With Diverse Treatment Patents (Class 164/477)
  • Patent number: 11200289
    Abstract: The method, computer program product, and computer system of the present invention may include a computing device which may identify contacts of a first user from a data communication channel and create a contact profile for each of the identified contacts in a universal data sharing panel. The contact profiles may contain contact information for each of the identified contacts, the contact information may be extracted from the data communication channel. The computing device may map the data communication channel associated with each of the identified contacts to a corresponding contact profile in the universal data sharing panel according to a set of data sharing rules. The computing device may receive data to be sent to a second user. The computing device may send the data to the second computing device of the second user using the universal data sharing panel in accordance with the set of data sharing rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Uri Kartoun, XiaoJing Liu, Fang Lu
  • Patent number: 9511340
    Abstract: An aqueous calco-magnesian suspension comprising solid particles fitting the general formula a Ca(OH)2.b Mg(OH)2.c MgO in an aqueous phase at a concentration greater than or equal to 200 g/kg, wherein a, b and c represent mass fractions, the sum of which has a value from 90 to 100% and an additive which is simultaneously a viscosity reducer and a viscosity increase moderator, wherein said additive is a phosphonate or a phosphonic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: S.A. Lhoist Recherche et Developpement
    Inventor: Bernard Laurent
  • Patent number: 8863819
    Abstract: A continuous casting device including at least a crystallizer suitable for casting a metal product, and a plurality of guide and containing segments with rolls, the function of which is to accompany the cast product exiting from the crystallizer. The device includes, an extension of or in an intermediate position to one or more of the guide and containing segments with rolls, one or more guide and containing segments of the mixed type with panels and rolls, each including one or more guide rolls disposed on at least one side of the product and insulated and/or reflecting and/or heated panels disposed on the opposite side of the product, so as to reduce the loss of temperature of the cast product in transit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Gianpietro Benedetti, Andrea Carboni, Paolo Bobig
  • Patent number: 8596333
    Abstract: A method of making a copper wire rod with low semi-softening temperature includes melting a raw material copper to have a copper melt, adjusting concentrations of oxygen and sulfur included in the copper melt to be not more than 20 ppm and not more than 6 ppm, respectively, continuously casting the adjusted copper melt at temperature not higher than 1120° C. to have a cast bar, and hot-rolling the cast bar in a temperature range of 850° C. to 550° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seigi Aoyama, Toru Sumi
  • Patent number: 8524016
    Abstract: A method of making an austempered ductile iron article is disclosed. The method includes providing a melt of a ductile iron alloy composition. The method also includes casting the melt into a mold to form a casting. The method further includes cooling the casting to an austempering temperature by circulating a coolant through the mold; wherein cooling comprises solidifying the melt and forming a ductile iron article. Still further, the method includes heating the casting to maintain the austempering temperature for an interval sufficient to form an austempered ductile iron article that comprises a microstructure comprising ausferrite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Junyoung Park, Jason Robert Parolini
  • Patent number: 8286692
    Abstract: The method for reducing interstitial elements in alloy castings which comprises the following steps: pouring the alloy for the formation of a casting; and allowing said alloy to cool. According to the method, at least a peripheral region of the casting is heated, so that the flux of interstitial elements is caused towards the at least one peripheral region. The method is achieved where most of the interstitial elements concentrate in at least one region in the surface region of the casting. At later stages these elements can be easily eliminated from the respective regions by means of a thermal surface treatment or surface machining of the casting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Inventor: Daniel Gaude Fugarolas
  • Patent number: 8087449
    Abstract: A rolling method in a rolling line, to obtain strip with a thickness varying from 0.7 mm to 20 mm, for steel which can be cast in the form of thin slabs with a thickness from 30 mm to 140 mm, the line includes a continuous casting device; a tunnel furnace for maintenance/equalization and possible heating; a rolling train having a roughing train and a finishing train; a rapid heating unit, with elements able to be selectively activated, interposed between the roughing train and the finishing train. For each lay-out of the rolling line, the position of the rapid heating unit which defines the number of stands which form the roughing train, disposed upstream of the unit, and the number of stands which form the finishing train, disposed downstream of the unit, is calculated as a function of the product of the thickness and speed of the thin slab.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche SpA
    Inventors: Gianpietro Benedetti, Paolo Bobig
  • Patent number: 7987896
