Abstract: Process for producing semifinished products from sheet-like fiber structures and from binders, by first (i) treating a sheet-like fiber structure with a binder and, if appropriate, drying it to a moisture content of from 4 to 30% by weight, (ii) coating the surface of the resultant treated fiber structure on one or both sides with a curable binder, and (iii) drying the coated fiber structure to a residual moisture content of from 4 to 30% by weight, to give a semifinished product, and the resultant semifinished product, process for producing moldings via heating of the semifinished product to a temperature above the temperature at which the binders crosslink, and use of the moldings as internal parts for motor vehicles, as packing material, as single-use tableware, as office accessories, as trays, as decorative parts in the furniture industry, or else as inserts for closets, or drawers, or rear walls of furniture.

Abstract: Molten steel is degasified under vacuum and in the first 5 minutes of the degasification to improve and accelerate the degasification solids in the form of pieces of a size of 2 to 50 mm are introduced into the melt.

Abstract: A blowing lance for treating molten metals which are situated in vacuum-treatment vessels, in particular steel in RH vessels, having a central pipe and an encasing pipe which is arranged coaxially with respect to the central pipe and can be cooled by a cooling medium. The central pipe and the encasing pipe are connected to supply lines, which in turn can be connected to an oxygen station, a fuel-gas station and an inert-gas station and to a solids-feed device. In this lance, the cooled encasing pipe is arranged at a distance from the central pipe over its entire length. The free annular area (AR) between the two pipes satisfying the following statement AR=0.8 to 1.2×AZ where AZ=free cross-sectional area of the central pipe. The end of the central pipe is designed in the form of a Laval nozzle. The nozzle opening of the central pipe is being arranged at a distance (a) inside the encasing tube, where a=0.5 to 0.8×d where d=clear diameter of the central pipe.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for decarburizing a steel melt in a closed metallurgical vessel that is connected to a vacuum unit which includes reducing pressure in the vessel to below 100 mbar, introducing replenishment oxygen to implement the removal of carbon, introducing a predetermined additional amount of oxygen, and introducing a combustible metallic substance with the additional amount of oxygen. The invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the above process including the closable vessel, measurement elements for determining melt temperature and pressure, and a controller for controlling the amount of additional oxygen and combustible metallic substance in response to the melt temperature and pressure.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for the vacuum treatment of metals. In a tightly sealed vacuum treatment vessel, molten metal is preferably divided, on the surface, into a generally circular sector and a generally ring-shaped sector surrounding the generally circular sector. Preferably, each sector of the molten metal is exposed to different vacuum pressures during vacuum treatment, wherein a generally lower vacuum pressure is applied to the ring-shaped sector than to the circular sector. The two sectors are preferably separated to an immersion depth, in the molten bath, of between 10 and about 20 cm, as measured starting from the ring-shaped sector.