Apparatus for sparging molten metal by gas injection

摘要

A process for sparging molten metal comprises passing gas bubbles upwardly through a series of spaced nozzles arranged in a trough or furnace, the nozzles being arranged to prevent lateral spread of emergent bubbles so as to hold down the bubble size to a controlled size and thus increase the surface area/volume relationship to a desired value. The apparatus employed preferably is embodied in a refractory plate having a series of spaced protrusions or ribs on the upper face. Spaced gas orifices are formed in the protrusions or ribs. The lateral spread of the bubbles is checked or hindered when the gas/metal interface of growing bubbles reaches the sides of the protrusions or ribs.