Claims
- 1. A method of adding and removing gasses from a molten metal, the molten metal being formed in a metal making furnace and passed to a downstream device, said method comprising:
passing the molten metal from the furnace; cascading the molten metal into a two part flame generated by a combustion burner, the flame being comprised of an inner core of a first gas and an outer core of a second gas jacketing the first gas; and passing the cascaded molten metal to the downstream device.
- 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of passing the first gas into the cascade of molten metal.
- 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of passing the cascade of molten metal through the first gas.
- 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of mixing the first gas with the cascade of molten metal.
- 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of passing the cascade of molten metal into a metal bath at the downstream device.
- 6. The method of claim 5, the molten metal carrying the first gas into the metal bath.
- 7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of controlling the temperature of the metal bath with the flame.
- 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of injecting the first gas into the molten metal cascade along an axis of the burner.
- 9. The method of claim 8, the first gas atomizing the cascade of molten metal as it is passed into the molten metal.
- 10. The method of claim 1, the cascade of molten metal being dispersed and carried by the flame into the downstream device.
- 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of controlling the amount and composition of the first gas within the flame.
- 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of cascading the molten metal into the flame from beneath the flame.
- 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of cascading the molten metal into the flame from above the flame.
- 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of passing the molten metal over the burner, the burner cascading the molten metal.
- 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of passing the cascade of molten metal through a controlled combustion atmosphere.
- 16. A method of adding and removing gases from a molten metal, the molten metal being formed in a metal making furnace and passed to a downstream device, said method comprising:
collecting the molten metal; cascading the molten metal into a gas flow such that a gas is passed into the molten metal; and passing the molten metal to the downstream device.
- 17. The method of claim 16, the gas flow comprising an oxygenating gas flow, further comprising the step of passing oxygen into the cascade of molten metal.
- 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of adding in the range of from zero to five hundred parts per million of oxygen to the molten metal with the gas flow.
- 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of generating an oxygenating gas flow with an oxy-fuel combustion burner.
- 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of controlling the amount of oxygen supplied to the combustion burner and thereby controlling the amount of oxygen added to the molten metal by said gas flow.
- 21. The method of claim 16, the gas flow creating a variable oxidizing atmosphere through which the cascade of molten metal is passed.
- 22. The method of claim 16, further comprising the gas atomizing the molten metal as the molten metal is cascaded through the gas flow.
- 23. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of passing the molten metal through a transfer trough leading from the furnace toward the downstream device and cascading the molten metal from the transfer trough into the gas flow.
- 24. A method of adding a gas to a molten metal, the molten metal being formed in a metal making furnace and passed to a downstream device, said method comprising:
collecting the molten metal; passing the molten metal over a burner emitting a gas, which gas cascades the molten metal as the metal passes over the burner; and passing the gas into the molten metal as it cascades over the burner.
- 25. A method of adding a gas to a molten metal, the molten metal being formed in a metal making furnace and passed to a downstream device, said method comprising:
collecting the molten metal; passing the molten metal over a burner emitting a two part flame comprised of an inner core of a first gas and an outer core of a second gas jacketing the first gas; the flame cascading the molten metal as it is passed over the burner; and passing the first gas into the molten metal as it cascades over the burner.
- 26. A device for adding gasses to, and removing gasses from a molten metal, the molten metal being formed in a metal making furnace, said device comprising:
a vessel adapted to receive the molten metal therein; a transfer trough extending from the furnace toward the vessel; and a combustion burner positioned with respect to the transfer trough and facing into the vessel, the burner being constructed and arranged to emit a flame; wherein the transfer trough is adapted to pass the molten metal into the flame as the molten metal enters the vessel.
- 27. The device of claim 26, wherein the transfer trough is adapted to pass the molten metal into the flame from beneath the flame.
- 28. The device of claim 26, wherein the transfer trough is adapted to pass the molten metal into the flame from above the flame.
- 29. The device of claim 28, wherein the flame is adapted to disperse the molten metal within the vessel.
- 30. A device for adding gasses to, and removing gasses from a molten metal, the molten metal being formed in a metal making furnace, said device comprising:
a vessel constructed and arranged to receive the molten metal therein; a transfer trough sized and shaped to carry the molten metal therein and extending from the furnace toward the vessel; and a combustion burner positioned with respect to the transfer trough and facing into the vessel, the burner being constructed and arranged to emit a flame; wherein the transfer trough is constructed and arranged to pass the molten metal off of the transfer trough as a cascade of molten metal into the flame and the vessel.
- 31. The device of claim 30, the flame comprising an inner core of a first gas and an outer core of a second gas jacketing the first gas, the burner and the flame being sized and shaped to pass the first gas into the molten metal as the metal cascades off of the transfer trough and into the vessel.
- 32. The device of claim 30, wherein the first gas is mixed with the molten metal as the molten metal cascades off of the transfer trough and through the flame.
- 33. The device of claim 30, said burner being constructed and arranged to create a variable oxidizing atmosphere within the vessel.
