APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR DIRECT CHILL CASTING OF METAL INGOTS

摘要

In direct chill casting of aluminum alloys, and particularly the casting of ingots of large cross section, macrosegregation is significantly reduced and compositional uniformity is greatly improved across the formed ingot, if the casting is carried out using a flow directing device, such as a baffle (25) or flow velocity accelerator (50), adapted to direct a major portion of the molten metal feed centrally downwardly and into substantially the bottom of a liquid zone or sump (16) formed during the casting and then outwardly and upwardly along an interface (21) between the liquid sump (16) and surrounding solidified metal (20). This ensures that the hottest metal is fed downwardly to the central core of the ingot at the bottom of the sump.