CASTING IN A THERMALLY-INDUCED, LOW DENSITY ATMOSPHERE

摘要

An apparatus and method for casting metal strip include a moving chill body that has a quench surface. A nozzle mechanism deposits a stream of molten metal on a quenching region of the quench surface to form the strip. The nozzle mechanism has an exit portion with a nozzle orifice. A depletion mechanism heats a gas to lower the density thereof and to produce a low-density atmosphere. The gas is supplied to a depletion region located adjacent to and upstream of the quenching region to provide the low density atmosphere within the depletion region.