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; and
- (c) depletion means for supplying a low density atmosphere comprised of a gas at a depletion region located adjacent to and upstream from said quenching region, said depletion means including heater means for heating said gas to a temperature of at least about 800.degree. K. to produce said atmosphere, whereby formation of pockets in said strip is substantially prevented.
- 2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for providing at least one additional atmosphere located along a portion of said strip.
- 3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said additional atmosphere has a temperature of at least about 800.degree. K.
- 4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and mixtures thereof.
- 5. 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.
- 6. 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.
- 7. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said chill body is an endless casting belt.
- 8. A method for casting metal strip, comprising the steps of:
- (a) moving a chill 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) heating a gas to lower the density thereof and produce a low-density atmosphere having a temperature of at least about 800.degree. K.; and
- (d) supplying said gas to a depletion region located adjacent to and upstream of said quenching region to provide said low density atmosphere within said depletion region.
- 9. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising the step of providing an additional atmosphere along a selected portion of said strip.
- 10. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein said gas is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and mixtures thereof.
- 11. A method as recited in claim 8, further comprising the step of entraining said strip against said quench surface to prolong contact therewith.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 483,474 filed Apr. 11, 1983, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
483474 |
Apr 1983 |
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