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.

Provided herein is a system, apparatus, and method for producing refractory products, and more particularly, to producing heated refractories, passive refractories, transition plates, moldable refractories, and accessories such as heated spouts, heated pins, thimbles, and dams. A heated refractory channel as disclosed herein may include a working surface to contain molten metal within the channel; a core adjacent to the working surface; one or more heating elements disposed within the core; and insulation, where the core is disposed between the working surface and the insulation. The one or more heating elements may be molded into the core. The heating elements may be electrical resistance heating elements.

A method of casting an aluminum alloy is provided. The method includes casting a master aluminum alloy having a trisilanol phenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (TSP) modifier into an ingot and adding the master aluminum alloy ingot into a molten base aluminum alloy to form a modified aluminum alloy. The modified aluminum alloy is heated for a period of time and then cast into a cast component. A variation of the method includes mixing a powdered aluminum alloy with a powdered TSP and pressing the mixture of powdered TSP and powdered aluminum alloy into a compacted preform prior to casting the master aluminum alloy. The compacted preform is melted during the step of casting the master aluminum alloy.

A casting ring having a first section made of a heat-conductive material and a second section made of a MAX phase alloy material, and a method for obtaining a product made of titanium alloy or a titanium-aluminum intermetallic compound by plasma torch melting, the alloy having an oriented structure, the method including heating the molten alloy surface in the casting ring with a plasma torch; cooling a cold zone of the casting ring over a length L1, the cooling forming a semi-solid crown of alloy; heating a hot zone of the casting ring over a length L2, thereby forming a solidification front, the flatness of which relative to a plane perpendicular to a drawing direction is less than 10?; and drawing the solidified alloy at a speed of more than 10.sup.?4 m/s in the drawing direction.

A machine for forming metal bars, in particular for producing ingots made of precious metal such as gold, silver, precious alloys, as well as other pure metals or different alloys, in the form of solid metal powder, grits or swarf of various sizes, having an ingot mold and a cover for closing the ingot mold when filled, the ingot mold has a dimension in height such that the cover passes from a first position to a second position when the volume occupied by the mass of metal that fills the ingot mold reduces gradually up to one third of the initial solid volume. In the first position the cover rests on the metal that fills the ingot mold and remains raised with respect to an abutting edge of the ingot mold, in such a manner that the bottom of the cover compresses and thus uniformly compacts the powders, the grits or the swarf so that, during the melting step, in the second position, the cover lowers progressively as the metal melts, until it rests on the abutting edge of the ingot mold, thus hermetically closing the ingot mold.

A machine for forming metal bars, in particular for producing ingots made of precious metal such as gold, silver, precious alloys, as well as other pure metals or different alloys, in the form of solid metal powder, grits or swarf of various sizes, having an ingot mould and a cover for closing the ingot mould when filled, the ingot mould has a dimension in height such that the cover passes from a first position to a second position when the volume occupied by the mass of metal that fills the ingot mould reduces gradually up to one third of the initial solid volume. In the first position the cover rests on the metal that fills the ingot mold and remains raised with respect to an abutting edge of the ingot mould, in such a manner that the bottom of the cover compresses and thus uniformly compacts the powders, the grits or the swarf so that, during the melting step, in the second position, the cover lowers progressively as the metal melts, until it rests on the abutting edge of the ingot mold, thus hermetically closing the ingot mould.

Provided herein is a system, apparatus, and method for producing refractory products, and more particularly, to producing heated refractories, passive refractories, transition plates, moldable refractories, and accessories such as heated spouts, heated pins, thimbles, and dams. A heated refractory channel as disclosed herein may include a working surface to contain molten metal within the channel; a core adjacent to the working surface; one or more heating elements disposed within the core; and insulation, where the core is disposed between the working surface and the insulation. The one or more heating elements may be molded into the core. The heating elements may be electrical resistance heating elements.

Provided herein is a system, apparatus, and method for producing refractory products, and more particularly, to producing heated refractories, passive refractories, transition plates, moldable refractories, and accessories such as heated spouts, heated pins, thimbles, and dams. A heated refractory channel as disclosed herein may include a working surface to contain molten metal within the channel; a core adjacent to the working surface; one or more heating elements disposed within the core; and insulation, where the core is disposed between the working surface and the insulation. The one or more heating elements may be molded into the core. The heating elements may be electrical resistance heating elements.