Patents by Inventor Eugene B. Pretorius

Eugene B. Pretorius has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8313553
    Abstract: A method of making a steel with low carbon less than 0.035% by weight including steps of preparing a heat of molten steel composition in a steelmaking furnace to a tapping temperature as desired for desulfurization at a VTD, tapping open into a ladle the molten steel composition with an oxygen level between about 600 and 1120 ppm, providing slag forming compound to the ladle to form a slag cover over the molten steel composition in the ladle, transporting the molten steel composition in the ladle to a VTD, decarburizing the molten steel composition at the VTD by drawing a vacuum of less than 650 millibars, after decarburizing, adding one or more deoxidizers to the molten steel composition and deoxidizing the molten steel composition, after deoxidizing, adding one or more flux compounds to desulfurize the molten steel composition, and casting the molten steel composition to form a steel with low carbon less than 0.035% by weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Jacobus Marthinus Andreas Geldenhuis, David John Sosinsky, Daniel Gene Murray, David Wayne McGaughey, Eugene B. Pretorius
  • Publication number: 20100024596
    Abstract: A method of making a steel with low carbon less than 0.035% by weight including steps of preparing a heat of molten steel composition in a steelmaking furnace to a tapping temperature as desired for desulfurization at a VTD, tapping open into a ladle the molten steel composition with an oxygen level between about 600 and 1120 ppm, providing slag forming compound to the ladle to form a slag cover over the molten steel composition in the ladle, transporting the molten steel composition in the ladle to a VTD, decarburizing the molten steel composition at the VTD by drawing a vacuum of less than 650 millibars, after decarburizing, adding one or more deoxidizers to the molten steel composition and deoxidizing the molten steel composition, after deoxidizing, adding one or more flux compounds to desulfurize the molten steel composition, and casting the molten steel composition to form a steel with low carbon less than 0.035% by weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: NUCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jacobus Marthinus Andreas Geldenhuis, David John Sosinsky, Daniel Gene Murray, David Wayne McGaughey, Eugene B. Pretorius
  • Patent number: 7299857
    Abstract: A method of and apparatus for localized control of heat flux in continuous casting of thin cast strip comprising removing oxides from the casting surface of each casting roll by contacting the casting surface of each casting roll with the rotating brush in advance of the casting area, and delivering gas at the casting surface between the rotating brush and entry to the casting area to form a gas layer on the casting surface of each casting roll where the oxides have been removed. The delivering of gas at the casting surface between the rotating brush and entry to the casting area is preferably done in at least three zones along the casting roll axes to form a gas layer on the casting surface of each casting roll where the oxides have been removed, where the gas projected in the respective zones can be of different composition, mixture, pressure, or combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Schlichting, Walter Blejde, Eugene B. Pretorius
  • Patent number: 7156151
    Abstract: A method of casting steel strip by introducing molten plain carbon steel on casting surfaces at least one casting roll with the molten steel having a free nitrogen content below 120 ppm and a free hydrogen content below about 6.5 ppm measured at atmospheric pressure. The free nitrogen content maybe below about 100 ppm or below about 85 ppm. The free hydrogen content maybe between 1.0 and 6.5 ppm at atmospheric pressure. Novel cast strip of plain carbon steel is produced having a strip thickness less than 5 mm or less than 2 mm by use of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Rama Ballay Mahapatra, Eugene B. Pretorius, David J. Sosinsky