- 34. A device for adding gasses to, and removing gasses from a molten metal, the molten metal being formed in a metal making furnace and passed to a downstream device, said device comprising:
a transfer trough extending from the furnace toward the downstream device; and a combustion burner positioned with respect to the transfer trough and having a stair-step shaped burner face constructed and arranged to emit a gas flow therethrough; the transfer trough being constructed and arranged to pass the molten metal over said burner face so that the gas flow emitted therethrough cascades the molten metal passed thereover.
- 35. The device of claim 34, wherein the first gas is passed into and mixed with the molten metal as the molten metal cascades over said burner face.
- 36. The device of claim 34, said gas flow comprising a flame comprised of an inner core of a first gas and an outer core of a second gas jacketing the first gas, the first gas being passed into and mixed with the molten metal as the molten metal cascades over the stair-step burner face.
- 37. The device of claim 34, said transfer trough comprising a launder.
- 38. A method of modifying a concentration of constituents within a molten metal stream, said method comprising:
flowing a molten metal stream from a first point to a second point; intermingling a gas stream with the molten metal stream, the gas stream comprising an inner core gas stream and a non-core gas stream, the non-core gas stream substantially enveloping the inner core gas.
- 39. The method of claim 38, wherein the inner core gas stream comprises a reactive gas.
- 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the reactive gas is selected from the group of reactive gases comprising carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, oxygen, water, ozone, air, ozonated air, oxygen/air mixtures, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, sulfur vapor, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, arsine, stilbene uranium hexafluoride, selenium vapor, tellurium vapor, nickel carbonyl, naphthalene, parafin gases, alcohols, halogens, metal halogens, vaporized alloys, reactive solids suspended in inert gases, and mixtures of thereof.
- 41. The method of claim 38, wherein the non-core gas stream comprises primarily an inert gas.
- 42. The method of claim 41, wherein the inert gas is selected from the group of inert gases comprising argon, neon, helium, and nitrogen.
- 43. The method of claim 38, wherein the inner core gas stream comprises primarily oxidizing gases and the non-core gas stream comprises gases selected from the group comprising inert gases and primarily reducing gases.
- 44. The method of claim 43, wherein the inert gas is selected from the group of inert gases comprising argon, neon, helium, and nitrogen.
- 45. The method of claim 38, wherein the inner core gas stream comprises primarily reducing gases and the non-core gas stream comprises gases selected from the group consisting of inert gases and primarily oxidizing gases.
- 46. The method of claim 45, wherein the inert gas is selected from the group of inert gases comprising argon, neon, helium, and nitrogen.
- 47. The method of claim 38, wherein the inert gas is selected from the group of inert gases comprising argon, neon, helium, and nitrogen.
- 48. The method of claim 38, wherein the inner core gas stream is modulated in composition.
- 49. The method of claim 38, wherein the non-core gas stream is modulated in composition.
- 50. The method of claim 38, wherein the molten metal is selected from the group of molten metals comprising copper, brass, bronze, lead, tin, tellurium, selenium, iron , steel, platinum, aluminum, magnesium, sodium, calcium, silicon, germanium, indium, and alloys and mixtures of any two or more of thereof.
- 51. The method of claim 50, wherein the gas stream adjusts a concentration of an impurity in the flowing molten metal.
- 52. The method of claim 50, wherein the gas stream adds desirable constituents to the flowing molten metal.
- 53. The method of claim 38, wherein the molten metal stream comprises a molten metal cascade.
- 54. An apparatus for modifying a concentration of constituents within a molten metal stream, said apparatus comprising:
a burner block adapted to direct and contact a plurality of gas streams within a flowing molten metal stream, the burner block comprising a cold end and a hot end adapted to contact the molten metal; a plurality of hollow channels extending from the cold end to the hot end of said burner block, and from which emanate the plurality of gas streams; each said channel being formed from a plurality of walls that spatially divide the respective channels, each said wall having a hot end adapted to contact the molten metal.
- 55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein each of the plurality of walls are varied in length.
- 56. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein each of the plurality of walls has a length, the length of each wall N being shorter than a length of a wall N+1 in the order which the wall ends contact the molten metal.
- 57. The apparatus of claim 56, said apparatus being connected to a launder such that the molten metal flows therethrough.
- 58. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the walls are comprised of materials adapted to deliver a gas selected from the group of gases comprising carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, oxygen, water, ozone, air, ozonated air, oxygen/air mixtures, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, sulfur vapor, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, arsine, stilbene uranium hexafluoride, selenium vapor, tellurium vapor, nickel carbonyl, naphthalene, parrafin gases, alcohols, halogens, metal halogens, vaporized alloys, reactive solids suspended in inert gases, and mixtures of thereof.
- 59. The apparatus of claim 54, said apparatus being connected to a launder such that the molten metal flows therethrough.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application claims priority to U.S. provisional Patent Application No. 60/208,620 filed on Jun. 1, 2000, in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60208620 |
Jun 2000 |
US |