CA1090088A - Continuous or semi-continuous metal casting method - Google Patents
Continuous or semi-continuous metal casting methodInfo
- Publication number
- CA1090088A CA1090088A CA293,044A CA293044A CA1090088A CA 1090088 A CA1090088 A CA 1090088A CA 293044 A CA293044 A CA 293044A CA 1090088 A CA1090088 A CA 1090088A
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- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- ingot
- cooling
- inductor
- continuous
- tier
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Abstract
CONTINUOUS OR SEMI-CONTINUOUS METAL
CASTING METHOD
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A continuous or semi-continuous metal casting method comprising the feeding of a liquid metal upon a bottom plate arranged inside an orifice of an annular inductor and the shaping of molten metal into an ingot by the electromagne-tic field of said inductor. The bottom plate with the me-tal is then lowered, and a cooling medium is supplied upon the lateral face of the ingot in several cooling tiers ar-ranged at various levels longitudinally of the ingot. As the bottom of the ingot comes level with a next along the motion of ingot cooling tier, the cooling tiers, beginning from the topmost one, are cut out one after the other, and until casting ends, the cooling medium is supplied to a cool-ing upon the lateral face of the ingot by the cooling tier that maintains the solidification front substantially at the mid-height of the inductor.
CASTING METHOD
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A continuous or semi-continuous metal casting method comprising the feeding of a liquid metal upon a bottom plate arranged inside an orifice of an annular inductor and the shaping of molten metal into an ingot by the electromagne-tic field of said inductor. The bottom plate with the me-tal is then lowered, and a cooling medium is supplied upon the lateral face of the ingot in several cooling tiers ar-ranged at various levels longitudinally of the ingot. As the bottom of the ingot comes level with a next along the motion of ingot cooling tier, the cooling tiers, beginning from the topmost one, are cut out one after the other, and until casting ends, the cooling medium is supplied to a cool-ing upon the lateral face of the ingot by the cooling tier that maintains the solidification front substantially at the mid-height of the inductor.
Description
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
CONTINUOUS OR SEMI-CONTINUOUS ~ETAL CASTING METHOD
1. Field of the Invention Tne present invention relates tomethods for continuous or semi-continuous casting of ferrous and nonferrous metals and their alloys providing for the shaping of metal ingots by electromagentic field.
CONTINUOUS OR SEMI-CONTINUOUS ~ETAL CASTING METHOD
1. Field of the Invention Tne present invention relates tomethods for continuous or semi-continuous casting of ferrous and nonferrous metals and their alloys providing for the shaping of metal ingots by electromagentic field.
2. Description of the Pxior Art There is known a method for continuous or semi-contin-uous casting of metal disclosed in a British Patent No. 1,157,977 according to which molten metal is fed onto a bottom plate located in the orifice of an annular inductor, the electromagnetic field thereof shaping the metal into an ingot. As the side - surface of the ingot solidifies, the ingot with the bottom plate is lowered and, simultaneously, a cooling medium (water) is sprayed upon the side surface of the ingot. In accordance with the British Pat. No. 1,328,166, the ingot is cooled by several cooling tiers arranged around and at different levels with respect to the ingot being shaped. The top cooling tier ensuring the initial solidification of the ingot (appearance of the crust) is level with the bottom of the inductor. In the course of casting, the boundary between the molten and the solid phases on the surface of the ingot is close to mid-height of the induc-tor where the magnetic field is at its greatest. The liquid zone of the ingot shaped by an electromagnetic field has generally a height of 30 to 50 mm.
The shape of the liquid zone answering the normal ingot shaping conditions approximates in its longitudinal cross section that of the ingot, i.e. the liquid zone has a convex meniscus. This is achieved by shielding the magnetic field and also by that the top part of the liquid zone is found above the top plane of the inductor. Because of this, the height of the : :~
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inductor with due regard for that of the liquid zone is generally ; 20 to 70 mm. When inductors of this height are used, known methods are applicable to casting of ingots at pulling velocities of 35 to 50 mm/min. As regards high-alloy aluminium alloys, the casting thereof into ingots at low pulling velocities (15 to 25 mm/min.) becomes altogether impossible, this being due to the causes below.
