Claims
- 1. An apparatus for casting metal strip, comprising:
- (a) a moving chill body having a quench surface;
- (b) nozzle means for depositing a stream of molten metal on a quenching region of said surface to form said strip;
- (c) depletion means for supplying a low density atmosphere comprised of a gas at a depletion region located adjacent to and upstream of said quenching region said depletion means including heater means for heating said gas to a temperature of at least about 800K to produce said atmosphere; and
- (d) control means for heatig said quench surface to a temperture of at least about 323K, whereby precipitation of condensed or solidified constituents from said atmosphere onto said depletion region and formation of pockets in said strip are substantially prevented.
- 2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said gas is a reducing gas capable of causing a chemical reduction reaction, thereby providing a reducing atmosphere.
- 3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said gas is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, propane, and mixtures thereof.
- 4. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, further comprising ignition means for igniting said gas to produce a reducing flame atmosphere.
- 5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for providing at least one additional low density atmosphere, composed of a low density gas, located downstream of said nozzle means.
- 6. An apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said additional atmosphere is composed of reducing gas.
- 7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, further comprising ignition means for igniting the reducing gas to produce an additional reducing flame atmosphere along a selected portion of said strip.
- 8. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a flexible hugger belt which entrains said strip against said quench surface to prolong contact therewith.
- 9. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising nozzle heating means for heating said nozzle exit portion with a reducing flame to minimize clogging of said nozzle orifice.
- 10. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said chill body is a casting wheel which has an annular, peripheral quench surface and is rotatable about a concentric axis of rotation.
- 11. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said chill body is an endless casting belt.
- 12. A method for casting metal strip, comprising the steps of:
- (a) moving a chil body having a quench surface at a selected speed;
- (b) depositing a stream of molten metal on a quenching region of said quench surface to form said strip;
- (c) supplying a gas to a depletion region located adjacent to and upstream of said quenching region;
- (d) heating said gas to lower the density thereof and produce within said depletion region a low density atmosphere having a temperature of at least about 800K; and
- (e) heating said quench surface to a temperature of at least about 323K whereby precipitation of condensed or solidified constituents from said atmosphere onto said depletion region and formation of pockets in said strip is substantially prevented.
- 13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said low density atmosphere comprises a reducing gas, thereby providing a reducing atmosphere.
- 14. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising the step of igniting said reducing gas to produce a reducing flame atmosphere at said quench surface region.
- 15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said reducing gas is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, propane, and mixtures thereof.
- 16. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the step of providing an additional low density atmosphere along a selected portion of said strip.
- 17. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising the step of heating said nozzle exit portion with a reducing flame to minimize clogging of said nozzle orifice.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 483,475 filed Apr. 11, 1983, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
483475 |
Apr 1983 |
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