Continuous caster mold and continuous casting process

A continuous-caster mold comprising:

• a water-cooled inner mold wall of copper or a copper alloy;
• and
• a lining of pieces of a nitride ceramic material taken from the group consisting of boron nitride and silicon nitride, formed on the inner wall and having resistance to abrasive wear, heat and thermal shock, and heat conductivity and having a lubricating property, said lining having an inner surface exposed to and defining the shape of metal being cast, the thickness of the lining being varied in the direction in which the cast metal is withdrawn from the mold for preventing formation of air gaps between the inner surface of mold and the solidifying shell of the metal being cast and the variation in thickness and the thermal conductivity of said nitride ceramic material together causing cooling of the cast metal according to the desired cooling pattern.

A continuous casting process which comprises using a mold having a water-cooled inner wall of copper or a copper alloy covered with a lining of pieces of a nitride ceramic taken from the group consisting of boron nitride and silicon nitride and having resistance to abrasive wear, heat and thermal shock, and heat conductivity and having a lubricating property, the thickness of the lining varying in the direction in which the cast metal is withdrawn from the mold, solidifying the molten metal by extracting heat therefrom, and withdrawing the solidifying metal smoothly under the effect of the solid lubrication provided by said nitride ceramic.