Process and apparatus for minimizing the potential for explosions in the direct chill casting of lithium alloys

A method for a direct chill casting of an aluminum lithium alloy wherein a molten metal is introduced into a casting mold and cooled by the impingement of a coolant on the solidifying metal in a casting pit having top, intermediate and bottom portions and including a movable platen comprising:

• detecting a bleed out or a run out;
• and
• after detecting a bleed out or run out:
• exhausting generated gas from the casting pit at a flow volume rate that is enhanced relative to a flow volume rate prior to detecting bleed out or run out;
• while exhausting generated gas,
• introducing an inert gas into the casting pit, the inert gas having a density less than a density of air;
• introducing an inert fluid into a coolant feed associated with the casting mold;
• and
• stopping a flow of coolant to the coolant feed.