Method and apparatus for controlling temperature of thin cast strip

A method of producing thin cast strip with controlled cooling comprising the steps of:

• a. assembling a thin strip caster having a pair of casting rolls having a nip there between capable of delivering cast strip downwardly from the nip;
• b. assembling a metal delivery system capable of forming a casting pool supported on casting surfaces of the casting rolls above the nip with side dams adjacent the ends of the nip to confine the casting pool;
• c. assembling adjacent the thin strip caster a hot rolling mill having work rolls with work surfaces forming a gap between them through which hot strip delivered from the casting rolls is rolled, the work rolls having work surfaces relating to the desired strip profile across the work rolls;
• d. positioning misting jets in intervals along the path of the cast strip exiting from the hot rolling mill to form a cooling zone, the misting jets capable of directing toward surfaces of the cast strip a mixture of gas and water having a ratio of gas over water between 9 and 90 (both measured in liters) to cool the cast strip at more than 1.6° C. per liter of water used;
• e. forming a shroud extending from adjacent the hot rolling mill to at least end of the cooling zone through which the cast strip moves during cooling;
• and
• f. generating steam from heating the mixture of gas and water by the strip to form a protective atmosphere of less than 5% oxygen in the shrouded cooling zone such that the strip exiting the cooling zone has less than about 2 micron scale.

A method of producing thin cast strip with controlled cooling comprising the steps of:

• a. assembling a thin strip caster having a pair of casting rolls having a nip there between capable of delivering cast strip downwardly from the nip;
• b. assembling a metal delivery system capable of forming a casting pool supported on casting surfaces of the casting rolls above the nip with side dams adjacent the ends of the nip to confine the casting pool;
• and
• c. positioning misting jets in intervals along the path of the cast strip downstream of the casting rolls to form a cooling zone, the misting jets capable of directing toward surfaces of the cast strip a mixture of gas and water having a ratio of gas over water between 9 and 90 (both measured in liters) to cool the cast strip at more than 1.6° C. per liter of water used.

A method of producing thin cast strip with controlled cooling comprising the steps of:

• a. assembling a thin strip caster having a pair of casting rolls having a nip there between capable of delivering cast strip downwardly from the nip;
• b. assembling a metal delivery system capable of forming a casting pool supported on casting surfaces of the casting rolls above the nip with side dams adjacent the ends of the nip to confine the casting pool;
• c. positioning misting jets in intervals along the path of the cast strip downstream of the casting rolls to form a cooling zone, the misting jets capable of directing toward surfaces of the cast strip a mixture of gas and water having a ratio of gas over water between 9 and 90 (both measured in liters) to cool the cast strip at more than 1.6° C. per liter of water used;
• d. forming a shroud extending from adjacent the pair of casting rolls to at least the end of the cooling zone through which the cast strip moves during cooling;
• and
• e. generating steam from heating the mixture of gas and water by the strip to form a protective atmosphere of less than 5% oxygen in the shrouded cooling zone such that the strip exiting the cooling zone has less than 2 micron scale.

An apparatus for casting thin cast strip comprising:

• a. a thin strip caster having a pair of casting rolls having a nip there between capable of delivering cast strip downwardly from the nip;
• b. a metal delivery system capable of forming a casting pool supported on casting surfaces of the casting rolls above the nip with side dams adjacent the ends of the nip to confine the casting pool;
• c. a hot rolling mill positioned adjacent the thin strip caster having work rolls with work surfaces forming a gap capable of rolling hot strip delivered from the casting rolls, with work surfaces of the work rolls relating to the desired strip profile across the work rolls;
• and
• d. misting jets positioned in intervals along the path of the cast strip exiting from the hot rolling mill to form a cooling zone, the misting jets capable of directing toward surfaces of the cast strip a mixture of gas and water having a ratio of gas over water between 9 and 90 (both measured in liters) to cool the cast strip at more than 1.6° C. per liter of water used.

An apparatus for casting thin cast strip comprising:

• a. a thin strip caster having a pair of casting rolls having a nip there between capable of delivering cast strip downwardly from the nip;
• b. a metal delivery system capable of forming a casting pool supported on casting surfaces of the casting rolls above the nip with side dams adjacent the ends of the nip to confine the casting pool;
• c. a hot rolling mill positioned adjacent the thin strip caster having work rolls with work surfaces forming a gap capable of rolling hot strip delivered from the casting rolls, with work surfaces of the work rolls relating to the desired strip profile across the work rolls;
• d. misting jets positioned in intervals along the path of the cast strip exiting from the hot rolling mill to form a cooling zone, the misting jets capable of directing toward surfaces of the cast strip a mixture of gas and water having a ratio of gas over water between 9 and 90 (both measured in liters) to cool the cast strip at more than 1.6° C. per liter of water used;
• e. a shroud extending from adjacent the hot rolling mill to at least the end of the cooling zone through which the cast strip moves during cooling;
• and
• f. a protective atmosphere of less than 5% oxygen in the shrouded cooling zone comprising steam generated from heating the mixture of gas and water such that the strip exiting the cooling zone has less than 2 micron scale.

An apparatus for producing thin cast strip comprising:

• a. a thin strip caster having a pair of casting rolls having a nip there between capable of delivering cast strip downwardly from the nip;
• b. a metal delivery system capable of forming a casting pool supported on casting surfaces of the casting rolls above the nip with side dams adjacent the ends of the nip to confine the casting pool;
• and
• c. misting jets positioned in intervals along the path of the cast strip downstream of the casting rolls to form a cooling zone, the misting jets capable of directing toward surfaces of the cast strip a mixture of gas and water having a ratio of gas over water between 9 and 90 (both measured in liters) to cool the cast strip at more than 1.6° C. per liter of water used.

An apparatus for casting thin cast strip comprising:

• a. a thin strip caster having a pair of casting rolls having a nip there between capable of delivering cast strip downwardly from the nip:
• b. a metal delivery system capable of forming a casting pool supported on casting surfaces of the casting rolls above the nip with side dams adjacent the ends of the nip to confine the casting pool;
• c. misting jets positioned in intervals along the path of the cast strip downstream of the casting rolls to form a cooling zone, the misting jets capable of directing toward surfaces of the cast strip a mixture of gas and water having a ratio of gas over water between 9 and 90 (both measured in liters) to cool the cast strip at more than 1.6° C. per liter of water used;
• and
• d. a shroud extending from adjacent the pair of casting rolls to at least the end of the cooling zone through which the cast strip moves during cooling and capable of forming a protective atmosphere of steam of less than 5% oxygen in the shrouded such that the strip exiting the cooling zone has less than 2 micron scale.