As is generally the case in casting, the boundary be-tween the liquid and the solid phases on the side surface of the 10 ingot is close to mid-height of the inductor where the magnetic field is at its greatest. The distance between said boundary and the iop cooling tier is a function, in the main, of the ingot pulling velocity, varying inversely with the latter. Thus, when the ingot pulling velocity drops to 15 to 25 mm/min., the distance between the solid--liquid interface on the side surface -=- ;
of the ingot and the top cooling tier varies between 80 and 160 - mm. As the top cooling tier is located directly underneath the inductor, and the liquid zone is not more than 50 mm high, the solification front, for an inductor of customary height, emerges on the periphery of the liquid zone with the effect that the liquid metal entering the shaping zone trickles down and gives rise to random-shaped accretions on the side surface of the ingot, thus entirely upsetting the ingot shaping process. In consequence, a normal ingot shaping at low casting rates would , require a lower arrangement of the top cooling tier with respect to the bottom boundary of the liquid zone on the surface of the ingot. This may be achieved by increasing the height of the inductor to 140 to 300 mm for pulling velocities of 15 to 25 mm/min. However, such a value of the inductor height is object-ionable for many reasons. Assuming normal ingot shaping and least consumption of energy, the optimum height of the inductor for a liquid zone 30 to 50 mm high is 30 to 70 mm.
The shape of the liquid zone answering the normal ingot shaping conditions approximates in its longitudinal cross section that of the ingot, i.e. the liquid zone has a convex meniscus. This is achieved by shielding the magnetic field and also by that the top part of the liquid zone is found above the top plane of the inductor. Because of this, the height of the : :~
~ t~ ~
inductor with due regard for that of the liquid zone is generally ; 20 to 70 mm. When inductors of this height are used, known methods are applicable to casting of ingots at pulling velocities of 35 to 50 mm/min. As regards high-alloy aluminium alloys, the casting thereof into ingots at low pulling velocities (15 to 25 mm/min.) becomes altogether impossible, this being due to the causes below.
As is generally the case in casting, the boundary be-tween the liquid and the solid phases on the side surface of the 10 ingot is close to mid-height of the inductor where the magnetic field is at its greatest. The distance between said boundary and the iop cooling tier is a function, in the main, of the ingot pulling velocity, varying inversely with the latter. Thus, when the ingot pulling velocity drops to 15 to 25 mm/min., the distance between the solid--liquid interface on the side surface -=- ;
of the ingot and the top cooling tier varies between 80 and 160 - mm. As the top cooling tier is located directly underneath the inductor, and the liquid zone is not more than 50 mm high, the solification front, for an inductor of customary height, emerges on the periphery of the liquid zone with the effect that the liquid metal entering the shaping zone trickles down and gives rise to random-shaped accretions on the side surface of the ingot, thus entirely upsetting the ingot shaping process. In consequence, a normal ingot shaping at low casting rates would , require a lower arrangement of the top cooling tier with respect to the bottom boundary of the liquid zone on the surface of the ingot. This may be achieved by increasing the height of the inductor to 140 to 300 mm for pulling velocities of 15 to 25 mm/min. However, such a value of the inductor height is object-ionable for many reasons. Assuming normal ingot shaping and least consumption of energy, the optimum height of the inductor for a liquid zone 30 to 50 mm high is 30 to 70 mm.
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In addition, a greater inductor height increases the overall dimensions of the ingot casting means, this rendering difficult their incorporation in continuous casting plants.
An ingot casting means with an inductor ofincreaSed height cannot be used at both low and relatively high ingot pulling velocities t50 mm/min. and over), as the boundary between the solid and the liquid phases tnen moves into the bottom part of the inductor which is impermissible as regards ingot shaping and consumption of energy.
Summary of the Invention It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a method for continuous or semi-continuous casting of , metal into ingots 500 to 1100 mm in diameter from alloys of - low solidification rates.
Another no less important object of the invention is -`~
to provide a possibility to cast ingots by a single means a~c both low and high ingot pulling velocities and so minimize the number of casters and the floorspace involved.
Still another object of the invention is to improve the surface quality of ingots, as a wide range of ingot pulling velocities eliminates the pulsation of the liquid phase of ingots and thus prevents the flowing of the liquid phase over the out-side solidified lateral face of the ingot.
