Abstract: In melting down at least one consumable electrode in an electroslag remelting furnace, a gas is blown into the molten slag in such a manner that the gas flows in a jet towards the consumable electrode portion immersed into the slag to create a slag flow around said portion and thereby accelerate the melting-down of the electrode. The method efficiently eliminates an unbalance in the melting-down rates of two or more electrodes by blowing in the gas at different or controlled flow rates towards every electrode.

Abstract: A mould wall has one or a plurality of cylindrical or tapered inserts positioned therein. The outer lateral surfaces of the inserts are provided with longitudinal through grooves bounded by the wall of the opening wherein the insert is positioned, the groove and the wall forming passages for feeding gas into the slag pool zone in the mould.The insert may consist of a plurality of parts coaxial within one another, the outer lateral surfaces of the parts having longitudinal through grooves similar to those on the insert outer surface.The mould construction according to the invention simplifies the technique for manufacturing ducts for feeding gas into the slag pool zone and raises the intensity of interaction between the gas and the liquid pool by feeding gas in the form of small bubbles having large total surface area.

Abstract: A roof in which beams-headers rest on a roof ring and carry loop-shaped tubes suspended from and coupled with the said beams-headers which are running transversely to the framework tubes. Welded edgewisely to the top generatrices of the tubes are metal straps with bricks placed at least in one layer in rows therebetween. The brick end portions rest on the adjacent tubes, so that the brick in each row are disposed with a clearance sufficient to enable thermal expansion of the brick both vertically and horizontally when heated.