Abstract: A lance intended for injecting oxygen and/or an inert gas into liquid steel comprises a metal supply tube which opens into a distributor from which issue a plurality of injection tubes arranged parallel and concentrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the lance, these injection tubes being embedded in a sheath of refractory material. Preferably, the distributor comprises two chambers which are separate from each other, the first chamber communicating with the supply tube for a first gas and with a plurality of first injection tubes, and the second chamber communicating with a second supply pipe for another gas and with a plurality of second injection tubes.

Abstract: A ladle for casting molten metal comprising an inner nozzle forming a casting channel and a ladle closing device comprising a fixed element and a moving element, the inner nozzle being surrounded by an annular cooling chamber along part of its length. The annular chamber (3) contains an annular ring (5), the interior of which communicates with a duct (6) supplying a cooling fluid, the hollow ring (5) extending into the annular chamber so as to surround the inner nozzle (12), and the wall of the ring (5) being formed with a number of orifices (7) distributed all along the ring so as to direct jets of cooling fluid on to the fixed plate (12) of the ladle cooling device around the casting hole in the plate (22).