Process and apparatus for minimizing the potential for explosions in the direct chill casting of lithium alloys

A system comprising:

• at least one furnace comprising at least one melt containing vessel;
• and
• an intermediate casting product station coupled to the at least one furnace and operable to receive a molten metal from the at least one furnace, the intermediate casting product station comprising:
• a casting pit;
• at least one moveable platen disposed in the casting pit;
• at least one mold located at a top portion of the casting pit at a position above the platen, the mold comprising a reservoir and a cavity;
• an array of exhaust ports about at least the top portion of the casting pit;
• a bleed-out detection device;
• a valve system comprising at least a first valve and a second valve, the first valve operable to allow for an admission of a coolant into at least one coolant feed and the second valve operable to allow for an admission of an inert fluid into the at least one coolant feed, wherein the at least one coolant feed is positioned to introduce a coolant or an inert fluid to a periphery of a melt emerging from the mold;
• and
• a controller operable to close the first valve to reduce or stop the flow of a coolant into the coolant feed and to open the second valve to admit an inert fluid into the coolant feed upon detection of a bleed-out by the bleed-out detection device.