The invention relates to a sliding closure (10) for a metallurgical vessel comprising a tapping hole (1) for draining metal melt or slag, said sliding closure being provided with a slider housing (3) that can be secured to the vessel (2) and a closure plate (6) that can move therein for opening and closing the tapping hole (1). The sliding closure (10) also has only this moveable closure plate (6), without a stationary closure plate, which is can be moved directly on a sliding surface (7), extending around the tapping hole, preferably of a casing block (9) in the vessel (2) and can be pressed by pretensioning elements. In this way, this sliding closure (10) provides a constructionally simpler structure and user-friendly handling.

A steel making assembly comprising a metal, refractory lined vessel having a side wall with a taphole therein and a metal plug placed within the taphole. The metal plug comprises a frustoconical body having a side conical wall, a closed small end and an open large end thereof defining an essentially empty interior space. The side conical wall of the frustoconical body of the plug includes at least one diagonal compression slit. The at least one diagonal compression slit extends from the open large end of the frustoconical body and extends toward the closed small end of the frustoconical body. The conical wall has a center axis, with the at least one diagonal compression slit being non-parallel to the center axis.

A slag door for a melting furnace for the production of steel is suitable to be associated with an aperture provided in a lateral wall of the melting furnace and to cooperate with a slag channel provided inside the melting furnace itself.

A ladle bottom being part of a metallurgical ladle for treating a metal melt as well as a corresponding metallurgical ladle.

A method of sealing a slag drain in a direct smelting vessel is disclosed. Also disclosed are a method of maintaining a slag drain channel and a direct smelting vessel with a slag drain channel that extends through a sleeve of refractory material installed in the direct smelting vessel. The method for sealing the slag drain includes locating a pre-formed refractory material at an inlet end of the slag drain channel so that it is exposed to a molten bath contained within the direct smelting vessel and sealing the slag drain channel with sealing material downstream of the pre-formed refractory material.

A device is provided for inserting a refractory block (20) into a taphole structure (10) of a metallurgical vessel, in particular a basic oxygen furnace (BOF). The refractory block (20) is carried by a mounting unit (25) and having a proximate end (26), which can be introduced into the taphole. A distal end (27) with locking elements (28), which can be coupled to a locking plate (31) of the vessel, is disposed at the outside of the taphole (21) of the vessel (11). The refractory block (20) can be introduced into the taphole structure (10) until the locking elements (28) of the mounting unit (25) can be attached to and coupled with the coupling head (30) with a manipulator. This mounting unit (25) can be respectively uncoupled also with the manipulator, when the refractory block (20) is mortared and fixed in the lining (12), whereby the mounting unit (25) can be decoupled and removed solely out of the taphole (21). That enables the refractory block replacement and the gunning of refractory material from the inside of the furnace more easily.

The present invention relates to delivering sand to a metal melting furnace to fill a tap hole. The swiveling sander moves into position through a horizontal arcing movement. The Swiveling Sanding Systems comprises a swiveling sander with slag plunger. The Swiveling Sander swivels from a home position into a sanding position in order to add sand to a metal melting furnace at the same time as the slag plunger moves out of the way. After delivering sand, the swiveling sander swivels back to home position while the slag plunger also moves back to home position followed by the plunger clearing any slag.

A tap hole plug gun comprising a material chamber for receiving a plugging compound and a mouthpiece for being placed on a tap hole, the mouthpiece being connected to a nozzle part disposed on the material chamber by means of an unlockable connection device. The connection device is realized as a hinged joint arrangement, the hinged joint arrangement having two opposite hinged joints each having a joint bolt which can be removed from the connection to a joint plate arrangement.

A tap hole plug gun comprising a material chamber for receiving a plugging compound, a mouthpiece for being introduced into a tap hole, and a nozzle part tapered in the direction of the mouthpiece and connected to the material chamber by means of an unlockable connection device. For realizing the connection device, the material chamber and the nozzle part have complementary axial connecting projections on two opposite axial connecting edges of a chamber wall of the material chamber and of a nozzle wall of the nozzle part.

A steel making assembly comprising a metal, refractory lined vessel having a side wall with a taphole therein and a metal plug placed within the taphole. The metal plug comprises a frustoconical body having a side conical wall, a closed small end and an open large end thereof defining an essentially empty interior space. The side conical wall of the frustoconical body of the plug includes at least one diagonal compression slit. The at least one diagonal compression slit extends from the open large end of the frustoconical body and extends toward the closed small end of the frustoconical body. The conical wall has a center axis, with the at least one diagonal compression slit being non-parallel to the center axis.