MOLD FOR THE CONTINUOUS CASTING OF STEEL STRIP

摘要

The invention provides a mold for continuously casting strip metal. The mold is arranged with a mold cavity having a longitudinal axis parallel to the casting direction and a portion centrally of and in the upstream area of the mold dimensioned to accommodate a pouring tube positioned in the upstream area of the cavity during casting. The width of the cavity in the upstream area is sufficient to provide equal to or greater than a required minimum spacing between the pouring tube and the walls of the mold. The mold comprises (a) side and end walls for the mold arranged respectively to define the cavity and positioned to make the cross-section of the cavity shaped generally as a parallelepiped having substantially the same dimensions as the strip being cast. The cavity also has a flared area in the upper central area of the mold to accommodate the pouring tube, the side walls being tapered inwardly from the upper part of the mold to a lower point at which the cross-section of the mold approximates the size and shape of the strip being cast. The mold also comprises (b) a strand shell formation initializing zone in the flared area having walls extending in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of the Mold from the surface level of the molten bath at which the strand shell starts to form to a point where the strand shell is sufficiently thick to withstand tapering inwardly without wrinkling or rupturing.