US3901493A

US3901493A - Vessel addition apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3901493A
Application number: US505466A
Authority: US
Inventors: George Rocher
Original assignee: METALLURGICAL EXOPRODUCTS CORP
Current assignee: METALLURGICAL EXOPRODUCTS CORP
Priority date: 1974-09-12
Filing date: 1974-09-12
Publication date: 1975-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 1992-08-26
Also published as: BE829589A; NL7510669A; LU72617A1; FR2284387A1; DE2522272A1; JPS5138213A; IT1035821B

Abstract

A vessel for receiving molten metal is equipped with an elongated refractory lined rod extending thereinto. An addition agent such as aluminum is formed as a solid body having a central aperture therethrough. The aperture is lined with an inner sleeve made of a material such as steel to retard the dissolution rate of the aluminum in the area of the rod. The sleeve is bonded to the solid body. A plurality of such bodies may be employed in stacked and spaced relationship with the spaces therebetween filled by a second addition agent normally of the granular type. When used in spaced and stacked relationship with a second addition agent, an outer sleeve is employed to retain the components in assembled relationship.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Rocher Aug. 26, 1975 VESSEL ADDITION APPARATUS [75] Inventor: George Rocher, Pittsburgh, Pa.

[73] Assignee: Metallurgical Exoproducts Corporation, McKees Rocks, Pa.

[22] Filed: Sept. 12, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 505,466

[52] U.S. Cl. 266/34 T [51] Int. Cl. C21C 7/00 [58] Field of Search 75/53-58; 266/34 T [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,809,380 5/1974 Rocher ct al 266/34 T Primary Examiner-Gerald A. Dost Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Webb, Burden, Robinson & Webb [57] ABSTRACT A vessel for receiving molten metal is equipped with an elongated refractory lined rod extending thereinto. An addition agent such as aluminum is formed as a solid body having a central aperture therethrough. The aperture is lined with an inner sleeve made of a material such as steel to retard the dissolution rate of the aluminum in the area of the rod. The sleeve is bonded to the solid body. A plurality of such bodies may be employed in stacked and spaced relationship with the spaces therebetween filled by a second addition agent normally of the granular type. When used in spaced and stacked relationship with a second addition agent, an outer sleeve is employed to retain the components in assembled relationship.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures VESSEL ADDITION APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION My invention relates to a vessel addition assembly and, more particularly, to a solid aluminum body having a central aperture therethroughwhich is linedby a metal sleeve. In US. Pat. No. 3,809,380, of which lam a named co-invento r and British Pat. No...997,-566, there are disclosed cylindrical aluminum bodies having apertures therethrough for positioning on a refractory lined rod in a ladle to act as a deoxidizer and/or an alloy addition agent for use in the teeming of steel. These aluminum bodies are positioned in the ladle before the molten metal is teemed thereinto. The objective is to maximize the efficiency of the aluminum addition by maintaining the addition below the bath surface.

While the practices employed heretofore with such aluminum bodies have proven successful, there still is a tendency for the molten metal to flow between the refractory lined rod and the aluminum body. This results in the rapid dissolution of the aluminum body from both its inner surfaces and outer surfaces. Since the dissolution is not always uniform along the inner surface, the aluminum body may break away from the refractory lined rod before it has completely dissolved and float to the top of the bath where it loses its effectiveness as an addition agent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have now improved the aluminum body addition agent by employing a thin steel sleeve as a lining for the central aperture and by bonding this sleeve to the aluminum body. This substantially retards the dissolution of the addition assembly from the inner surface thereby preventing the aluminum body from breaking away from the refractory lined rod until the aluminum is substantially all dissolved in the molten bath. By actually bonding the steel liner to the aluminum, I further assure the protection from dissolution of the aluminum body inner surface. My steel lined aluminum body may be used in stacked and spaced relationship with an outer sleeve member and with granular alloy addition agents employed in the spaces between the aluminum bodies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a broken away isometric partly in section of the lined aluminum body;

FIG. 2 is a broken away isometric partly in section showing a plurality of aluminum bodies on a refractory lined rod; and

FIG. 3 is a section through the lined aluminum body and mold assembly during manufacture.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS My vessel addition assembly pertains to any solid addition agent ofa primary material lined with a sleeve of another material which has a higher melting point or stated otherwise, a dissolution rate less than that of the primary material. The present most prominent application of my invention is that of an aluminum body protected by a thin steel sleeve and my description hereinafter is exemplified by this latter application.

