Molten metal-containing vessel, and methods of producing same

A method of making a reinforced refractory vessel or vessel section, the method comprising:

• providing a mold having an intended shape of the vessel or vessel section;
• creating a slurry of a castable refractory material capable of forming a cast refractory body;
• lining at least one internal surface of the mold with a web of metal wires, the metal wires being overlaid with openings formed therebetween, wherein the web of metal wires comprises at least two overlying web sections, one of the at least two overlying web sections comprising a woven matrix of metal wires for providing structural reinforcement to the refractory material and another of the at least two overlying web sections comprising a non-woven matrix of metal wires including a plurality of metal wires overlying one another in a random fashion;
• introducing the slurry into the mold while causing the slurry to penetrate the openings;
• allowing the slurry to set to form the vessel or vessel section incorporating the web at an outer surface thereof;
• and
• removing the vessel or vessel section from the mold,
• wherein the non-woven matrix of metal wires defines a plurality of openings having an average width in a range of 50 μm to 350 μm and a plurality of convoluted paths across a thickness of the non-woven matrix for resisting penetration of the slurry through the non-woven matrix of metal wires.