Abstract: We describe herein biocompatible single crystal Cu-based shape memory alloys (SMAs). In particular, we show biocompatibility based on MEM elution cell cytotoxicity, ISO intramuscular implant, and hemo-compatibility tests producing negative cytotoxic results. This biocompatibility may be attributed to the formation of a durable oxide surface layer analogous to the titanium oxide layer that inhibits body fluid reaction to titanium nickel alloys, and/or the non-existence of crystal domain boundaries may inhibit corrosive chemical attack. Methods for controlling the formation of the protective aluminum oxide layer are also described, as are devices including such biocompatible single crystal copper-based SMAs.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an alloy, for hardbanding and/or hard overlay applications, which is abrasion resistant to the order of siliceous earth particles and weldable in crack free state on industrial products. The alloy is a carbon chrome based alloy comprising titanium and vanadium carbides and thus has an extremely low coefficient of friction, high abrasion resistance as welded without working. In tool joints and stabilizers, the alloy achieves an optimum balance between tool joint and stabilizer wear resistance and induced casing wear. The alloy is also self-shielded and therefore does not require external shielding gas.

Abstract: A refractory, which is particularly suitable for use in an inner lining of a blast furnace, is obtainable by a process. The process includes providing a mixture containing coke, silicon and a binder. A green block is formed from the mixture. The green block is then baked. The baked block is semi-graphitized at a temperature between 1600 and 2000° C.

Abstract: A lance for conducting a pyrometallurgical operation by top submerged lancing (TSL) injection, has inner and outer substantially concentric pipes. The lower end of the inner or at least a next innermost pipe is set at a level relative to the lower end of the outer pipe required for the pyrometallurgical operation. The relative positions of the inner and outer pipes are longitudinally adjustable to enable the length of the mixing chamber to be maintained at a desired setting during a period of use to compensate for the lower end of the outer pipe wearing and burning back.

Abstract: A furnace for heat treating an annealing material. A sealable first furnace chamber is designed to receiving and heat treating annealing material. A first heat exchanger is arranged in the first furnace chamber. The first heat exchanger is arranged within a housing section of the first furnace chamber. A sealable second furnace chamber is designed for receiving and for heat treating annealing material. A second heat exchanger is arranged in the second furnace chamber. The second heat exchanger is arranged within a housing section of the second furnace chamber. A closed transport fluid path is connected to the first heat exchanger and to the second heat exchanger for transferring thermal energy between the first annealing gas and the second annealing gas.

Abstract: In an apparatus for the continuous thermal treatment of metal continuously cast material having a heating section, the metal continuously cast material having a heating section, the metal continuously cast material is led over two contact rollers, wherein the first contact roller is arranged at a first end and the second contact roller is arranged at a second end of said heating section. Both contact rollers are connected to a voltage source in such a way that a current flows through the metal continuously cast material between the first and the second contact roller. Here, electrical contact is made with one of the contact rollers via a sliding contact element, which is in electrical contact with a slip-ring disk arranged concentrically with the axis of said contact roller. The sliding contact element is arranged on a current-carrying element using a plug-in connection which can be detached by pulling and which has at least one resilient and electrically conductive fixing element.

Abstract: A furnace system includes a pre-heating device disposed on a conveyer device, a heating member disposed in the pre-heating device for pre-heating the work piece, a furnace facility located behind the pre-heating device and having a heating zone, a carburizing zone for carburizing the work piece, a diffusing zone and a temperature decreasing zone for lowering the temperature of the work piece, and a cooling zone for lowering the work piece to a room temperature, the furnace facility includes a front door and a rear door and one or more intermediate doors for confining the work piece within the furnace facility, and a heating element is disposed in the furnace facility for pre-heating the work piece.

Abstract: Crystallizer for the continuous casting of long metal products such as blooms or billets, of the type cooled by an external cooling jacket, in which, at least in the zone of maximum thermal peak, positioned around the zone of the meniscus or immediately below it, there are means present, made on the walls of the crystallizer, to condition the heat exchange between the walls of the crystallizer and the cast steel. The means to condition the heat exchange comprise concavities or depressions made on the internal wall of the crystallizer, made around the zone of maximum thermal peak, and having a distribution that, in terms of the overall area occupied by them per surface unit, is reduced until it is canceled toward the bottom at a certain distance from said zone of maximum thermal peak.

Abstract: A method for the production of closed edge filters suitable for filtering molten metal and filters made by such a method. The method comprises: providing a reticulated foam substrate having at least one first surface for forming a side face of the filter and two opposed second surfaces for forming the through-flow faces of the filter; applying a liquid comprising an organic coating component to the first surface; solidifying the organic coating component to form a filter precursor having a volatilizable coating on the first surface; impregnating the filter precursor with a slurry comprising particles of a refractory material, a binder and a liquid carrier; and drying and firing the impregnated filter precursor to form the filter having a closed edge.

Abstract: A tube for pouring liquid metal has a pouring channel with a pouring axis. The tube has a downstream part with a pouring channel with an outlet diameter, and a flared upstream part with a length known as the threshold distance. The threshold distance is greater than four times the outlet diameter. The upstream part is flared and configured so that its upper end has a convex overall shape in the axial direction. The upstream part is included within a first volume corresponding to the complementary part of an axisymmetric frustoconical volume having as its axis the pouring axis. The generatrix of the volume forms an angle greater than 5 degrees with the pouring axis. The upstream part is included within a second volume, delimited by a surface of revolution generated by an isosceles trapezium revolving about the pouring axis.