    Abstract: In a method for guiding a cast material out of a casting chamber of a casting system, the cast material is discharged from a casting chamber by means of a succession of guiding rollers and rolling rollers. A rolling roller exerts a rolling force on the cast material to reduce the thickness of the cast material, whereas a guiding roller, which simply guides, exerts no rolling force on the cast material. At least the rolling rollers are driven by a drive, each drive applied under load. Because the rolling force of at least one rolling roller is detected, and the load of the drive of this rolling roller is controlled according to the detected rolling force, a method can be provided by which the stability of the casting speed is increased, and a significant reduction of the thickness of a cast material is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hans-Joachim Schmidt
  • Patent number: 7980291
    Abstract: An arrangement for maintaining the warmth of slabs which exit from a continuous casting installation and which can be transported on a roller table for further processing. In order to optimize the thermal balance between the continuous casting installation and the hot rolling mill, a supporting part is provided for receiving a slab, which supporting part can be placed on the roller table and transported thereon, and an insulating box which can be placed upon the supporting part and which substantially encloses the latter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: SMS Siemag AG
    Inventors: Thomas Fest, Erich Hovestädt, Wolfgang Mossner
  • Patent number: 7967056
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing steel long products provides for starting from a continuous casting step with liquid core reduction, followed by induction heating without interruption until the end of a rolling step in a plurality of stands. The blooms or billets subjected to such a process have initial thickness in the range between 120 and 400 mm and a high “mass flow” passing in the time unit at the outlet from the continuous casting, as well as an average temperature in the cross-section which is higher than the surface temperature, being in the core or inner middle region higher by 100° C. than on the surface, that is of about 1200° C. A plant for carrying out such a process is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Inventor: Giovanni Arvedi
  • Patent number: 7954539
    Abstract: A process and an ultracompact plant for the endless production of hot rolled steel strip comprising an ingot mold (15) that produces a very thin slab, having narrow sides with thickness in the range between 40 and 55 mm and a central swelling, at a speed in the range between 4 and 16 m/min. Such a slab, which displays a core in which the steel is still liquid, is passed through a vertical pre-rolling device (16) that reduces the thickness of the slab and flattens it. The solidified slab may thus be subjected to a first mild rolling by a conveyor (17) and, by forming a free curve, takes a horizontal position where it is subjected to a first surface descaling, a first rolling, a heating in an inductor (23), a second surface descaling and a series of reductions in a rolling mill (30) formed by at least two stands, by maintaining its temperature along the mill above the recrystallization point Ar3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Danieli & C.Officine Meccanicite, S.p.A.
    Inventors: Gianpietro Benedetti, Alfredo Poloni, Nuredin Kapaj
  • Publication number: 20110113925
    Abstract: A method of and system for processing red mud, the method comprising the step of heating red mud to form at least molten slag, and preferably at least molten iron and molten slag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2008
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventor: Kevin Philippe Daniel Perry
  • Patent number: 7942191
    Abstract: A method for producing a wide steel strip using thin slab continuous casting and rolling by the following steps a) casting a molten steel into a thin slab having a thickness of between 50 and 90 mm; b) cutting; c) soaking; d) heating by electromagnetic induction; e) descaling; f) rolling; g) cooling with laminar flow; and h) coiling. The method can effectively control the solution and precipitation of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfide in steel with a low cost. The process is easy and flexible, and steel can be produced in a wide range of categories. Further provided is a system for producing a wide steel strip with thin slab continuous casting and rolling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Wuhan Iron and Steel (Group) Corp
    Inventors: Chao Zhang, Zhonghan Luo, Zemin Fang, Jionghui Mao, Shenglin Chen, Ruoping Wang, Xiangxin Wang
  • Patent number: 7909085
    Abstract: Process and ultracompact plant for continuous production of hot rolled steel strip comprising an ingot mould (15) which produces a very thin slab at a speed between 4 and 16 m/min, wherein the thickness of the narrow sides is between 15 and 50 mm with a central swelling. Such slab has a core in which the steel is still liquid; it is run through a vertical pre-rolling device (16) which reduces the thickness of the slab, flattening it. The solidified slab can thus undergo a first light rolling process using a pinch roll (17) and, by forming a free curve, it moves to a horizontal position where it can undergo a second light rolling process by another pinch roll (22?). A heating process (if required) includes an inductor (50). A superficial descaling process and a series of reductions in a rolling mill made up of at least three stands (20?, 20?, 20??) are provided maintaining a slab temperature along the train above the Ar3 recrystallization point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Danieli & C. Officine Meccaniche S.p.A.