The above and other objects are attained by the provision of a method of continuous or semi-continuous casting comprising the Eeeding of a molten metal upon a bottom-plate located inside an orifice of an annular inductor, the shaping of an ingot of said metal by the electromagnetic field of said inductor, the lowering of said bottom plate with the metal simultaneously with the supply of a cooling medium upon the lateral face of the ingot being cast with the aid of several cooling tiers arranged at different levels along the ingot, in a~ordance with the invention, said cooling tiers are cut out one after another beginning from the topmost one as the bottom of the ingot comes level with a next along the motion of the ingot cooling tier, and until the easting ends the eooling rlledium is supplied to the cooling tier that maintains the liquid-so-lid interfaee on the lateral face of the ingot substantially at mid-height of the inductor. Sequential downward cut out of the cool-ing tiers maintains the liquid-solid interface on the lateral face of the ingot level with the mid-height of the inductor, as at low ingot pulling velocities the liquid-solid interface moves upward at a greater velocity than the velocity of ingot pulling. The effect of the eut out of the nearest eooling tier ~or of several tiers in sequence) levels off the velocity of motion of the liquid-solid interfaee on the lateral face of the ingot and the ingot pulling velocity.
Brief Description of the Drawings These and other objects and features of the invention become readily apparent from one embodiment thereof which will now be described by way of example with reference to the . i~ 20 aecompanying drawing whieh is a sehematie diagram of a eross section by a vertical plane of an apparatus for putting the proposed method into effect.
; Deseription of the Preferred ~mbodiment The method of continuous or semi-continuous casting of metal ingots is put into effect in the manner below.
At the beginning of casting, a eooling medium is supplied from an annular eooler 1 upon a lateral faee of an -~ ingot 2 in annular streams arranged at different levels along `;; the ingot 2. A topmost cooling tier 3 is located directly beneath an inductor 4 at a distanee h from the mid-height of the inductor
- 10~0(~
In addition, a greater inductor height increases the overall dimensions of the ingot casting means, this rendering difficult their incorporation in continuous casting plants.
An ingot casting means with an inductor ofincreaSed height cannot be used at both low and relatively high ingot pulling velocities t50 mm/min. and over), as the boundary between the solid and the liquid phases tnen moves into the bottom part of the inductor which is impermissible as regards ingot shaping and consumption of energy.
Summary of the Invention It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a method for continuous or semi-continuous casting of , metal into ingots 500 to 1100 mm in diameter from alloys of - low solidification rates.
Another no less important object of the invention is -`~
to provide a possibility to cast ingots by a single means a~c both low and high ingot pulling velocities and so minimize the number of casters and the floorspace involved.
Still another object of the invention is to improve the surface quality of ingots, as a wide range of ingot pulling velocities eliminates the pulsation of the liquid phase of ingots and thus prevents the flowing of the liquid phase over the out-side solidified lateral face of the ingot.
The above and other objects are attained by the provision of a method of continuous or semi-continuous casting comprising the Eeeding of a molten metal upon a bottom-plate located inside an orifice of an annular inductor, the shaping of an ingot of said metal by the electromagnetic field of said inductor, the lowering of said bottom plate with the metal simultaneously with the supply of a cooling medium upon the lateral face of the ingot being cast with the aid of several cooling tiers arranged at different levels along the ingot, in a~ordance with the invention, said cooling tiers are cut out one after another beginning from the topmost one as the bottom of the ingot comes level with a next along the motion of the ingot cooling tier, and until the easting ends the eooling rlledium is supplied to the cooling tier that maintains the liquid-so-lid interfaee on the lateral face of the ingot substantially at mid-height of the inductor. Sequential downward cut out of the cool-ing tiers maintains the liquid-solid interface on the lateral face of the ingot level with the mid-height of the inductor, as at low ingot pulling velocities the liquid-solid interface moves upward at a greater velocity than the velocity of ingot pulling. The effect of the eut out of the nearest eooling tier ~or of several tiers in sequence) levels off the velocity of motion of the liquid-solid interfaee on the lateral face of the ingot and the ingot pulling velocity.