Abstract: An impact pad for use in tundish of continuous casting steel during pouring out of molten steel (6) from the casting ladle into the tundish. The impact pad (1) has side walls (2) provided with barriers (3) distributed spaced apart and staggered in height and in length in the whole extension of the walls (2) or part thereof, the impact pad (1) still comprises an impact bottom (5) provided with corrugations (4) uniformly distributed and staggered in its entirety or part thereof.

Abstract: A duplex stainless steel containing, by mass %: C: not more than 0.03%, Si: not more than 0.3%, Mn: not more than 3.0%, P: not more than 0.040%, S: not more than 0.008%, Cu: 0.2 to 2.0%, Ni: 5.0 to 6.5%, Cr: 23.0 to 27.0%, Mo: 2.5 to 3.5%, W: 1.5 to 4.0%, and N: 0.24 to 0.40%, the balance being Fe and impurities, wherein a ? phase susceptibility index X (=2.2Si+0.5Cu+2.0Ni+Cr+4.2Mo+0.2W) is not more than 52.0; a strength index Y (=Cr+1.5Mo+10N+3.5W) is not less than 40.5; and a pitting resistance equivalent PREW (=Cr+3.3(Mo+0.5W)+16N) is not less than 40. This duplex stainless steel is excellent in corrosion resistance and embrittlement cracking resistance.

Abstract: A device for dispersing gas into molten metal includes an impeller, a drive shaft having a gas-transfer passage therein, and a first end and a second end, and a drive source. The second end of the drive shaft is connected to the impeller and the first end is connected to the drive source. The impeller includes a first portion and a second portion with a plurality of cavities. The first portion covers the second portion to help prevent gas from escaping to the surface without entering the cavities and being mixed with molten metal as the impeller rotates. When gas is transferred through the gas-transfer passage, it exits through the gas-release opening(s) in the bottom of the impeller. At least some of the gas enters the cavities where it is mixed with the molten metal being displaced by the impeller. Also disclosed are impellers that can be used to practice the invention.

Abstract: A casting plunger for a casting unit of a casting machine, includes a casting-plunger shut-off valve integrated into the casting plunger, having a valve seat and a valve body interacting therewith, wherein the shut-off valve, in an open position, enables a flow of a melt material through the casting plunger during a melt suction operation and, in a closed position, blocks said flow during a mold-filling operation. The casting plunger has a plunger sleeve, which is placeable against an inner wall of a casting cylinder of the casting unit and contains the valve seat, and a plunger ram which contains the valve body. The plunger sleeve and the plunger ram are movable axially with respect to one another by a predefinable valve stroke.

Abstract: A converter comprising a container (2) defining a first axis X; a support ring (3), coaxial to the container and spaced therefrom, provided with two diametrically opposed supporting pins (6), defining a second axis Y orthogonal to the first axis X, adapted to allow a rotation of the converter about the axis Y; suspension elements, connecting said container to said support ring, clamped at a first end to the container and at a second end to the support ring so as to not require any maintenance as compared to traditional systems which use spherical joints and pins which are subject to wear, thus saving hours of maintenance and plant standstill.

Abstract: A refractory device, such as a replacement purge plug containing a refractory material, is configured to be inserted in the bottom of a ladle for introducing purging gas through a heat of molten metal in a ladle. One or more geometrical features on the lateral surface of the purge plug facilitate the installation of the purge plug into a housing block that has been subjected to erosion.

Abstract: Disclosed is a magnetic annealing apparatus including a carrier conveyance region and a workpiece conveyance region. The carrier conveyance region includes: a first mounting table where a carrier is disposed; second mounting tables where carriers convey workpieces from the carrier conveyance region to the workpiece conveyance region; a storage unit; and a carrier conveyance mechanism that performs carrying-out/carrying-in of the carriers. The workpiece conveyance region includes: an aligner device; a workpiece boat; a workpiece conveyance mechanism that conveys the workpieces from the carriers disposed on the second mounting tables to the workpiece boat via the aligner device; a heating unit; a magnetic field generating unit; and a transfer mechanism that transfers the workpieces held by the workpiece boat into the magnetic field generating unit.

Abstract: A blast furnace installation includes a blast furnace and a chute transmission gearbox; the blast furnace having a top cone with a top cone ring arranged thereon for receiving a connection flange of the chute transmission gearbox. The connection flange is directly fixed onto the top cone ring by fixing means for establishing a firm connection between the top cone ring and the connection flange. According to an aspect of the present invention, the connection flange is fixed to the top cone ring in three separated fixation regions (30, 30?, 30?), each fixation region including one or more fixing means. According to a further aspect of the present invention, the blast furnace installation also includes a flexible sealing element arranged around the perimeter of the connection between the top cone ring and the chute transmission gearbox.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus (100,100?,100?) for steelmaking lances (300) of an electric arc furnace (200) comprising:—a supporting structure (150,150?) for a steelmaking lance intended to be introduced into said furnace (200) through an opening (230) of said furnace—a linkage (110;120;130;160) associated to said supporting structure (150,150?) and intended to position a carriage (115) linearly movable with respect to said linkage (110;120;130;160) wherein said linkage (110;120;130;160) is an articulated quadrilateral intended to cause said at least one steelmaking lance (330) to be moved from a parking position outside said electric arc furnace to an operating position wherein at least a part of said lance is inside said electric arc furnace and said positioning apparatus (100,100?,100?) further comprises rotation means to cause at least said carriage (115) to rotate about an axis (X) substantially vertical in the assembly condition.

Abstract: A bioleaching bioreactor having an air injection and diffusion system, which allows control of the air bubble fine size, improving the oxygen and carbon dioxide distribution required by the microorganisms promoting the bioleaching process, to maintain the cellular concentration during the process.