A method and apparatus for manufacturing an equiaxed crystal aluminum alloy cast ingot by using additive manufacturing and rapid solidification techniques are provided. The apparatus comprises: a metal heating mechanism and a negative pressure cooling mechanism. The metal heating mechanism is located above the negative pressure cooling mechanism and is connected thereto by a nozzle. The negative pressure cooling mechanism comprises a vacuum chamber having an air inlet hole and an air outlet hole, and a three-dimensional moving ingot mechanism disposed inside the vacuum chamber. The three-dimensional moving ingot mechanism comprises a moving ingot and a two-dimensional moving platform vertically connected to the moving ingot. A water cooling mechanism is disposed outside the moving ingot, and the moving ingot is driven by a precision motor to precisely move up and down.

A method and apparatus for manufacturing an equiaxed crystal aluminum alloy cast ingot by using additive manufacturing and rapid solidification techniques are provided. The apparatus comprises: a metal heating mechanism and a negative pressure cooling mechanism. The metal heating mechanism is located above the negative pressure cooling mechanism and is connected thereto by a nozzle. The negative pressure cooling mechanism comprises a vacuum chamber having an air inlet hole and an air outlet hole, and a three-dimensional moving ingot mechanism disposed inside the vacuum chamber. The three-dimensional moving ingot mechanism comprises a moving ingot and a two-dimensional moving platform vertically connected to the moving ingot. A water cooling mechanism is disposed outside the moving ingot, and the moving ingot is driven by a precision motor to precisely move up and down.

A furnace for electromagnetic casting a tubular-shaped silicon ingot is provided. The furnace includes a mold, outer and inner induction coils and a support member. The mold includes an outer crucible and an inner crucible. The outer crucible is annular-shaped. The inner crucible is disposed in the outer crucible and spaced away from the outer crucible to provide a gap between the inner crucible and the outer crucible. The mold is configured to receive granular silicon in the gap. The outer induction coil disposed around the outer crucible. The inner induction coil disposed in the inner crucible. The outer induction coil and the inner induction coil are configured to heat and melt the granular silicon in the mold to form a tubular-shaped silicon ingot. The support member is configured to hold and move a seed relative to the mold during formation of the tubular-shaped silicon ingot on the seed.

A furnace for electromagnetic casting a tubular-shaped silicon ingot is provided. The furnace includes a mold, outer and inner induction coils and a support member. The mold includes an outer crucible and an inner crucible. The outer crucible is annular-shaped. The inner crucible is disposed in the outer crucible and spaced away from the outer crucible to provide a gap between the inner crucible and the outer crucible. The mold is configured to receive granular silicon in the gap. The outer induction coil disposed around the outer crucible. The inner induction coil disposed in the inner crucible. The outer induction coil and the inner induction coil are configured to heat and melt the granular silicon in the mold to form a tubular-shaped silicon ingot. The support member is configured to hold and move a seed relative to the mold during formation of the tubular-shaped silicon ingot on the seed.

Systems and methods may utilize magnetic rotors to heat molten metal in the corner regions of a mold during casting (e.g., casting of an ingot, billet, or slab). The magnetic rotors are positioned adjacent to the corners of the mold and heat the molten metal in the corner region to increase the temperature of the molten metal adjacent the corners. The increased temperature of the molten metal in the mold corners can prevent intermetallics from forming in the molten metal or otherwise reduce such formation.

Systems and methods may utilize magnetic rotors to heat molten metal in the corner regions of a mold during casting (e.g., casting of an ingot, billet, or slab). The magnetic rotors are positioned adjacent to the corners of the mold and heat the molten metal in the corner region to increase the temperature of the molten metal adjacent the corners. The increased temperature of the molten metal in the mold corners can prevent intermetallics from forming in the molten metal or otherwise reduce such formation.

An ingot mold for curing fused and melted material is provided. The ingot mold includes a steel box, a foamed carbon layer, and a graphite block layer. The foamed carbon layer is formed inside the steel box. The graphite block layer is formed inside the steel box.

A rectangular parallelepiped ingot defined by a height H, a width W and a length L, having longitudinal faces extending between two end faces, having a volume between 0.15 m.sup.3 and 0.80 m.sup.3 and a surface area to volume ratio between 10 m.sup.−1 and 18 m.sup.−1, made of at least one metal, including at least one notch and a notch tip along the ingot length, wherein the at least one notch is configured such that: MaxD<H/2, MaxD<W/2 and MaxD being the maximum distance between any point of the ingot and the closest surface of the ingot.

A rectangular parallelepiped ingot defined by a height H, a width W and a length L, having longitudinal faces extending between two end faces, having a volume between 0.15 m.sup.3 and 0.80 m.sup.3 and a surface area to volume ratio between 10 m.sup.−1 and 18 m.sup.−1, made of at least one metal, including at least one notch and a notch tip along the ingot length, wherein the at least one notch is configured such that: MaxD<H/2, MaxD<W/2 and MaxD being the maximum distance between any point of the ingot and the closest surface of the ingot.

The present invention provides a cold crucible for continuously casting high-purity light metal thin slab, which can control the electromagnetic force applied from the inner wall surface of a cold crucible to the surface of molten metal in order to change the shape of the cold crucible to various shapes during electromagnetic casting, while stabilizing the molten metal inside the cold crucible and casting an ingot having uniform particles.