Steel ladle lip closure apparatus

摘要

A lip closure apparatus includes a plurality of arcuate lip closure segments interfitted into a continuous ring and disposed on the top end of a stack of refractory bricks mounted in a metallurgical vessel. At least one metal reinforcement grid is disposed within each lip closure segment at a predetermined angle with respect to the normal fracture planes of each closure segment to resist fracture of the lip closure segment. Preferably, the grid is oriented substantially perpendicular to the normal fracture planes of the lip closure segments. A quantity of crushable material is disposed between the outer side surface of each lip closure segment and a flange extending at an angle from the side wall over the open top end of the vessel to maintain the lip closure segments in a tight fit on top of the lining of refractory bricks.