Abstract: A spray material for hot and dry spray application with improved corrosion resistance, and a hot and dry spray application method with improved corrosion resistance. A hot and dry spray application method comprises pressure-feeding a mixture comprising a refractory material and a binder, toward a spraying nozzle via a pipe, and adding water to the mixture at a distal end of the spraying nozzle to apply a spray under a hot condition. The mixture contains magnesium limestone having a particle size of 0.075 mm to less than 1 mm, in an amount of 10 mass % to 50 mass %, in 100 mass % of a total amount of the refractory material and the binder. The content of magnesium limestone having a particle size of less than 0.075 mm in 100 mass % of the total amount of the refractory material and the binder is 35 mass % or less (including 0).

Abstract: In a sliding nozzle comprising three plates consisting of an upper plate, an intermediate plate capable of a sliding movement, and a lower plate, it is intended to suppress adhesion and deposition of metal oxides and others on wall surfaces of inner bores of the three plates. The intermediate plate has: a first inclined portion whose surface defines a slidingly closing directional leading-side wall surface of an inner bore thereof and extends obliquely downwardly in a diametrically contracting direction; a second inclined portion whose surface defines an upper part of a slidingly closing directional trailing-side wall surface of the inner bore thereof and extends obliquely downwardly in a diametrically contracting direction, and a third inclined portion whose surface defines a lower part of the slidingly closing directional trailing-side wall surface of the inner bore thereof and extends obliquely downwardly in a diametrically expanding direction.

Abstract: An opening-closing apparatus capable of, when using a robot arm to selectively open and close a component of a sliding nozzle device, reliably opening and closing the component to respective given positions. The apparatus comprises: a hand-like distal module engageable with an openable-closable component of a sliding nozzle device; a force sensor to detect a force received by the module; and a robot arm to which the module and the sensor are mounted. The robot arm is controllably operated to: move the module toward the component of the sliding nozzle device and engage the module with the component of the sliding nozzle device; then move the module to move the component, if the absolute value of the force detected by the sensor is equal to or less than a given threshold; and stop the movement of the module, when the absolute value of the force detected by the sensor reaches the threshold.

Abstract: A socket installation structure of a refractory article is designed to prevent gas leakage therein. A first flange is provided between an outward end and an inward end of a socket, and a face of the first flange on the side of an inward end thereof is bonded to an article body of the refractory article through a sealing material. Further, a face of the first flange on the side of an outward end thereof faces a metal plate disposed around the outward end or a second flange provided on the side of the outward end, through a low thermally-conductive material layer made of a low thermally-conductive material having a thermal conductivity at room temperature of 40 (W/(m·K)) or less.

Abstract: Disclosed is a refractory product for casting of steel, which is capable of forming a dense surface layer which is high in terms of a slag infiltration suppressing ability and strong, in a surface region thereof efficiently or sufficiently or in an optimum state. The refractory product contains 1 mass % or more of free carbon, and 2 mass % to 15 mass % of an aluminum component as metal, with the remainder comprising a refractory material as a main composition, wherein the refractory product has a permeability of 1×10?16 m2 to 15×10?16m2.

Abstract: It is intended to suppress flaming and smoking due to combustion of combustible substances in a certain-shaped joint material, while maintaining hot sealability of the certain-shaped joint material. A certain-shaped joint material for hot installation is obtained by: adding organic additives to a blend in a combined amount of 26 mass % to 50 mass %, with respect to and in addition to 100 mass % of the blend, wherein the blend comprises 50 mass % to 90 mass % of gibbsite type aluminum hydroxide raw material, 1 mass % to 9 mass % of clay, and 9 mass % to 23 mass % of graphite, with the remainder mainly composed of an additional refractory raw material; and subjecting the resulting mixture to kneading, forming and drying.

