Abstract: A strip casting apparatus having a roll shell with a nitrided inner diameter surface mounted on a steel core and method of manufacturing the same. The inner diameter of a steel roll shell may be nitrided by ion or plasma nitriding. The nitriding process can form tight, crack free nitride layer that provides a corrosion resistant barrier and exhibits a surface hardness that is greater than the surface hardness of the steel core and that improves galling resistance while maintaining efficient heat transfer of the roll shell. After nitriding, the roll shell can be shrink fit over a steel core.

Abstract: A lean alloy steel and roll shells made of same are provided. The lean alloy steel has improved properties in imparting high productivity and long service life for roll shells (or roll caster shells) utilized in the direct casting of molten materials (such as molten aluminum) to strips. The lean alloy steel includes iron (Fe) alloyed with carbon (C), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), vanadium (V), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), silicon (Si), and/or niobium (Nb). The roll shells made from the heat treated lean alloy steel have high resistance to surface heat checking due to its very high yield strengths at molten aluminum temperatures (made, e.g., possible with its high carbide content), and have high casting speeds because of its high thermal conductivity (made, e.g., possible with its lean alloy composition).