Abstract: A ladle or tundish has a side wall comprising a refractory lining adapted to be contacted by molten metal, and a concrete wall surrounding the lining and reinforced by metal wires, the side wall being free from a metal shell. Therefore the side wall is relatively permeable to the field of an induction heating coil on the outside of the side wall.

Abstract: An apparatus for granulating a metal melt which comprises a closed housing having a granulating section and a collecting section for the collection of manufactured powder, the granulating including a casting box and one or more primary nozzles which form decomposing, groove-shaped gas jets which impinge against the stream of metal melt falling from the casting box to form droplets which are then thrown in a parabolic trajectory into the collecting section. The apparatus further includes one or more secondary nozzles producing one or more auxiliary gas jets which are used to increase the breakdown or granulating effect of the groove-shaped gas jets, to control the trajectory of the formed droplets in the collecting section of the housing and to prevent the eddying of the formed droplets towards the primary nozzles from which the groove-shaped gas jets emanate.

Abstract: A method for granulating a metal melt wherein a tap stream of molten metal is granulated by directing a jet of gas having a trough-shaped cross-section against the side of the tap stream such that the tap stream is formed into droplets which are thrown into a parabolic trajectory. An additional gas jet is also directed towards the tap stream so that it hits both the trough-shaped gas jet and the tap stream, the additional gas jet acting to prevent the droplets of metal melt from moving towards the nozzle from which the trough-shaped jet of gas emanates. The nozzle which emits the trough-shaped jet of gas can thus be positioned very closely to the side of the tap stream without becoming clogged with deposited droplets of metal melt.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing billets intended to be subsequently machined into a desired shape by plastic deformation, as by rolling, includes the heating to a predetermined bonding temperature of powder grains enclosed in a capsule, and subjecting the capsule at the bonding temperature to a high pressure sufficient to bond the powder grains together to form a substantially solid body. The capsule is inserted at the bonding temperature into an over-sized forming cavity of a press which includes relatively movable punches, the capsule being completely surrounded within the press by a layer of heat-insulating and pressure-transmitting solid material, such as talc or the like. Thus, when the capsule is subjected to the high pressure upon operation of the press, such material serves as a pressure-transmitting medium through which pressure is applied completely against all sides of the capsule.