ZA200108989B

ZA200108989B - Tundish impact pad.

Info

Publication number: ZA200108989B
Application number: ZA200108989A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: Matthias Normann; Damian Paul Rider
Original assignee: Intocast South Africa Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2000-09-28
Filing date: 2001-10-31
Publication date: 2002-06-12

Description

“e 9001/8989

Introduction

This invention relates to a tundish impact pad suitable for reducing turbulence in - a metal bath within a tundish and for reducing impact erosion on a tundish floor.

Background to the invention

Those who are familiar with the industry will appreciate that a tundish impact pad is used in a tundish for reducing impact erosion of molten metal on a tundish floor. In particular, the tundish impact pad is an erosion resistant pad of refractory or the like material which is placed on the tundish floor beneath an incoming stream of molten metal being poured into the tundish.

Tundish impact pads generally all comprise a base having an impact surface and one or more sidewalls extending upwardly from the base. The sidewalls commonly define an opening through which an incoming stream of molten metal can be poured onto the impact surface. Upon contact with the impact surface, fluid flow direction of the molten metal is reversed so that the molten metal exists through the opening and into the tundish. : The applicant has now come up with an improved design of a tundish impact pad, particularly for reducing flow turbulence within the tundish, for facilitating a proper flow path of liquid metal within a metal bath, and for minimizing impact erosion of a tundish floor.

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. as ' PY © 9001/8989 ~ Summary of the invention

According to the invention there is provided a tundish impact pad suitable for withstanding contact with molten metal in a tundish and for reducing impact erosion of molten metal on a tundish floor, the tundish impact pad comprising a base having an impact surface which is characterized therein that it is at least partly angularly orlentated relative to the base; at least one sidewall extending upwardly from the base for at least partially enclosing the same, the sidewall having an interior face and an exterior face; and an annular body portion connected to and extending from the sidewall so as to define an opening through which liquid metal may enter, the annular body portion including an upper face and an under face. a. In one form of the invention the impact surface may be a convex or dome-shaped impact surface. In an alternative embodiment of the invention the impact surface may be a substantially concave-shaped impact surface. In yet a further embodiment of the invention, the impact surface may comprise of a number of substantially planar surface segments that are angularly connected to each other and to the base for forming the impact surface, for example a pyramid-shaped impact surface.

The base may include a channel formation extending along the periphery of the impact surface. The channel formation may be a substantially planar and eo 2001/8889 relatively narrow channel formation peripherally extending along the impact surface intermediate the impact surface and the interior face of the sidewall.

The sidewall may be an endless peripheral sidewall continuously extending around the base for enclosing the same. In particular, the sidewall may at least partially be tapered between the base and the annular body portion. More : particularly, the exterior face of the sidewall may angularly be orientated relative to the base for effecting tapering of the sidewall between the base and the annular body portion.

The interior face of the sidewall may be substantially perpendicularly orientated relative to the base. In particular, the perpendicular orientation between the interior face of the sidewall and the base may define a substantially right angle corner between the interior face of the sidewall and the channel formation of the base.

The annular body portion may extend inwardly from the sidewall. The upper face of the annular body portion may be orientated substantially parallel to the base, while the under face of the annular body portion may be angularly orientated to the base. More particularly, the under face may be angled relative to the base and the impact surface so as to define an obtuse angle between the under face of the annular body portion and the inner face of the sidewall.

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The impact pad may have a substantially square, rectangular, triangular, circular, oval or the like plan view. Likewise, the annular body portion may have any plan view configuration including square, rectangular, triangular, circular, oval or the like. :

The tundish impact pad according to the invention may be formed of any suitable refractory composition capable of withstanding impact erosion of a stream of molten metal and the high temperatures associated with continuous casting operations. : 10 .

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a tundish for receiving a volume of molten metal, the tundish including a tundish floor and tundish sidewalls extending from the tundish floor and defining a region of impact on the tundish floor; and a tundish impact pad according to the invention located on the tundish floor in the impact region for receiving a stream of molten metal.

Specific embodiment of the invention

Without limiting the scope thereof, one embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein —

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Figure 1 is a perspective view from above of a tundish impact pad according to one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side view on line II-1l of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the tundish impact pad of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a side view illustration of a tundish impact pad according to the invention located on a tundish floor. oo A tundish impact pad according to the invention is generally designated by reference numeral 10. The tundish impact pad 10 includes a base 12 having an impact surface 14; a sidewall 16 extending upwardly from the base 12 for at least partially enclosing the same; and an annular body portion 18 connected to and ‘extending from the sidewall 16. The annular body portion 18 defines an opening through which liquid metal may enter onto and exit from the impact surface 14.

The sidewall 16 is an endless sidewall continuously extending around a oeriphery of the base 12 for enclosing the same. The sidewall 16 includes an interior face 16.1 and an exterior face 16.2. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the sidewall 16 is partially tapered between the base 12 and the annular body portion 18. In particular, the exterior face 16.2 of the sidewall 16 is angularly orientated : relative to the base 12 and to the interior face 16.1, thus effecting tapering of the sidewall 16 between the base 12 and the annular body portion 18. ‘

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The base 12 also includes a relatively narrow channel formation 20 extending : along the periphery of the impact surface 14. The channel formation 20 is a substantially olanar channel formation veripherally extending along the impact surface 14 intermediate the impact surface 14 and the interior face 16.1 of the sidewall 16.

