초록 ▼

Disclosed are process and apparatus for use in the direct casting of metal strip from molten metal deposited on a moving chill surface from a tundish having a floor, opposed upwardly extending sidewalls, an end wall, an open outlet opposite the end wall with the open outlet extending substantially t

Disclosed are process and apparatus for use in the direct casting of metal strip from molten metal deposited on a moving chill surface from a tundish having a floor, opposed upwardly extending sidewalls, an end wall, an open outlet opposite the end wall with the open outlet extending substantially the full width of the tundish between the sidewalls, and an inlet for providing a flow of molten metal into the tundish from a source of molten metal. Flow distribution and diffusers within the tundish control and diffuse the flow of molten metal to provide molten metal of substantially uniform temperature across the width of the tundish at the outlet.

대표청구항 ▼

In a process for direct casting of molten metal to form strip by solidification of molten metal on a moving chill surface using a vessel having a floor, spaced sidewalls, an inlet, and an outlet opposite the inlet and extending between the sidewalls for supplying molten metal to the chill surface, t

In a process for direct casting of molten metal to form strip by solidification of molten metal on a moving chill surface using a vessel having a floor, spaced sidewalls, an inlet, and an outlet opposite the inlet and extending between the sidewalls for supplying molten metal to the chill surface, the improvement comprising the steps of: positioning the vessel with the outlet adjacent the chill surface; providing a source of molten metal to be cast; withdrawing at least one inlet stream of molten metal from the source and flowing the inlet stream into the vessel through the inlet; providing a flow obstruction in the vessel in the path of the inlet stream; utilizing the flow obstruction to divert and distribute the inlet stream to provide a substantially uniform rate of flow of liquid metal through the vessel across its full width downstream of said obstruction means; and diffusing the molten metal flowing through the vessel downstream of the flow obstruction to provide molten metal at a substantially uniform temperature at the vessel outlet across the full width of the outlet. In a tundish for use in direct casting of metal strip by solidification of molten metal on a moving chill surface, said tundish including a floor, an end wall, a pair of laterally spaced sidewalls, an outlet opposite said end wall and having a transverse discharge surface extending between said sidewalls for flowing a stream of molten metal onto the moving chill surface, means providing a source of molten metal to be cast, and an inlet in said end wall communicating with said source for directing a flow of molten metal from the source into the tundish in a direction toward said outlet, said inlet being located at a level below the level of molten metal in the tundish during casting, the improvement comprising flow obstructing wall means extending transversely of said tundish between said sidewalls at a location downstream of said send wall, flow distribution opening means extending through said flow obstructing wall means at a location below the level of molten metal during casting whereby said flow obstructing wall means acts as a skimmer for impurities floating on the molten metal during casting, said opening means being located and dimensioned to provide a submerged flow path for molten metal through said flow distributing wall means at a substantially uniform rate across the width of said tundish between said sidewalls downstream of said flow obstructing wall means, and flow diffusing means in said tundish downstream of said flow obstructing means, said diffusing means extending upwardly from said bottom wall across the full width of said tundish between said sidewalls and providing a substantially uniform array of openings across the full width of the tundish, said array of openings being dimensioned and located to diffuse the flow of molten metal to provide molten metal at a substantially uniform temperature at the tundish outlet across the full width of the tundish.