METHOD AND BELT COMPOSITION FOR IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND FLATNESS IN CONTINUOUS METAL CASTING MACHINES OF THIN REVOLVING ENDLESS FLEXIBLE CASTING BELTS HAVING A PERMANENT INSULATIVE COATING WITH FLUID-ACCESSIBLE POROSITY

• Main Authors: WOOD, J. F. BARRY, ALLYN, JEROME B, VILLA, JAMES G, SZCZYPIORSKI, WOJTEK
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 04.05.1993
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: CASTING; CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; TRANSPORTING

A method and belt composition for improving the performance and flatness of thin revolving flexible casting belts of continuous casting machines wherein at least one wall of the moving mold is provided by a thin flexible endless metallic casting belt having a permanent insulative coating with fluid-accessible porosity in this permanent coating. Contrary to prior methods and apparatus which have sought to protect the wide thin casting belts, the present method for improving belt flatness and performance involves providing a Helium-containing gaseous film between the metal and the front face of the casting belt which is coated with a permanent insulative porous coating. For significantly improved results, this gaseous film contains at least 8 per cent and preferably 15 per cent and optimally 20 per cent or more of Helium by volume and is non-reactive with the metal being cast, resulting in a controlled increase In the rate of heat transfer and for causing such heat transfer to become more nearly uniform and stabilized across the width of the flexible casting belt than in prior continuous casting machines of the same moving mold cross-sectional shape and size. The freezing rate advantageously becomes stabilized at a substantially higher and more uniform rate, the belt flatness becomes stabilized and the cast metallic product is thereby substantially improved both in metallurgy and surface appearance. Also, copper or copper alloy casting belts are used in certain embodiments for enhancing heat-transfer effects and belt flatness. During casting at a given speed, the freezing rate and exit temperature of the metal being continuously cast can be controlled by varying the helium percentage in the gaseous film itself. In twin-belt machines, relative heat-transfer rates into upper and lower belts are controlled by adjusting the relative helium percentages in their respective gas films.