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.

A method for maintaining the optimal argon injection flow rate which will result in production of steel slab of a chosen alloy having optimal cleanliness. The steel is cast using an argon injected slide gate. The selected steel has a known optimal argon injection flow rate Qb* for casting steel of optimal cleanliness. The method involves calculating the present steel pressure and determining the present injection flow rate conductance Gb′ of the argon injected slide gate during either of 1) a steel pressure change event; or 2) an argon flow change event. The measurements are used to calculate present argon pressure required to insure the required injection flow rate of argon into the steel for optimal cleanliness of the cast steel.

A method for maintaining the optimal argon injection flow rate which will result in production of steel slab of a chosen alloy having optimal cleanliness. The steel is cast using an argon injected slide gate. The selected steel has a known optimal argon injection flow rate Qb* for casting steel of optimal cleanliness. The method involves calculating the present steel pressure and determining the present injection flow rate conductance Gb′ of the argon injected slide gate during either of 1) a steel pressure change event; or 2) an argon flow change event. The measurements are used to calculate present argon pressure required to insure the required injection flow rate of argon into the steel for optimal cleanliness of the cast steel.

In a sliding nozzle comprising three plates consisting of an upper plate, an intermediate plate capable of a sliding movement, and a lower plate, it is intended to suppress adhesion and deposition of metal oxides and others on wall surfaces of inner bores of the three plates. The intermediate plate has: a first inclined portion whose surface defines a slidingly closing directional leading-side wall surface of an inner bore thereof and extends obliquely downwardly in a diametrically contracting direction; a second inclined portion whose surface defines an upper part of a slidingly closing directional trailing-side wall surface of the inner bore thereof and extends obliquely downwardly in a diametrically contracting direction, and a third inclined portion whose surface defines a lower part of the slidingly closing directional trailing-side wall surface of the inner bore thereof and extends obliquely downwardly in a diametrically expanding direction.

In a sliding nozzle comprising three plates consisting of an upper plate, an intermediate plate capable of a sliding movement, and a lower plate, it is intended to suppress adhesion and deposition of metal oxides and others on wall surfaces of inner bores of the three plates. The intermediate plate has: a first inclined portion whose surface defines a slidingly closing directional leading-side wall surface of an inner bore thereof and extends obliquely downwardly in a diametrically contracting direction; a second inclined portion whose surface defines an upper part of a slidingly closing directional trailing-side wall surface of the inner bore thereof and extends obliquely downwardly in a diametrically contracting direction, and a third inclined portion whose surface defines a lower part of the slidingly closing directional trailing-side wall surface of the inner bore thereof and extends obliquely downwardly in a diametrically expanding direction.

A gate valve system includes a base plate and a gate valve plate, a casting plant includes the gate valve system, and a casting process manufactures workpieces, particularly from metal materials. The base plate has an opening and the gate valve plate has a first opening and at least a second opening. The separating gate valve system is set up so that the separating gate valve system can be brought into casting, pressing, and closure positions. In the casting position, the first opening is arranged to align with the opening of the base plate, at least to the greatest possible extent; in the pressing position, the second opening is arranged to align with the opening of the base plate, at least to the greatest possible extent; and in the closure position, the gate valve plate closes off the opening of the base plate.

A gate valve system includes a base plate and a gate valve plate, a casting plant includes the gate valve system, and a casting process manufactures workpieces, particularly from metal materials. The base plate has an opening and the gate valve plate has a first opening and at least a second opening. The separating gate valve system is set up so that the separating gate valve system can be brought into casting, pressing, and closure positions. In the casting position, the first opening is arranged to align with the opening of the base plate, at least to the greatest possible extent; in the pressing position, the second opening is arranged to align with the opening of the base plate, at least to the greatest possible extent; and in the closure position, the gate valve plate closes off the opening of the base plate.

A sliding member includes a base material and an alloy layer that includes Cu as a main component and Bi and having a sliding surface formed on a side opposite to the base material. The alloy layer has a first region and a second region. The first region is set to a region taking up 30% of the thickness of the alloy layer which is from an interface in contact with the base material toward the sliding surface. The second region is set to a region taking up 10% of the thickness of the alloy layer which is from the sliding surface toward the base material. A larger number of Bi phases having larger cross-sectional areas are distributed in an arbitrary observation cross section as Bi phases included in the second region compared to Bi phases included in the first region.

Plate condition tool for the measurement of condition data of slide gate valve plates coupled to the slide gate valve of a metallurgic vessel, said slide gate valve comprising a collector nozzle, said plate condition tool comprising: a) a main body comprising an obturator for obturating at least partially the collector nozzle; b) a gas injecting device comprising a pressure regulator for injecting a gas in the collector nozzle through the obturator; c) a gas flow measuring device for measuring the flow of the gas injected by the gas injecting device d) a controller being communicatively connected to the gas flow measuring device and being configured to receive input data relating to the relative position of the slide gate valve plates; and wherein the obturator comprises a seal holder for holding a collector nozzle seal.

Plate condition tool for the measurement of condition data of slide gate valve plates coupled to the slide gate valve of a metallurgic vessel, said slide gate valve comprising a collector nozzle, said plate condition tool comprising: a) a main body comprising an obturator for obturating at least partially the collector nozzle; b) a gas injecting device comprising a pressure regulator for injecting a gas in the collector nozzle through the obturator; c) a gas flow measuring device for measuring the flow of the gas injected by the gas injecting device d) a controller being communicatively connected to the gas flow measuring device and being configured to receive input data relating to the relative position of the slide gate valve plates; and wherein the obturator comprises a seal holder for holding a collector nozzle seal.