METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS CASTING OF METAL

• Main Authors: BOOZAN, DEAN A, ALLYN, JEROME B, BERGERON, NORMAN, PENNUCCI, JOHN, HAZELETT, S. RICHARD, DESORCIE, GEORGE, GRAHAM, THOMAS S, HAZELETT, R. WILLIAM, SZCZYPIORSKI, WOJTEK
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 15.11.2005
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: CASTING; CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; TRANSPORTING

Electrostatic application of a dusting of dry, electrostatically adherable, thermally insulative powder particles over a workface of a moving mold in a continuous metal-casting machine in which the mold surface or surfaces which provide the workface or workfaces revolve in a generally oval course. A dry dusting of protective powder particles of refractory material is applied to the workface by being dispensed entrained in a plurality of air streams uniformly spaced across a width of the workface. The air streams are deflected toward the workface by a deflector surface, and after being deflected the powder particles are electrostatically charged by suitable electrostatic apparatus prior to contact with the workface. The moving mold having the workface to be dusted is electrically grounded for attracting the electrostatically charged powder particles for adhering them to the workface. The resultant coating formed by the dusting so deposited is remarkably uniform over a substantial area of the workface, a phenomenon explainable by mutual electrostatic repulsion of the dry powder particles being deposited. Continuously re-applied dusting over the workface during a continuous cast provides an immediately useful repair or replacement of dusting powder lost from the coating on the workface of a revolving mold surface during casting. The dusting may be removed at will from the workface by means of an air knife, and then immediately the workface is coated again by electrostatic application of a dry dusting of the protective powder particles.