    Inventors: Gianpietro Benedetti, Alfredo Poloni, Nuredin Kapaj
  • Patent number: 7867343
    Abstract: In a rare earth magnet, an added heavy rare earth element RH such as Dy is effectively used without any waste, so as to effectively improve the coercive force. First, a molten alloy of a material alloy for an R-T-Q rare earth magnet (R is a rare earth element, T is a transition metal element, and Q is at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, C, N, Al, Si, and P), the rare earth element R containing at least one kind of element RL selected from the group consisting of Nd and Pr and at least one kind of element RH selected from the group consisting of Dy Tb, and Ho is prepared. The molten alloy is quenched, so as to produce a solidified alloy. Thereafter, a thermal treatment in which the rapidly solidified alloy is held in a temperature range of 400° C. or higher and lower than 800° C. for a period of not shorter than 5 minutes nor longer than 12 hours is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tomizawa, Yuji Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7722726
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing alloy flakes for rare earth sintered magnets, which makes uniform the intervals, size, orientation, and shape of the R-rich region and the dendrites of the 2-14-1 phase, which inhibits formation of chill, and which produces flakes that are pulverized into powder of a uniform particle size in the pulverization step in the production of a rare earth sintered magnet, and that are pulverized into powder compactable into a product with a controlled shrink ratio, and alloy flakes for a rare earth sintered magnet obtained by the method, and a rare earth sintered magnet having excellent magnetic properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Santoku Corporation
    Inventors: Kazumasa Shintani, Ryo Murakami, Kazuhiko Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7591917
    Abstract: Steel strips and methods for producing strip are provided. The method for producing steel strips comprises continuously casting low carbon, silicon/manganese killed or aluminum killed molten steel into a strip, the molten steel comprising a concentration of residuals of 2.0 equal to or less than about 2.0 wt % is selected with regard to the microstructure of the finished strip to provide a desired yield strength, where the residuals are selected in desired amounts from the group consisting of copper, nickel, chromium, molybdenum and tin, and cooling the strip to transform the strip from austenite to ferrite in a desired temperature range. Cast steel with improved yield strength properties is produced by such method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannappar Mukunthan, Walter N. Blejde, Rama Ballav Mahapatra
  • Patent number: 7575041
    Abstract: Horizontally continuously cast aluminum alloy rods excellent in quality are efficiently manufactured using a melting/holding furnace (101) to produce molten aluminum alloy, a molten-metal treatment apparatus (201) to remove aluminum oxide and hydrogen gas from the molten aluminum alloy, a horizontally continuously casting apparatus (301) to cast the treated molten aluminum alloy into horizontally continuously cast aluminum alloy rods, a cutting machine (408A, 408B) to cut to a standard length the cast rods, a first straightening apparatus (1001) to straighten bend of the cut rods, a peeling apparatus (1101) to peel skin portions of the straightened rods, a nondestructive inspection apparatus (1401) to inspect surface and internal portions of the peeled rods, a sorting apparatus (1501) to sort the inspected rods judged non-defective based on results of the nondestructive inspection step and a packing apparatus to pack the sorted rods, and continuously using at least the first straightening apparatus (1001) et
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Showda Denko K.K.
