Alcan International Limited

Joseph Langlais

Ghyslain Dube

Serge Eugene Lavoie

Claude Dupuis

Gilles R Turcotte

Stephane Rompre

Sylvain Trottier

Thierry Bourgeois

Yves Caron

Andre Gendron

A method of measuring the quenchability of a liquid coolant used to cool objects such as ingots produced by direct-chill casting. The method involves providing a sample of the liquid coolant; providing a probe for immersion in the sample, the probe having a temperature-sensing electrical device contained therein which generates an electrical response corresponding to temperature sensed; heating the probe in a gas, preferably by means of electrical resistance heating by a circuit which is electrically connected to the temperature-sensing electrical device, to a predetermined temperature measured by the electrical response of the temperature sensing device, immersing the probe into the sample and measuring the electrical response for a predetermined measurement period, and comparing the measured electrical response to a response of a reference liquid measured under equivalent conditions, to thereby determine the quenchability property of the liquid coolant. The invention also relates to apparatus for carrying out the method, as well as a method and apparatus for controlling the cooling of the object based on the measured quenchability of the coolant. In an alternative, the probe may be heated by means other than the electrical resistance heating at a rate of at least about 40&deg; C./second.

Method and apparatus for measuring quenchant properties of coolants

A process of producing granules of a reactive metal. The process comprises providing a source of molten reactive metal (,), forming discrete droplets (,) of the molten metal, contacting the droplets while still substantially molten with a fluidized bed of particles (,) maintained at a temperature substantially below the solidus temperature of the metal and freezing the droplets as discrete granules of the reactive metal in the fluidized bed. The invention also provides apparatus for carrying out the method and product produces by the method, including a magnesium-containing additive for aluminum alloying. The use of a fluidized bed for cooling and freezing the droplets avoids problems encountered in prior methods and also makes it possible to provide coatings of various kinds on the surfaces of the granules, if desired.

Production of granules of reactive metals, for example magnesium and magnesium alloy

Production of granules of reactive metals, for example magnesium and

A process of producing granules of a reactive metal. The process comprises providing a source of molten reactive metal, forming discrete droplets of the molten metal, contacting the droplets while still substantially molten with a fluidized bed of particles maintained at a temperature substantially below the solidus temperature of the metal and freezing the droplets as discrete granules of the reactive metal in the fluidized bed. The invention also provides apparatus for carrying out the method and product produced by the method, including a magnesium-containing additive for aluminum alloying. The use of a fluidized bed for cooling and freezing the droplets avoids problems encountered in prior methods and also makes it possible to provide coatings of various kinds on the surfaces of the granules, if desired.

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Chicoutimi, Canada

Joseph Langlais