US3623862A - Use of rare earth elements for reducing nozzle deposits in the continuous casting of steel process - Google Patents

Use of rare earth elements for reducing nozzle deposits in the continuous casting of steel process Download PDF

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Publication number
US3623862A
US3623862A US739157A US3623862DA US3623862A US 3623862 A US3623862 A US 3623862A US 739157 A US739157 A US 739157A US 3623862D A US3623862D A US 3623862DA US 3623862 A US3623862 A US 3623862A
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United States
Prior art keywords
rare earth
steel
continuous casting
nozzles
tundish
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Expired - Lifetime
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US739157A
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English (en)
Inventor
Arthur F Spengler Jr
William P Young
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Navistar Inc
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International Harverster Corp
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    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C21METALLURGY OF IRON
    • C21CPROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS
    • C21C7/00Treating molten ferrous alloys, e.g. steel, not covered by groups C21C1/00 - C21C5/00
    • C21C7/0056Treating molten ferrous alloys, e.g. steel, not covered by groups C21C1/00 - C21C5/00 using cored wires
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22DCASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D11/00Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths
    • B22D11/10Supplying or treating molten metal
    • B22D11/11Treating the molten metal

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A continuous casting process wherein rare earth metals or rare earth silicides or other alloys of the rare earth metals are used to deoxidize steel to thereby prevent the clogging of tundish metering nozzles and permit the uninterrupted continuous casting of large production steel heats.
  • This invention relates to a method of continuously casting molten metals.
  • molten steel is poured from a ladle into a tundish containing one or more nozzles.
  • These nozzles are made from zirconia, alumina or other highly refractory materials through which metal flows and is metered into the molds forming continuous cast billets. Difficulties have always been encountered in keeping the metering nozzles open so that a continuous even flow of molten metal can be fed into the billet molds.
  • the nozzles tend to clog, finally becoming completely closed. This terminates the casting operation. As a result, the rest of the heat must be cast in ingots.
  • tundish nozzles The problem of the plugging of tundish nozzles is serious, and prevents the successful utilization of the continuous casting process On a large scale by the steel industry. Examination of plugged tundish nozzles reveals that the skeleton-like deposit which restricts the metal flow consists primarily of alumina A1 0 along with other complex refractory materials containing oxides of aluminum, calcium, and silicon. Further studies using special test heats of steel deoxided with aluminum, calcium silicon alloys and rare earths show that the refractory materials blocking tundish nozzles are products of aluminum and calcium deoxidizing agents.
  • Stoppered nozzles have also been used in the tundish similar to the stopper in a steel ladle to teem ingots. This permits the use of graphite nozzles and fire clay nozzles with a larger diameter hole. These types of nozzles, however, erode away and become larger as the steel is cast. With this arrangement, the rate of flow through the nozzle was controlled by an operator. During casting times of one hour or more it is quite difficult to properly control the casting speed. Stoppered nozzles are not a satisfactory answer to the problem especially when casting large heats of tons and over.
  • a principal object of the present invention is to eliminate tundish nozzle clogging to permit a free flow of molten steel during a continuous casting process when large heats are being poured.
  • Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method of deoxidizing a heat of steel whereby the oxide precipitation problem is reduced or eliminated so that the continuous casting of the steel heat may proceed without interruption.
  • a further object of this invention is to utilize rare earth metals or rare earth silicides or other alloys of the rare earth metals to deoxidize steel during a continuous casting process so that precipitation of refractory oxides from the molten metal onto the surface of the tundish metering nozzles does not occur.
  • a still further object is to provide an improved method of continuous casting of steel which can be extended to a greater variety of steels than heretofore has been possible.
  • tundish nozzles made of zirconia have been used.
  • Zirconia or other highly refractory material must be used to withstand not only the high heat but also the long duration of high temperature of the large heat of steel, which must pass through these nozzle structures.
  • a tundish In a typical example of equipment used in the continuous casting process, a tundish is used which holds about 4000 pounds of steel. Eight nozzles of /8 in diameter are connected to the tundish and meter the molten steel from the tundish into molds to form continuous cast billets of 5" or 6" squares. It takes approximately one hour to pour a 140 ton heat of steel through these eight nozzles. The importance of keeping these nozzles completely open can be readily appreciated from these facts. On the other hand, it is equally important that the nozzle does not erode and increase in size to cause an undesirable pouring rate. When aluminum was used as a deoxidizing agent, we found by X-ray diffraction techniques that the deposit which formed in the tundish nozzles exhibited a diffraction pattern identical with that of aluminum calcium oxide and aluminum oxide.