Abstract: A plate, a plate-holding apparatus, and a holding method for the plate for facilitating work to attach the plate to a plate-receiving metal frame of a sliding nozzle device. A gap is ensured between a to-be-held portion of the plate and an inner wall surface of an engagement groove such that, when the plate is held by engaging the to-be-held portion of the plate with the engagement groove of a holding portion of the plate-holding apparatus, the plate is movable in the longitudinal direction, the width direction, and the thickness direction of the plate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a casting nozzle intended to suppress or prevent breaking of a nozzle body thereof. The casting nozzle comprises: a nozzle body; a metal casing disposed to surround an upper end of the nozzle body to form a gas pool between an outer peripheral surface of the upper end of the nozzle body and an inner peripheral surface of the metal casing; and a bridging segment provided in at least a part of the gas pool to bridge between the outer peripheral surface of the upper end of the nozzle body and the inner peripheral surface of the metal casing.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a method for forming a brick lining to construct a sidewall of a kiln/furnace, while improving efficiency of brick lining forming work without causing any increase in manufacturing cost of bricks to be used. The brick lining forming method comprises stacking a plurality of tiers of bricks, respectively, on a plurality of tier regions of an inner surface of a hollow approximately cylindrical-shaped peripheral portion of a kiln/furnace to construct a side wall of the kiln/furnace, wherein two or more of the plurality of tier regions are different in terms of pre-lining radius, wherein only bricks identical in terms of taper angle and height dimension are used, except for an adjustment brick, in each of the two or more tier regions different in terms of the pre-lining radius, wherein bricks identical in terms of the taper angle, the height dimension and length dimension, and different in terms of back face width, are used in at least a part of each of the two or more tier regions.

Abstract: To improve the stability of spray application of a monolithic refractory in which a water injector is disposed in a material carrier pipe extending from a material supply device to a distal spray nozzle, and application water is injected from the water injector into a spray material that is being carried through the material carrier pipe, a ratio of a flow volume of an application water carrier gas for carrying the application water to be introduced into the water injector to a flow volume of a spray material carrier gas for carrying the spray material is set to 0.07 to 2, and a compressibility index of the spray material is set to 32% or less. Alternatively, a ratio of a flow volume of an application water carrier gas for carrying the application water to be introduced into the water injector to an application water volume is set to 100 to 1,000.

Abstract: Provided is a sealing block installation structure capable of preventing the occurrence of a gap between a nozzle or plug installed in a bottom portion of a molten metal vessel and a plate or the like located on the lower side of the nozzle or plug, and a gap between the nozzle or plug and a sealing block located on the upper side of or on the outer peripheral side of the nozzle or plug. In the seating block installation structure, a seating block 2 disposed to surround a nozzle for discharging therethrough molten metal downwardly from the bottom portion of the molten metal vessel or a plug is fixed to a shell of the bottom portion of the molten metal vessel by a connecting member 3.

Abstract: A sliding nozzle apparatus includes a pair of sliding metal frame retaining sections provided on respective sides of opposed long edges of a fixed metal frame in an openable and closable manner. The sliding nozzle apparatus also includes: a pair of shafts each integrated with one of the retaining sections and each rotatably supported on a corresponding one of the sides of the opposed long edges of the metal frame; first and second link members provided, respectively, at one end of the shafts of the sliding metal frame retaining sections; and a link element coupling the first and second link members together, such that, when one of the retaining sections is manually opened or closed, the shaft of the other retaining section is reversely rotated to cause the other retaining section to be simultaneously opened or closed.

Abstract: Provided are a magnesia carbon brick which does not include graphite yet has excellent spalling and corrosion resistances, and a method for producing thereof. The brick is obtained by adding an organic binder to a refractory raw material mixture followed by kneading, molding, and heat-treating, wherein the mixture includes total 0.1 to 2.0 mass % of pitch and/or carbon black, total 0.1 to 1.0 mass % of aluminum and/or aluminum alloy, 3.0 to 10.0 mass % of magnesia having particle diameter of less than 0.075 mm, and 87.0 to 96.0 mass % of magnesia having particle diameter of 0.075 to 5 mm; and a mass ratio of magnesia having particle diameter of 1 to 5 mm to that of 0.075 to 1 mm is 1.66 to 2.34; graphite is not included therein; and an apparent porosity thereof after heat-treatment under reductive atmosphere at 1400° C. for 3 hours is 8.0% or less.

