Horizontal casting cooling beyond the crystallizer

Abstract

It is shown that devices in the form of a water‑cooled metal mold with a graphite lining, which is located on the upper surface of the casting close to the end of the crystallizer, can serve as an alternative to secondary water‑air cooling systems in horizontal continuous casting. The effectiveness of the cooling capacity of the molds was evaluated during industrial tests of the devices in the process of casting iron. It has been established that the use of water‑cooled molds allows reducing the surface temperature at vulnerable points of the casting by 20–70 °C, increasing the average casting speed for individual billet sizes within 5–8 % almost eliminating shell breakout and eliminating the need for traditional secondary cooling systems.