  • Rare earth metal or mixtures of rare earth metals such as mischmetal have also been used satisfactorily as the deoxidizing agent in place of aluminum.
  • An analysis of one mixture of rare earth metals used satisfactorily is as follows:
  • Rare earth silicides of different compositions containing from about 10%50% rare earth metals are commercially avaliable and are satisfactory for use as a deoxidizing agent in this process.
  • the amount of rare earth silicide needed will decrease as the amount of such an element as praseodymium present in the composition increases.
  • Praseodymium for example, is one of the most active of the rare earth metals and is effective to release a large amount of free energy during a deoxidizing reaction.
  • steels tapped out of a furnace with no prior deoxidation can be treated in the ladle with the following sequence of additions and successfully continuously cast through a tundish with metering nozzles.
  • Five pounds of silicon metal per ton are added after about five percent of the steel is tapped into the ladle.
  • the silicon addition is then followed with an appropriate manganese addition. If other alloys are to be added they may be added With the manganese.
  • the rare earth metals preferably are added when approximately sixty-five percent of the steel has been tapped into the ladle to allow adequate mixing. These may be added as a pure mixture of metals, referred to as mischmetal, or in the form of a silicon alloy.
  • Steel made in this manner can be successfully cast with a rare earth metal addition of one-half pound per ton in the medium and high carbon range considering medium range to include steels having about 0.30% to 0.50% carbon and high range about 0.50% to 0.80% carbon. As the steel carbon content decreases, an increase in the rare earth addition is required. In steel having about 0.15% carbon content approximately one pound of rare earth metal per ton of steel is required.
  • rare earth metal or rare earth silicide as a deoxidizing agent also is effective to increase the pouring speed during the continuous casting process.
  • rare earth metals and rare earth silicides were used as deoxidizing agents, it is to be understood that rare earth and yttrium carbides, chlorides and other rare earth and yttrium compounds other than the oxides, such compounds being reactive with oxygen, could be used in lieu of such rare earth and yttrium metals and silicides in new process without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
  • scandium metal, scandium compounds other than the oxide, particularly scandium silicide, and metals and compounds other than the oxides of the actinide series, such as thorium, uranium, and actinuim metals and silicides are also suitable and anti clogging agents but on the basis of availability and costs as Well as all around efliciency and results, yttrium and the lanthanide series of rare earths are preferred. While the use of aluminum as a deoxidizing agent causes an increase in surface tension of the molten steel or a decrease in fluidity, the use of rare earth metals or rare earth silicide on the other hand reduces the surface tension and consequently increases the fluidity.
  • the process of preventing tundish nozzle clogging during the continuous casting of steel comprising the step of adding amount of a deoxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of rare earth metals, yttrium metal, rare earth compounds other than the oxides, yttrium compounds other than the oxides, and mixtures thereof to the molten steel before the steel is poured through the tundish nozzle, on the basis of the rare earth metal content of the deoxidizing agent, the amount of deoxidizing agent added being at least one-half pound of metal per ton of steel,
  • Cerium 47 Lanthanum 25 Praseodymium 6 Neodymium 19 Samarium 2 Gadolinium Yttrium and other rare earth metals .5
  • the process of continuous casting of steel comprising the steps of adding an amount of a rare earth metal or a rare earth compound reactive with oxygen to the molten steel and then pouring the steel through tundish nozzles made of a high refractory material, on the basis of the rare earth metal content of the rare earth metal or rare earth compound added, the amount of rare earth metal or rare earth compound added being at least one-half pound of metal per ton of steel.
  • the process of continuous casting of steel comprising the steps of adding an amount of a rare earth metal silicide to the molten steel and then pouring the steel through tundish nozzles made of a high refractory material, on the basis of the rare earth metal content of the rare earth silicide added, the amount added being at least one-half pound of metal per ton of steel.
  • the process of continuous casting of steel comprising the steps of adding an amount of a composition consisting essentially of a rare earth metal or a rare earth compound other than oxide to the molten steel to deoxidize the steel and then pouring the steel through tundish nozzles made of a high refractory material, on the basis of the rare earth metal content of the composition added, the amount of composition added being at least one-half pound of metal per ton of steel.
  • tundish nozzle refractory material is from the group consisting of zirconia and alumina.
  • the process of preventing tundish nozzle clogging during the. continuous casting of steel comprising the step of adding an amount of a deoxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of scandium metal, scandium silicide, and actinide metal, and an actinide silicide to molten steel before the steel is poured through the tundish nozzle, on the basis of rare earth metal content of the deoxidizing agent, the amount of deoxidizing agent added being at least one-half pound of metal per ton of steel.
  • a deoxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of scandium metal, scandium silicide, and actinide metal, and an actinide silicide

