multi-component alloy pipes, rods, profiles, and other such materials, has in the lengthwise direction a continuous gradient distribution of chemical components. The apparatus includes an online powder flow-rate regulation system, a rotary feed system, a heating system, a heat insulation system, a motor drive system, a blank forming system and a control system.

A method of casting a steel semi-product wherein a liquid steel is poured from a ladle to a tundish through a shroud including the steps of determining the light intensity emitted from the surface of the liquid steel in the tundish, detecting, based on said determined intensity, the presence of an open-eye at the surface of the liquid steel and emitting an alert towards an operator when an open-eye is detected.

A mold powder which prevents surface defects from occurring on a surface of a cast slab of Al-containing hypo-peritectic steel having Al: 0.2% to 2.0%, by mass %, and, in a hypo-peritectic region, C: 0.08% to 0.17%, by mass %. The mold powder includes CaO, SiO.sub.2, Na.sub.2O, Li.sub.2O, F, and C. Li.sub.2O/Na.sub.2O is 0.6 or more, 1.0+0.05?Al?CaO/SiO.sub.2?2.0?0.35?Al, 10<Li.sub.2O+0.5?Na.sub.2O+0.8?F<20, and 1.00?F/(Li.sub.2O+0.5?Na.sub.2O+1.46)?1.24 are satisfied where Al is content by mass % of molten steel, and respective contents of the remaining elements are by mass %. A viscosity of the mold powder at 1,300? C. is in a range of 0.05 Pa.Math.s to 0.20 Pa.Math.s, and a crystallization temperature of the mold powder is in a range of 1,100? C. to 1,250? C.

A flux feeding apparatus 10 for delivering flux to a mold 13 during a continuous casting process is described. The apparatus comprises: a plurality of silos 20a-20c each containing a different flux or flux component; a receiver 52 for receiving process parameters of the casting process; and a controller 44 which is configured to: analyse the process parameters received by the receiver 52; determine whether a current flux composition is appropriate for the received process parameters; and if the current flux composition is not appropriate for the received process parameters, change the delivery of flux or flux components from the plurality of silos to provide a required flux composition to the mold 13 for the received parameters. A corresponding method is also described.

A method of casting a steel semi-product wherein a liquid steel is poured from a ladle to a tundish through a shroud including the steps of determining the light intensity emitted from the surface of the liquid steel in the tundish, detecting, based on said determined intensity, the presence of an open-eye at the surface of the liquid steel and emitting an alert towards an operator when an open-eye is detected.

The present invention belongs to the field of metal processing and fabrication, and particularly relates to an apparatus for high-throughput screw caster of a multi-component gradient metal material from elongate materials, such as multi-component alloy pipes, rods, profiles, and other such materials, having in the lengthwise direction a continuous gradient distribution of chemical components. The apparatus includes an online powder flow-rate regulation system, a rotary feed system, a heating system, a heat insulation system, a motor drive system, a blank forming system and a control system. Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the apparatus of the present invention is simple in structure, and easy to use and control.

A flux feeding apparatus 10 for delivering flux to a mold 13 during a continuous casting process is described. The apparatus comprises: a plurality of silos 20a-20c each containing a different flux or flux component; a receiver 52 for receiving process parameters of the casting process; and a controller 44 which is configured to: analyse the process parameters received by the receiver 52; determine whether a current flux composition is appropriate for the received process parameters; and if the current flux composition is not appropriate for the received process parameters, change the delivery of flux or flux components from the plurality of silos to provide a required flux composition to the mold 13 for the received parameters. A corresponding method is also described.

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.