Thin cast strip of austenitic stainless steel and cold-rolled sheet in thin strip form and processes for producing said strip and sheet

A process for producing a thin austenitic stainless steel cast sheet comprising:

• synchronous continuously casting a thin austenitic stainless steel sheet using a pair of cooling drums having a kissing point therebetween, each cooling drum having a width direction, wherein said cast stainless steel sheet has a center section and a Ni segregated portion in said center section vicinity;
• regulating Ni segregation ratio in said center section vicinity to 0.90 or more and regulating .delta.-Fe.sub.cal. (%) to 6% by mass or more by applying a drum pressing force perpendicular to said kissing point, said pressing force having a range of from 3 to 25 kgf/mm in the width direction of the cooling drums;
• said Ni segregation ratio is defined by a formula:
• {average Ni content of the segregated portion (%)}/{average Ni content of the cast sheet (%)};
• wherein Ni content is expressed in % by mass;
• .delta.-Fe.sub.cal. (%) is defined by a formula:
• 3(Cr+1.5 Si+Mo+0.5 Nb)-2.8(Ni+0.5 Cu+0.5 Mn+30 C+30 N)-19.8;
• wherein chemical elements are given in % by mass and .delta.-Fe.sub.cal. (%) is % by mass.