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Steel In Its Molten State (AREA)
  • Casting Support Devices, Ladles, And Melt Control Thereby (AREA)
  • Continuous Casting (AREA)
US739157A 1968-06-24 1968-06-24 Use of rare earth elements for reducing nozzle deposits in the continuous casting of steel process Expired - Lifetime US3623862A (en)

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US73915768A 1968-06-24 1968-06-24

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US (1) US3623862A (de)
JP (1) JPS4925529B1 (de)
DE (1) DE1931694C3 (de)
ES (1) ES368084A1 (de)
FR (1) FR2011559B1 (de)
GB (1) GB1236123A (de)
SE (1) SE349961B (de)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3822735A (en) * 1969-07-11 1974-07-09 Nat Steel Corp Process for casting molten silicon-aluminum killed steel continuously
US3871870A (en) * 1973-05-01 1975-03-18 Nippon Kokan Kk Method of adding rare earth metals or their alloys into liquid steel
US3922166A (en) * 1974-11-11 1975-11-25 Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp Alloying steel with highly reactive materials
US4233065A (en) * 1978-12-08 1980-11-11 Foote Mineral Company Effective boron alloying additive for continuous casting fine grain boron steels
US4353744A (en) * 1981-06-30 1982-10-12 Union Carbide Corporation Process for producing a vanadium silicon alloy
US4440568A (en) * 1981-06-30 1984-04-03 Foote Mineral Company Boron alloying additive for continuously casting boron steel
JPS6015057A (ja) * 1983-07-06 1985-01-25 ウイリアム・ジ−・ウイルソン タンデイツシユノズルの詰りを防止する方法
US4911764A (en) * 1987-08-17 1990-03-27 Farnsworth Verdun H Galvanizing fluxes
US20060260719A1 (en) * 2002-07-23 2006-11-23 Toshiaki Mizoguchi Steels product reduced in amount of alumina cluster
CN113695547A (zh) * 2021-08-13 2021-11-26 包头钢铁(集团)有限责任公司 一种调节拉速实现稀土钢连铸可浇性的方法

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US8828117B2 (en) * 2010-07-29 2014-09-09 Gregory L. Dressel Composition and process for improved efficiency in steel making