    Inventors: Yasuhide Odashima, Satoshi Fujii, Shigeru Yanagimoto
  • Patent number: 7281569
    Abstract: A method of producing cast steel strip having low surface roughness and low porosity by casting with molten steel having a total oxygen content of at least about 70 ppm and a free oxygen content between 20 and 60 ppm, and a temperature that allows a majority of any oxide inclusions to be in a liquidus state. The total oxygen content may be at least 100 ppm and the free oxygen content between 30 and 50 ppm. The steel strip produced by the method may have a per unit area density of at least about 120 oxide inclusions per square millimeter to a depth of about 2 microns from the strip surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Walter N. Blejde, Rama Mahapatra, Lazar Strezov
  • Patent number: 7279053
    Abstract: The present invention provides a rare earth magnet superior in magnetic properties and thermal stability. In an aspect of the present invention, a production method of an alloy thin ribbon for a rare earth magnet includes a step to obtain a quenched thin ribbon by feeding a molten alloy containing praseodymium (Pr), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), titanium (Ti), boron (B), and silicon (Si) on a rotating roll and a step to apply heat treatment to the quenched thin ribbon at a heating rate within a range of 100° to 150° C./min to crystallize the quenched thin ribbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Horoshi Yamamoto
    Inventors: Munekatsu Shimada, Takae Ono, legal representative, Tetsurou Tayu, Makoto Kano, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Hideaki Ono, deceased
  • Patent number: 7258751
    Abstract: In a rare earth magnet, an added heavy rare earth element RH such as Dy is effectively used without any waste, so as to effectively improve the coercive force. First, a molten alloy of a material alloy for an R-T-Q rare earth magnet (R is a rare earth element, T is a transition metal element, and Q is at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, C, N, Al, Si, and P), the rare earth element R containing at least one kind of element RL selected from the group consisting of Nd and Pr and at least one kind of element RH selected from the group consisting of Dy Tb, and Ho is prepared. The molten alloy is quenched, so as to produce a solidified alloy. Thereafter, a thermal treatment in which the rapidly solidified alloy is held in a temperature range of 400° C. or higher and lower than 800° C. for a period of not shorter than 5 minutes nor longer than 12 hours is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Neomax Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tomizawa, Yuji Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7210518
    Abstract: A novel process for the continuous casting of lead-free bronze alloys. By careful control of such factors as the melt temperature, order of addition of alloy components, cooling temperature and withdrawal rates, continuous casting of high quality lead-free bronze alloys can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: National Bronze and Metals, Inc.
    Inventors: Joao C. Saraiva, Norman M. Lazarus
  • Patent number: 7152661
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and casting roller plant for the semi-endless or endless rolling by casting of a metal, in particular a steel strip (1a), which may be transversely separated as required after solidification. The casting strip part lengths (20) are fed to a roller furnace (2) for heating and equilibration at the rolling temperature and the partial lengths (20) for rolling out are fed to a rolling train (3) for rolling, whereby the strip casting is continued uninterrupted during the rolling operation. According to the invention, a closer matching of the strip casting and the rolling can be carried out, whereby the casting speed (Vc) is reduced for a roller change such that between the end of rolling a preceding multiple length (21) and the insertion of a new partial length (20) or multiple lengths (21) into the rolling gear a sufficient buffer time for a roller exchange is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: SMS Demag AG
    Inventors: Günter Flemming, Joachim Schwellenbach, Hans Streubel
  • Patent number: 7140417
    Abstract: Non-oriented electrical steels are widely used as the magnetic core material in a variety of electrical machinery and devices, particularly in motors where low core loss and high magnetic permeability in all directions of the strip are desired. A method for producing a non-oriented electrical steel with low core loss and high magnetic permeability provides a steel that is produced from a steel melt which is cast as a thin strip or sheet, cooled, hot rolled and/or cold rolled into a finished strip. The finished strip is further subjected to at least one annealing treatment wherein the magnetic properties are developed, making the steel strip suitable for use in electrical machinery such as motors or transformers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: AK Steel Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerry W. Schoen, Robert J. Comstock, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7137437
    Abstract: Continuously cast products (12) are often provided with surface defects such as oscillation marks (17) and other non-homogeneous structures in the cast state thereof during production in a casting die (11) of a continuous casting plant (10). Defects which render a strip useless for superior applications also frequently occur on the strip surface during subsequent milling of the slab (12?) into a strip. The aim of the invention is to minimize said defects and provide the rolling mill with a slab (12?) having a desired preliminary profile and an improved near-surface structure. Said aim is achieved by arranging a reducing roll stand (30) in the area of the bending rolls or straightening driver rolls (24) within the continuous casting plant (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: SMS Demag AG