Abstract: A flat immersion nozzle stabilizes the discharging flow of molten steel thereby stabilizing the molten steel surface in a mold, namely, decreasing the fluctuation thereof. In the immersion nozzle having a flat shape in which a width Wn of an inner hole is greater than a thickness Tn of the inner hole, a central protrusion portion (1) is disposed in a center section of a wall surface in a width direction of a flat section. Wp/Wn, a ratio of a length Wp of the central protrusion portion in the width direction to Wn, is 0.2 or more and 0.7 or less. The central protrusion portion (1) is disposed symmetrically as a pair; and a total length Tp in the thickness direction of the pair of the central protrusion portions is 0.15 or more and 0.75 or less of Tn.

Abstract: A nozzle structure for discharging molten steel with improved sealing performance. The nozzle structure comprises: a molten steel discharge path having an inner bore; and one or more joints through which the molten steel discharge path is divided at one or more positions in a orthogonal direction with respect to an upward-downward direction of discharge of molten steel, and which join the molten steel discharge path. An inner bore sleeve is formed of a refractory material, and provided on an inner bore surface of the nozzle structure to extend in the upward-downward direction across at least one of the joints.

Abstract: A socket installation structure of a refractory article is designed to prevent gas leakage therein. A first flange is provided between an outward end and an inward end of a socket, and a face of the first flange on the side of an inward end thereof is bonded to an article body of the refractory article through a sealing material. Further, a face of the first flange on the side of an outward end thereof faces a metal plate disposed around the outward end or a second flange provided on the side of the outward end, through a low thermally-conductive material layer made of a low thermally-conductive material having a thermal conductivity at room temperature of 40 (W/(m·K)) or less.

Abstract: A flat immersion nozzle stabilizes the discharging flow of molten steel thereby stabilizing the molten steel surface in a mold, namely, decreasing the fluctuation thereof. In the immersion nozzle having a flat shape in which a width Wn of an inner hole is greater than a thickness Tn of the inner hole, a central protrusion portion (1) is disposed in a center section of a wall surface in a width direction of a flat section. Wp/Wn, a ratio of a length Wp of the central protrusion portion in the width direction to Wn, is 0.2 or more and 0.7 or less. The central protrusion portion (1) is disposed symmetrically as a pair; and a total length Tp in the thickness direction of the pair of the central protrusion portions is 0.15 or more and 0.75 or less of Tn.

Abstract: Disclosed is a casting nozzle intended to suppress or prevent breaking of a nozzle body thereof. The casting nozzle comprises: a nozzle body; a metal casing disposed to surround an upper end of the nozzle body to form a gas pool between an outer peripheral surface of the upper end of the nozzle body and an inner peripheral surface of the metal casing; and a bridging segment provided in at least a part of the gas pool to bridge between the outer peripheral surface of the upper end of the nozzle body and the inner peripheral surface of the metal casing.

Abstract: An annular weir is fixed at a bottom of a tundish and just under a long nozzle of a ladle in a continuous casting apparatus. The annular weir includes a cavity which has a substantially circular shaped transverse section. The cavity includes: an upper side opening configured to receive a stream of molten metal from an upper side through the long nozzle; an inner protrusion which is annular in shape and which extends toward an inner side from an upper end of an inner wall of the cavity; a first space on an inner side of the inner protrusion; and a second space which communicates with the first space 13a and which is on a lower side of the first space.

Abstract: A plate, a plate-holding apparatus, and a holding method for the plate for facilitating work to attach the plate to a plate-receiving metal frame of a sliding nozzle device. A gap is ensured between a to-be-held portion of the plate and an inner wall surface of an engagement groove such that, when the plate is held by engaging the to-be-held portion of the plate with the engagement groove of a holding portion of the plate-holding apparatus, the plate is movable in the longitudinal direction, the width direction, and the thickness direction of the plate.