Creusot-Loire Vallourec

Michel Mola

A hollow blank, preferably of steel, for continuously casting by pouring molten metal into a continuous casting mold, withdrawing a shell containing liquid metal continuously from the lower end of the mold, directing the shell along a curved path, rotating the liquid metal in the mold, rotating the liquid metal in the shell at a location spaced from the mold to form a hollow in the liquid metal, and allowing the metal to solidify against the inside of the metal shell in the region of the hollow, to form a hollow metal blank. The blank thus formed can be straight or curved, and is cut off after the final solidification. An apparatus for forming the blank is disclosed and the blank thus formed has unique good quality surface characterictics free of dendrites.

Method and apparatus for continuously casting a hollow metal blank, and

A method of continuously casting metals, inter alia steel or metals having similar characteristics, wherein liquid metal is poured into a mould having a circular cross-section and a substantially vertical axis, the mould wall is continuously cooled, the liquid steel is rotated in the mould by electromagnetic field windings placed in or level with the mould, and the solidified bar is continuously withdrawn at the bottom of the mould, in which the mould is supplied by a liquid steel stream which is inclined and eccentric with respect to the mould axis, so that when it strikes the surface of the liquid metal in the mould, it has a component substantially tangential to the geometrical circle extending through the point of impact and centered on the mould axis, thus producing a meniscus, the vertical distance between the base of the meniscus and the top end of the field windings being maintained at a sufficient value not to produce a substantial electromagnetic field at the meniscus, inter alia at its top part.

Continuous casting of metals

Ingot mold for continuous rotary casting has an inner sleeve, the inner surface of which contacts the casting and rotates therewith and a stationary outer jacket, in which said sleeve is rotatably mounted. A pair of concentric annular ducts for cooling fluid are formed in the sleeve concentrically with respect to the cooling surface and are connected at their upper ends. Bearing means are provided between the sleeve and jacket, and labyrinthine seals are located above and below the bearing means. The cooling fluid enters the outermost duct and leaves the innermost duct below the bearing so that there is no possibility that water will enter the bearing.

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Paris, France

Michel Mola