Casting of ingots

In the method of casting an ingot, the improvement which comprises:

• locating on the floor of an ingot mould a splashcan formed of a composition which, under the action of the heat of the molten metal, melts to form a molten casting flux, said composition consisting essentially of a minor proportion of inorganic fibrous material, a major proportion of at least one fluxing agent, and a binder,
• passing molten metal into the mould and into the splashcan, the splashcan gradually melting to form a casting flux on the molten metal and coating the walls of the ingot mould with casting flux as the level of molten metal rises in the ingot, and
• allowing the molten metal to solidify in the mould.