Brief Description of the Drawings These and other objects and features of the invention become readily apparent from one embodiment thereof which will now be described by way of example with reference to the . i~ 20 aecompanying drawing whieh is a sehematie diagram of a eross section by a vertical plane of an apparatus for putting the proposed method into effect.
; Deseription of the Preferred ~mbodiment The method of continuous or semi-continuous casting of metal ingots is put into effect in the manner below.
At the beginning of casting, a eooling medium is supplied from an annular eooler 1 upon a lateral faee of an -~ ingot 2 in annular streams arranged at different levels along `;; the ingot 2. A topmost cooling tier 3 is located directly beneath an inductor 4 at a distanee h from the mid-height of the inductor
4. A normal course of the casting process is provided by maintaining the interface between the liquid and the solid phases .
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on the lateral face of the ingot 2 placed on a bottom plate 5 at the mid-height of the inductor 4.
Lower cooling tiers 6, 7 and 8 are at distances of respectively hl, h2 and h3 from the mid-height of the inductor 4.
The electromagnetic fielcl of the inductor 4 causes the metal on the bottom plate 5 to take on the shape of a column `: of a specified height. Acted upon by the cooling medium, the column of molten metal begins to solidify from the bottom upwards and from the lateral face towards the longitudinal axis ; of the ingot 2. The shaping of ingot 2 is accompanied by the lowering of said ingot together with the bottom plate 5. At the beginning of casting, the cooling medium is supplied from all of the cooling tiers 3, 6, 7 and 8.
In thegiven example the topmost cooling tier 3 is arranged at a distance of 5 to 15 mm from the bottom edge of the inductor 4. Investigations and experimènts have indicated that the topmost cooling tier substantially affects the velocity of motion of the liquid-solid interface on the lateral face of the ingot 2. The ratio of the velocity at which the ingot 2 is pulled out of the zone of action of the inductor 4 to the velocity of motion of the liquid-solid interface in the ingot 2 should be so adjusted as to give molten metal at the top face of the ingot 2 enough time to solidify before it leaves the inductor 4 and thus to prevent it from flowing al]. over the ingot 2. This procedure is adhered to in a sequential cut out, accord-ing to the invention, of said cooling tiers. As the bottom of the ingot 2 comes.level with the next along the motion of the ingot 2 cooling tier 6 located at a distance hl from the mid-height of the inductor 4, the topmost cooling tier 3 is cut out.The remaining cooling tiers supply, until casting ends, the cooling medium upon the lateral face of the ingot 2 as long as they maintain the liquid-solid interface on the lateral face of the ingot 2 substantially at the mid-height of the inductor 4 As the bottom of the ingot 2 comes level with the next cooling ~ tier 7 arranged at a distance h2 from the mid-height of the ;; inductor 4, the cooling tier 6 is cut out, but the liquid-solid interface fails to come out on the top face of the solidifying ingot 2.
For the smaller ingot pulling velocities, casting may be stabilized by the third cooling tier 7 located at a distance h2 from the mid-height of the inductor 4 or by the fourth cooling tier 8 arranged at a distance h3 from the mid-height of the inductor 4, all of the overlying cooling tiers being cut out after the initial stage of casting.
To put the method into effect, according to the invention, it suffices to provide 4 to 6 cooling tiers which are capable of covering all the required range of ingot pulllng velocities.
The proposed method was used to cast a 485-mm dia.
ingot of high-alloy aluminium at pulling velocities from 23 to 28 mmjmin. The distance between the topmost cooling tier 3 and the second cooling tier 6 was 50 mm, and the value hl, approximately 70 to 85 mm.
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-- ~o~
on the lateral face of the ingot 2 placed on a bottom plate 5 at the mid-height of the inductor 4.
Lower cooling tiers 6, 7 and 8 are at distances of respectively hl, h2 and h3 from the mid-height of the inductor 4.
The electromagnetic fielcl of the inductor 4 causes the metal on the bottom plate 5 to take on the shape of a column `: of a specified height. Acted upon by the cooling medium, the column of molten metal begins to solidify from the bottom upwards and from the lateral face towards the longitudinal axis ; of the ingot 2. The shaping of ingot 2 is accompanied by the lowering of said ingot together with the bottom plate 5. At the beginning of casting, the cooling medium is supplied from all of the cooling tiers 3, 6, 7 and 8.
