Abstract: A stainless steel band is continuously cast. The stainless steel band is descaled and cold rolled. The cold rolled band is annealed and descaled or bright annealed. The band is finish formed and finally coiled. The stainless steel band is not coiled after being continuously cast and before being finally coiled.

Abstract: Method in which the pickling solution is sprayed onto the metal part in a confined atmosphere with an oxygen supply by feeding into the spraying enclosure an oxygen-containing gas, the pickling solution being recycled in a closed pickling solution circuit. The device for pickling metal surfaces comprises a spraying enclosure (1) with a collecting tank (2), means for spraying (6) a pickling solution (S) in said enclosure, means (11) for recirculating said solution between said tank (2) and said spraying means (6) and means (8,9) for passing an oxygen-containing gas through said enclosure, and optionally means (13) for maintaining the temperature of said solution, and control means. The method of the invention is designed to improve the productivity of lines for pickling stainless or alloy steel components while economising on reagents.

Abstract: Continuous production line for producing a strip of rolled sheet of steel comprising applying to said sheet of steel an aqueous pickling solution containing hydrochloric acid and ferric and ferrous pickling irons in solution, and, for the purpose of maintaining a constant pickling power of the aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid having a pH lower than 1, maintaining the concentration of Fe.sup.3+ ions at a value between 1 g/liter and 300 g/liter, by reoxidation of the Fe.sup.2+ ions produced during the pickling, the REDOX potential being maintained at a value between 400 and 600 mV, the potential being measured between a platinum electrode and a reference AG/AGCl electrode which are placed in the solution.

Abstract: The process comprises applying an aqueous pickling solution containing hydrochloric acid and ferric and ferrous pickling irons in solution, and, for the purpose of maintaining a constant pickling power of the aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid having a pH lower than 1, maintaining the concentration of Fe.sup.3+ ions at a value between 1 g/litre and 300 g/litre, by reoxidation by means of an oxygenation of the Fe.sup.2+ ions produced during the pickling, the REDOX potential being maintained at a value between 0 and 800 mV, the potential being measured between a platinum electrode and a reference AG/AGCl electrode which are placed in the solution.

Abstract: Process for continuously producing on a production line a rolled stainless steel sheet product having an improved surface state, characterized in that the hot produced sheet is subjected to a treatment comprising at least:a primary pickling for removing scale,cold rolling in at the most three rolling passes,a final annealing,a final pickling, anda cold rolling of the "skin pass" type.There is optionally effected, before the primary pickling, a stretcher levelling which produces a residual elongation of 1 to 5% for cracking the layer of oxide and rendering the sheet planar. Apparatus for carrying out the invention process is also described.