    Inventors: Adolf Gustav Zajber, Dirk Letzel
  • Patent number: 7121323
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a continuous casting device for the direct shaping of a metal strand, in particular a steel cast strand (1) of any format (1d). According to said method, the cast strand (1) is only cooled by a liquid coolant (4) in longitudinal sections (6), where the interior of the cast strand (1) remains liquefied and the temperature of the cast strand (1) in a transition zone (7) upstream of, in and/or downstream of a bending and straightening unit (8) is evened out by an insulation of the exterior surface (1b), essentially without the use of a liquid coolant (4), and by progressive thermal radiation. The cast strand (1) is shaped in a dynamically variable reduction section (9) as a result of the compressive strength that is measured on individual shaping rolls (10) or roll segments (11), depending on the compressive force that can be locally applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: SMS Demag AG
    Inventors: Axel Weyer, Dirk Letzel, Horst Gärtner, Wilfried Milewski, Adolf Gustav Zajber
  • Patent number: 7117925
    Abstract: A cast carbon steel strip is prepared by continuously casting in a twin roll caster and cooling to transform the strip from austenite to ferrite at a temperature range between 400° C. and 850° C. at cooling the strip to transform the austenite to ferrite within a temperature range between 400° C. and 850° C. at a cooling rate of greater than 100° C./sec without inhibiting the cooling rate to form cast strip that is less than about 1% austenite and has a packet size of at least 10% greater than 300 ?m, is either (i) a mixture of polygonal ferrite and low temperature transformation products or (ii) predominantly low temperature transformation products, and has a yield strength of at least 450 MPa. The cast strip before cooling is passed through a hot rolling mill to reduce the thickness of strip by at least 15% and up to 50%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannappar Mukunthan, Walter Blejde, Rama Mahaptra
  • Patent number: 7100670
    Abstract: A method of producing thin foils of uranium or an alloy. The uranium or alloy is cast as a plate or sheet having a thickness less than about 5 mm and thereafter cold rolled in one or more passes at substantially ambient temperatures until the uranium or alloy thereof is in the shape of a foil having a thickness less than about 1.0 mm. The uranium alloy includes one or more of Zr, Nb, Mo, Cr, Fe, Si, Ni, Cu or Al.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Gerard L. Hofman, Mitchell K. Meyer, Gaven C. Knighton, Curtis R. Clark
  • Patent number: 7048033
    Abstract: A method of producing strip comprising the steps of assembling a pair of casting rolls with a nip between them, introducing between the casting rolls to form a casting pool of molten carbon steel having a total oxygen content of at least 70 ppm usually less than 250 ppm, and a free oxygen content 20 and 60 ppm, counter rotating the casting rolls, solidifying the molten steel on the rolls to form metal shells with levels of oxide inclusions reflected by the total oxygen content of the molten steel, and forming thin steel strip through the nip between the casting rolls from the solidified shells. The molten steel may have a total oxygen content is at least 100 ppm and the free oxygen content may be between 30 and 50 ppm. A unique steel strip may be obtained using the method having ductile properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Walter N. Blejde, Rama Ballav Mahapatra, Lazar Strezov
  • Patent number: 7011139
    Abstract: Non-oriented electrical steels are widely used as the magnetic core material in a variety of electrical machinery and devices, particularly in motors where low core loss and high magnetic permeability in all directions of the strip are desired. A method for producing a non-oriented electrical steel with low core loss and high magnetic permeability provides a steel that is produced from a steel melt which is cast as a thin strip or sheet, cooled, hot rolled and/or cold rolled into a finished strip. The finished strip is further subjected to at least one annealing treatment wherein the magnetic properties are developed, making the steel strip suitable for use in electrical machinery such as motors or transformers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Inventors: Jerry W. Schoen, Robert J. Comstock, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6948550
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing a strip of aluminum alloy having high surface homogeneity with an upper side showing after a 1 ?m thick sulphur anodic treatment, an optical roughness value SN measured on three 5 cm longitudinal sections and three 5 cm transverse sections, such that its mean variation on each section, defined by the ratio: (Maximum SN?minimum SN)/Mean SN is less than 20%, and the difference ?SN=SN max ?SN min is less than 20. The strip is manufactured by continuous casting between two cooled rolls from a casting tank containing the liquid metal connected to an injector, and feeding the liquid metal into the gap between the two rolls. The injector has an upper lip recessed by at least 2 mm with reference to a lower lip of the injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Pechiney Rhenalu
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Hoffmann, Pierre-Yves Menet, Klaus Maiwald, Regine Debreux, Martin-Peter Schmidt, Yves Scelles