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2861908A (en) * 1955-11-30 1958-11-25 American Steel Foundries Alloy steel and method of making
US3185652A (en) * 1960-04-29 1965-05-25 Nuclear Corp Of America Refractory rare earth material
US3189956A (en) * 1961-05-09 1965-06-22 Concast Ag Production of effervescing steel
US3295963A (en) * 1962-07-27 1967-01-03 Pechiney Prod Chimiques Sa Alloys containing rare earth metals
US3467167A (en) * 1966-09-19 1969-09-16 Kaiser Ind Corp Process for continuously casting oxidizable metals

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3125442A (en) * 1964-03-17 Buctile iron casting
US2280284A (en) * 1940-10-02 1942-04-21 Electro Metallurg Co Method and agent for treating iron and steel
AT179025B (de) * 1951-11-16 1954-07-10 Boehler & Co Ag Geb Verfahren zur Kornverfeinerung beim kontinuierlichen oder diskontinuierlichen Gießen von hochschmelzenden Metallen
US3020153A (en) * 1958-11-06 1962-02-06 Linz Arthur Iron and steel production
DE1135618B (de) * 1960-02-23 1962-08-30 Molybdenum Corp Schlichte fuer Giessformen
BE660069A (de) * 1964-02-25 1965-08-23
FR1429743A (fr) * 1965-04-02 1966-02-25 Treibacher Chemische Werke Ag Procédé de traitement de métaux fondus et nouveaux produits ainsi obtenus

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2861908A (en) * 1955-11-30 1958-11-25 American Steel Foundries Alloy steel and method of making
US3185652A (en) * 1960-04-29 1965-05-25 Nuclear Corp Of America Refractory rare earth material
US3189956A (en) * 1961-05-09 1965-06-22 Concast Ag Production of effervescing steel
US3295963A (en) * 1962-07-27 1967-01-03 Pechiney Prod Chimiques Sa Alloys containing rare earth metals
US3467167A (en) * 1966-09-19 1969-09-16 Kaiser Ind Corp Process for continuously casting oxidizable metals

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3822735A (en) * 1969-07-11 1974-07-09 Nat Steel Corp Process for casting molten silicon-aluminum killed steel continuously
US3871870A (en) * 1973-05-01 1975-03-18 Nippon Kokan Kk Method of adding rare earth metals or their alloys into liquid steel
US3922166A (en) * 1974-11-11 1975-11-25 Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp Alloying steel with highly reactive materials
US4233065A (en) * 1978-12-08 1980-11-11 Foote Mineral Company Effective boron alloying additive for continuous casting fine grain boron steels
US4353744A (en) * 1981-06-30 1982-10-12 Union Carbide Corporation Process for producing a vanadium silicon alloy
US4440568A (en) * 1981-06-30 1984-04-03 Foote Mineral Company Boron alloying additive for continuously casting boron steel
JPS6015057A (ja) * 1983-07-06 1985-01-25 ウイリアム・ジ−・ウイルソン タンデイツシユノズルの詰りを防止する方法
US4911764A (en) * 1987-08-17 1990-03-27 Farnsworth Verdun H Galvanizing fluxes
AU605618B2 (en) * 1987-08-17 1991-01-17 Verdun Hildreth Farnsworth Improvements in or relating to galvanising fluxes
US20060260719A1 (en) * 2002-07-23 2006-11-23 Toshiaki Mizoguchi Steels product reduced in amount of alumina cluster
US7776162B2 (en) * 2002-07-23 2010-08-17 Nippon Steel Corporation Steels with few alumina clusters
CN113695547A (zh) * 2021-08-13 2021-11-26 包头钢铁(集团)有限责任公司 一种调节拉速实现稀土钢连铸可浇性的方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS4925529B1 (de) 1974-07-01
DE1931694B2 (de) 1975-01-09
GB1236123A (en) 1971-06-23
FR2011559B1 (de) 1973-08-10
DE1931694C3 (de) 1975-09-11
FR2011559A1 (de) 1970-03-06
SE349961B (de) 1972-10-16
ES368084A1 (es) 1971-05-01
DE1931694A1 (de) 1972-07-20

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