The vessel addition assembly, generally designated 10, comprises a solid aluminum cylindrical body 1 1 having a cylindrical aperture 12 extending centrally therethrough along the longitudinal center line of body 11, FIG. 1. A thin steel sleeve 13 lines the central aperture 12 of the block 11 and is bonded thereto as will be described hereinafter. In turn the sleeve 13 has a central aperture 14 extending therethrough along its longitudinal center line.

The assembly 10 is positioned on a refractory lined rod in a vessel such as a teeming ladle (not shown). The refractory lined rod is normally disposed substantially vertically into the ladle from a standard gooseneck support which can be connected to the ladle. The assembly 10 may also be positioned on the actual stopper rod employed to control the teeming of the ladle. The refractory lined rod normally comprises a metal rod 15 protected bya plurality of refractory sleeves l6 positioned thereabout in end to end relationship, FIG. 2. An enlarged refractory section 17 is connected to the bottom of the rod 15 to serve as the bottom stop for the addition assembly 10, although other stop means may be employed. In use, a plurality of the aluminum addition assemblies 10 representing the appropriate weight for the desired addition are stacked in end to end relationship about the refractory sleeve 16 on the metal rod 15.

Further addition agents can be employed with the assembly by stacking the bodies 1 l in spaced relationship and occupying the space therebetween with the additional addition agent 19, FIG. 2. Normally this additional addition agent will be in granular form. In order to retain the granular addition agent 19 in the spaces between the aluminum blocks 11, an outer sleeve 18 is employed. Outer sleeve 18 can be of thin metal such as steel or can be of cardboard, Normally it will be of a composition or a thickness which will result in a more rapid dissolution than the inner sleeve 13. The purpose of this is to assure that the dissolution takes place from the outer surfaces inward. The retarding of the dissolution of the aluminum closest to the refractory sleeve 16 eliminates the tendency of the blocks 11 to break away and float to the top of the molten bath. The outer sleeve 18 need only extend between the adjacent aluminum bodies 11. However, the entire assembly may be assembled prior to positioning on the refractory lined rod in which case a single outer sleeve 18 extends the longitudinal extent of the assembly and an inner sleeve 18 forms the inner surface of the chamber which accommodates the addition agent 19, FIG. 2.

The steel sleeve 13 is preferably bonded to the aluminum body 11. This is accomplished by casting the aluminum body 11 about the sleeve 13. A mold 20 is employed for that purpose, FIG. 3. Mold 20 includes side walls 24 which define the outer periphery of the block 11. The side walls 24 are formed of two sections pivotably mounted together so as to permit opening of the mold 20 (not shown). The bottom surface 25 of the mold 20 is apertured to accommodate a bolt 23 along the longitudinal center line thereof. Mounted to the bolt 23 is a bottom plug 22 which is frustoconically shaped. Positioned over plug 22 is the thin steel sleeve 13. The largest diameter of the plug 22 is slightly larger than the cross section of the sleeve 13 so that the sleeve 13 is forced down onto the plug 22 to prevent molten metal from going into the sleeve central aperture 14. A top plug 21 is likewise inserted into the open end of sleeve 13.

Thereafter, the molten aluminum is poured into the mold and permitted to solidify. The mold 20 is then opened by pivoting the sections of the side walls 24 and the top plug 21 is then removed. The aluminum body is then stripped from the remainder of the mold. The assembly is thereafter ready for use as is or it can be further assembled in spaced and stacked relationship as illustrated in FIG. 2.

I claim:

1. A vessel addition assembly suitable for installation on a refractory lined rod extending into the vessel comprising a solid addition agent of a first material having a central aperture therethrough defined by an inner surface and an inner sleeve of a second material having a slower dissolution rate than the first material positioned within the aperture and in engagement with the surface and adapted to slidably accommodate the refractory lined rod.

2. The assembly of claim 1 comprising a plurality of said solid agents stacked in spaced relationship about said rod and separated by a second addition agent.

3. The assembly of claim 2 including an outer sleeve for retaining the second addition agent in place between the solid addition agent.

4. An aluminum addition assembly suitable for installation on a refractory lined rod extending into a vessel comprising a solid aluminum body having a central aperture therethrough and a thin steel sleeve bonded to said aluminum body so as to line said aperture and adapted to slidably accommodate the refractory lined rod.

5. The assembly of claim 4, said aluminum body being cylindrical and having a cylindrical aperture therethrough.