  • Patent number: 6907915
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to an installation for producing a metal strip. The aim of the invention is to make sure that the metal strip formed in the casting installation passes through the first cooling and grain texturing phase substantially without being subjected to stress and without effects on the subsequent installations. To this end, the molten bath is fed to a two-roll casting device and a cast metal strip is formed in the casting gap between two casting rolls whose rotational axes lie in a horizontal plane (two-roll casting method), the thickness of the cast strip ranging between 1.0 to 20 mm, preferably between 1.5 to 12 mm. The cast metal strip that freely emerges downwards from the two-roll casting installation is directly deflected from the vertical casting direction to a substantially horizontal transport direction. The metal strip is taken up and conveyed in a controlled manner by means of a first drive roll stand that operates at a first transport speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Gerald Hohenbichler, Heinrich Pühringer, Gerhard Finstermann, Ernest Fuhrmann
  • Patent number: 6896034
    Abstract: A method of controlling a continuous steel strip casting process based on customer-specified requirements includes a general purpose computer in which product specifications of steel product ordered by a customer is entered. The computer is configured to automatically map the product specifications to process parameters/set points for controlling the continuous steel strip casting process in a manner to produce the customer ordered product, and in one embodiment produces a process change report detailing such process parameters/set points for operator use in physically implementing such process parameters/set points in the strip casting process. Alternatively, the computer may provide the process parameters/set points directly to the strip casting process for automatic control thereof in producing the customer ordered steel product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannapar Mukunthan, Walter Bleide, Rama Mahapatra
  • Patent number: 6871694
    Abstract: A device for treating rolled metal products obtained by continuous casting, such as bars, plates, structural shapes or the like, arranged in line with a rolling system, and comprising a cooling plate (9), an in-line cooling box (13), in-line pickling means (14), in-line quality control means (16) consisting of ultrasonic instruments or induced current instruments, a bundling and/or lashing area (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Inventors: Giuseppe Bordignon, Daniele Andreatta
  • Patent number: 6834708
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy strip of high surface homogeneity, intended for applications requiring good visual quality or specific optical properties, such as reflectors and anodized plates for construction and decoration. The strip may be characterized by an upper side having, after a 1 &mgr;m thick sulphur anodic treatment, an optical roughness value SN measured on three 5 cm longitudinal sections and three 5 cm transverse sections, such that there is mean variation on each section, defined by the ratio: (Maximum SN−minimum SN)/Mean SN which is less than 20%, and a difference &Dgr;SN=SN max−SN min which is less than 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Pechiney Rhenalu
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Hoffmann, Pierre-Yves Menet, Klaus Maiwald, Regine Debreux, Martin-Peter Schmidt, Yves Scelles
  • Publication number: 20040256079
    Abstract: Present invention concerns a method for making fine-grained, formable aluminium alloy strips containing (by weight) essentially between 0.5-6.5% Mg, 0-0.50% Si, 0-0.60% Fe, 0-1.2% Mn, 0-0.50% Cr, by twin-roll casting to a thickness ranging between 4 and 6.5 mm and cold rolling the strips to an intermediate gauge and reroll annealing the intermediate gauge material. The reroll-annealed material is then cold rolled to a final sheet gauge followed by a final recrystallizing or back annealing. The combination of controlled casting parameters, controlled amounts of Fe, Si, Mn, Cr and Mg and reroll and final annealing temperatures results in an improved sheet product in terms of finer grain size, higher elongation and formability, age softening and better corrosion resistance. Homogenization may be performed at 420° C. to 550° C. for a period of 4 to 15 hours and recrystallization is performed at 280° C. to 375° C. for a period of not less than 4 hours and not more than 8 hours.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Soner A. Akkurt, Murat Dundar
  • Publication number: 20040226680
    Abstract: An in-line method of producing steel using a continuous caster includes forming a continuous strand of steel from the continuous caster and severing a slab from the continuous strand. An angle between a front face or a rear face of the slab and a line perpendicular to a top surface or a bottom surface of the slab is between about 10° and about 45°. Alternatively, the angle between the front face or the rear face and the line perpendicular to the top surface or the bottom surface is between about 15° and about 35° or between about 20° and about 25°. Primary scale is then removed from the slab with a descaler prior to rolling the slab to a desired thickness. A first waterjet descaler descales only one of the front and the rear faces and only one of the top and bottom surfaces, and a second waterjet descaler descales only the other of the front and the rear faces and only the other of the top and bottom surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Publication date: November 18, 2004
    Applicant: IPSCO STEEL INC.
