Method of forge-conditioning non-ferrous metals prior to rolling

Abstract

A method of continuously casting a molten metal in a casting means to obtain a solidified cast bar at a hot-forming temperature, passing the cast metal at a hot-forming temperature from the casting means to a hot-forming means, and hot forming the cast bar into a wrought product by a two-stage reduction of its cross-sectional area while it is still at a hot-forming temperature, including, in the first stage, the step of forming a shell of finely distributed recrystallized grains in the surface layers of the cast bar by compressive forging affecting at least the surface layer of the cross section of the bar in its as-cast condition prior to the second stage in which substantial reduction of its cross-sectional area by rolling deformation forms the desired wrought product. The shell of fine grains formed on the cast bar during the first stage of compressive deformation permits substantial reduction of the cross-sectional area of the cast bar during the second stage of rolling deformation without the cast bar cracking, even when the cast bar has a high impurity content or is otherwise susceptible to intergranular rupturing.