Method and apparatus for continuous casting

A method for continuous casting with a continuous casting annular mold, comprising the steps of:

• cooling an inner wall surface of a chill, the inner wall surface extending away from a superstructure of a continuous annular casting mold;
• directing a gas to flow under pressure parallel to the inner wall surface of the chill toward an area of transition of the overhang and the inner wall surface of the chill;
• directing a lubricant to mix with the flow of gas upstream of the transition so as to provide a mixture of the lubricant and gas under pressure in which the mixture flows in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the chill toward the transition;
• introducing at the transition of the overhang of the superstructure and the inner wall surface of the chill the mixture of the lubricant and gas under pressure;
• directing the mixture to flow before the mixture reaches the transition in a direction which is parallel to the inner wall surface of the chill and thereafter through a gap between the inner wall surface and a molten material to be cast;
• introducing the molten material to be cast adjacent to the overhang;
• and
• keeping the molten material from touching the inner wall surface during passage of the molten material through the mold by flowing the mixture through the gap so as to avoid lubricant combustion, subsequent underdosing of the lubricant along the inner wall surface of the chill, and liquation and tacky area formation of the molten material being cast, whereby the molten material remains spaced apart from the inner wall surface.

A continuous casting annular mold, comprising:

• an annular superstructure;
• an annular chill secured below the superstructure, the chill having a smooth inner all surface which extends away from the superstructure, the super-structure including an overhang, the chill including means for cooling the inner wall surface;
• a gas supply line for supplying gas to flow in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the chill before reaching a juncture of the overhang and the inner wall surface of the chill;
• a lubricant supply line for supplying lubricant to the gas supply line upstream of the juncture so that a mixture of the lubricant and the gas emerges to flow from the gas supply line in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the chill;
• and
• means for maintaining a gap between the inner wall surface and a molten material which is beneath the overhang by flowing the mixture through the gap so as to avoid lubricant combustion, subsequent underdosing of the lubricant along the inner wall surface of the chill, and liquation and tacky area formation of the molten material being cast, whereby the mixture flows through the gap and the molten material remains spaced apart from the inner wall surface during passage of the molten material through the mold.

A continuous casting annular mold, comprising:

• means for cooling an inner wall surface of a chill, the inner wall surface extending away from a superstructure of a continuous annular casting mold;
• means for directing a gas to flow under pressure parallel to the inner wall surface of the chill toward an area of transition of the overhang and the inner wall surface of the chill;
• means for directing a lubricant to mix with the flow of gas upstream of the transition so as to provide a mixture of the lubricant and gas under pressure in which the mixture flows in a direction parallel to the inner wall surface of the chill toward the transition;
• means for introducing at the transition of the overhang of the superstructure and the inner wall surface of the chill the mixture of the lubricant and gas under pressure;
• means for directing the mixture to flow before the mixture reaches the transition in a direction which is parallel to the inner wall surface of the chill and thereafter through a gap between the inner wall surface and a molten material to be cast;
• means for introducing the molten material to be cast adjacent to the overhang;
• and
• means for keeping the molten material from touching the inner wall surface during passage of the molten material through the mold by flowing the mixture through the gap so as to avoid lubricant combustion, subsequent underdosing of the lubricant along the inner wall surface of the chill, and liquation and tacky area formation of the molten material being cast, whereby the molten material remains spaced apart from the inner wall surface.