In thegiven example the topmost cooling tier 3 is arranged at a distance of 5 to 15 mm from the bottom edge of the inductor 4. Investigations and experimènts have indicated that the topmost cooling tier substantially affects the velocity of motion of the liquid-solid interface on the lateral face of the ingot 2. The ratio of the velocity at which the ingot 2 is pulled out of the zone of action of the inductor 4 to the velocity of motion of the liquid-solid interface in the ingot 2 should be so adjusted as to give molten metal at the top face of the ingot 2 enough time to solidify before it leaves the inductor 4 and thus to prevent it from flowing al]. over the ingot 2. This procedure is adhered to in a sequential cut out, accord-ing to the invention, of said cooling tiers. As the bottom of the ingot 2 comes.level with the next along the motion of the ingot 2 cooling tier 6 located at a distance hl from the mid-height of the inductor 4, the topmost cooling tier 3 is cut out.The remaining cooling tiers supply, until casting ends, the cooling medium upon the lateral face of the ingot 2 as long as they maintain the liquid-solid interface on the lateral face of the ingot 2 substantially at the mid-height of the inductor 4 As the bottom of the ingot 2 comes level with the next cooling ~ tier 7 arranged at a distance h2 from the mid-height of the ;; inductor 4, the cooling tier 6 is cut out, but the liquid-solid interface fails to come out on the top face of the solidifying ingot 2.
For the smaller ingot pulling velocities, casting may be stabilized by the third cooling tier 7 located at a distance h2 from the mid-height of the inductor 4 or by the fourth cooling tier 8 arranged at a distance h3 from the mid-height of the inductor 4, all of the overlying cooling tiers being cut out after the initial stage of casting.
To put the method into effect, according to the invention, it suffices to provide 4 to 6 cooling tiers which are capable of covering all the required range of ingot pulllng velocities.
The proposed method was used to cast a 485-mm dia.
ingot of high-alloy aluminium at pulling velocities from 23 to 28 mmjmin. The distance between the topmost cooling tier 3 and the second cooling tier 6 was 50 mm, and the value hl, approximately 70 to 85 mm.
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Claims
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method of continuous or semi-continous casting of metal comprising: the feeding of a liquid metal upon a bottom plate located inside an orifice of an annular inductor;
the shaping of said liquid metal into an ingot by the electro-magnetic field of said annular inductor; the lowering of the bottom plate as the ingot is solidified from said liquid metal simultaneously with the supply of a cooling medium upon the lateral face of the ingot with the aid of several cooling tiers arranged at different levels along the ingot; a sequential cut out of the cooling tiers, beginning from the topmost tier, as the bottom of the ingot comes level with a next along the motion of the ingot cooling tier, and the supply of the cooling medium until the casting is completed by the cooling tier that maintains the liquid-solid interface on the lateral face of the ingot substantially at the mid-height of the inductor.
the shaping of said liquid metal into an ingot by the electro-magnetic field of said annular inductor; the lowering of the bottom plate as the ingot is solidified from said liquid metal simultaneously with the supply of a cooling medium upon the lateral face of the ingot with the aid of several cooling tiers arranged at different levels along the ingot; a sequential cut out of the cooling tiers, beginning from the topmost tier, as the bottom of the ingot comes level with a next along the motion of the ingot cooling tier, and the supply of the cooling medium until the casting is completed by the cooling tier that maintains the liquid-solid interface on the lateral face of the ingot substantially at the mid-height of the inductor.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA293,044A CA1090088A (en) | 1977-12-14 | 1977-12-14 | Continuous or semi-continuous metal casting method |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA293,044A CA1090088A (en) | 1977-12-14 | 1977-12-14 | Continuous or semi-continuous metal casting method |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1090088A true CA1090088A (en) | 1980-11-25 |
Family
ID=4110284
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA293,044A Expired CA1090088A (en) | 1977-12-14 | 1977-12-14 | Continuous or semi-continuous metal casting method |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1090088A (en) |
-
1977
- 1977-12-14 CA CA293,044A patent/CA1090088A/en not_active Expired
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Legal Events
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