Sampler for hot metal

A sampler for taking samples from a molten metal bath, the sampler comprising:

• a carrier tube having an immersion end;
• a sample chamber assembly arranged on the immersion end of the carrier tube, the sample chamber assembly comprising a cover plate and a housing, characterized in that the housing includes:
• an immersion end having a first opening for an inflow conduit and an opposing end having a second opening for a gas coupler;
• and
• a first face extending between the immersion end and the opposing end,
• wherein the cover plate and the housing are configured to be assembled together to form a sample cavity including a distribution zone, an analysis zone and a ventilation zone, a portion of the analysis zone overlying the distribution zone which is in direct flow communication with the first opening and configured to receive molten iron from the inflow conduit,
• wherein a depth of the analysis zone is 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm,
• wherein the sample cavity has dimensions of length, width and depth, wherein the length dimension is along the inflow direction of the molten metal, the depth dimension is perpendicular to the length dimension, and the width dimension is perpendicular to the both the depth dimension and the length dimension,
• wherein the distribution zone, the analysis zone and the ventilation zone are structured as a plurality of contiguous segments, each segment having a length to depth ratio, the length to depth ratios of the segments successively increasing as the distance from the first opening increases,
• wherein the assembled cover plate and housing are configured to chill the molten iron received therein to a solidified white structure metal sample, such that an analysis surface of the solidified white structure metal sample lies in a first plane, and
• wherein the first and second openings are spaced apart from the first plane.