The interior face 16.1 of the sidewall 16 is substantially perpendicularly orientated relative to the base 12. In particular, the perpendicular orientation between the interior face 16.1 and the base 12 defines a substantially right angle corner 22 between the interior face 16.1 of the sidewall 16 and the channel formation 20 of the base 12. :

The annular body portion 18 includes an upper face 18.1 and an under face 18.2.

The annular body portion 18 extends radially inwardly from the sidewall 16 for defining the inlet opening. The upper face 18.1 of the annular body portion 18 is oo orientated substantially parallel to the base 12, while the under face 18.2 of the - annular body portion 18 is angularly orientated to the base 12. More particularly, the under face 18.2 is angled relative to the base 12 and the impact surface 14 so as to define an obtuse angle 24 between the under face 18.2 of the annular body portion 18 and the inner face 16.1 of the sidewall 16.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the impact surface 14 is a dome- shaped impact surface having a circular plan view. However, it will be

® appreciated that the impact surface 14 and/or the base 12 also may have a substantially square, rectangular, triangular, circular, oval or the like plan view. :

Likewise, the annular body portion 18 may have any plan view configuration including square, rectangular, triangular, circular, oval or the like.

The tundish impact pad 10 according to the invention is suitable for withstanding contact with molten metal in a tundish. Referring to Figure 4, a tundish 30 for receiving a volume of molten metal 32 includes a tundish floor 34 and tundish sidewalls 36 extending from the tundish floor 34. The tundish floor 34 includes a region of impact generally subject to impact erosion upon deposition of metal into the tundish 30. A tundish impact pad 10 is accordingly located on the tundish floor 34 in the impact region for receiving a stream of molten metal, thus reducing the impact erosion on the tundish floor and reducing flow turbulence within the tundish 30.

It will be appreciated that numerous other embodiments of the invention may be possible without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the claims. 20 . .

Claims

CLAIMS 1: A tundish impact pad suitable for withstanding contact with molten metal in a tundish and for reducing impact erosion of molten metal on a tundish floor, the tundish impact pad comprising a base having an impact surface which is characterized therein that it is at least partly angularly orientated relative to the base; at least one sidewall extending upwardly from the oo base for at least partially enclosing the same, the sidewall having an interior face and an exterior face; and an annular body portion connected - to and extending from the sidewall so as to define an opening through which liquid metal may enter, the annular body portion including an upper face and an under face.
2. The tundish impact pad according to claim 1 wherein the impact surface is a convex-shaped or dome-shaped impact surface.
3. The tundish impact pad according to claim 1 wherein the impact surface is a substantially concave-shaped impact surface.
4. The tundish impact pad according to claim 1 wherein the impact surface comprises of a number of substantially planar surface segments that are : angularly connected to each other and to the base for forming the impact surface, for example a pyramid-shaped impact surface.
5. The tundish impact pad according to claim 1 wherein the base includes a channel formation extending along the periphery of the impact surface. 5s
6. The tundish impact pad according to claim 5 wherein the channel formation is a substantially planar and relatively narrow channel formation peripherally extending along the impact surface intermediate the impact surface and the interior face of the sidewall.
7. The tundish impact pad according to claim 1 wherein the sidewall is an : endless peripheral sidewall continuously extending around the base for enclosing the same.
8. The tundish impact pad according to claims 1 and 7 wherein the sidewall is at least partially tapered between the base and the annular body portion.
9. The tundish impact pad according to claim 8 wherein the exterior face of the sidewall is angularly orientated relative to the base for effecting tapering of the sidewall between the base and the annular body portion.
10. The tundish impact pad according to claims 1 and 7 wherein the interior face of the sidewall is substantially perpendicularly orientated relative to

Te the base such that the perpendicular orientation between the interior face : : ~~ andthe base defines a substantially right angle corner between the interior face of the sidewall and the channel formation of the base.
11. The tundish impact pad according to claim 1 wherein the annular body portion extends inwardly from the sidewall.
12. The tundish impact pad according to claims 1 and 11 wherein the upper face of the annular body portion is orientated substantially parallel to the base, while the under face of the annular body portion is angularly : orientated to the base.
13. The tundish impact pad according to claim 12 wherein the under face is angled relative to the base and the impact surface so as fo define an obtuse angle between the under face of the annular body portion and the inner face of the sidewall.
14. The tundish impact pad according to claim 1 wherein the impact pad has a substantially square, rectangular, triangular, circular, oval or the like plan view and wherein-the annular body portion likewise has any plan view configuration including square, rectangular, triangular, circular, oval or the like.

CL ® 9001/8889
15. The tundish impact pad according to. any one of the aforementioned claims wherein the tundish impact pad is formed of any suitable refractory composition capable of withstanding impact erosion of a stream of molten metal and the high temperatures associated with continuous casting operations.
16. A tundish for receiving a volume of molten metal, the tundish including a tundish floor and tundish sidewalls extending from the tundish floor and defining a region of impact on the tundish floor; and a tundish impact pad | located on the tundish floor in the impact region for receiving a stream of molten metal, the tundish impact pad comprising a base having an impact surface which is characterized therein that it is at least partly angularly orientated relative to the base; at least one sidewall extending upwardly “from the base for at least partially enclosing the same, the sidewall having an interior face and an exterior face; and an annular body portion connected to and extending from the sidewall so as to define an opening through which liquid metal may enter, the annular body portion including an upper face and an under face.
17. A tundish impact pad substantially as herein illustrated and exemplified with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 2/ day of Srey Ze 12 I Patent Attorney” Agent for the Applicant

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