    Inventors: Dennis R. Dixon, Andrew P. Goodman
  • Patent number: 6818073
    Abstract: Steel strips and methods for producing steel strips are provided. In an illustrated embodiment, a method includes continuously casting molten low carbon steel into a strip of no more than 5 mm thickness having austenite grains that are coarse grains of 100-300 micron width; and providing desired yield strength in the cast strip by cooling the strip to transform the austenite grains to ferrite in a temperature range between 850° C. and 400° C. at a selected cooling rate of at least 0.01° C./sec to produce a microstructure that provides a strip having a yield strength of at least 200 MPa. The low carbon steel produced desired microstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannappar Mukunthan, Walter Blejde, Rama Mahapatra
  • Publication number: 20040194907
    Abstract: A method for producing a steel beam blank includes continuously casting a steel beam blank strand and cooling the steel beam blank strand in a secondary cooling zone. The steel beam blank strand is guided in a vertical casting plane along a curved path having its web perpendicular to the vertical casting plane, so that each of the lateral flanges has an intrados flange tip and an extrados flange tip. The method further includes straightening the steel beam blank strand behind the secondary cooling zone. When being straightened, the intrados flange tips are selectively reheated between the secondary cooling and the straightening of the steel beam blank strand via an external energy supply focused on the intrados flange tips. In this manner, transverse cracks in the intrados flange tips may be reliably avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Henri Grober, Boris Donnay, Rene Creutz, Pierre Michels, Marc Mertens, Charles Prum, Marc Klees, Nicolas Bonifas
  • Patent number: 6796365
    Abstract: Method provides ceramic fibers with a matrix that includes aluminum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company
    Inventors: Colin McCullough, Doug E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 6793742
    Abstract: An alloy powder for bonded rare earth magnets is prepared by melting an alloy consisting essentially of 20-30 wt % of Sm or a mixture of rare earth elements (inclusive of Y) containing at least 50 wt % of Sm, 10-45 wt % of Fe, 1-10 wt % of Cu, 0.5-5 wt % of Zr, and the balance of Co, quenching the melt by a strip casting technique, to form a rare earth alloy strip containing at least 20% by volume of equiaxed crystals with a grain size of 1-200 &mgr;m and having a gage of 0.05-3 mm, and heat treating the strip in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at 1000-1300° C. for 0.5-20 hours, followed by aging treatment and grinding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuaki Sakaki, Koji Sato, Takahiro Hashimoto, Takehisa Minowa
  • Publication number: 20040079514
    Abstract: A cast carbon steel strip is prepared by continuously casting in a twin roll caster and cooling to transform the strip from austenite to ferrite at a temperature range between 400° C. and 850° C. at a cooling rate of not more than about 100° C./sec, such that the strip has a yield strength of greater than 450 MPa. The cast strip before cooling is passed through a hot rolling mill to reduce the thickness of strip by at least 15% and up to 50%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Publication date: April 29, 2004
    Inventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannappar Mukunthan, Walter Blejde, Rama Mahapatra
  • Publication number: 20040074627
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for making relatively low cost sheet material of magnesium- and manganese-containing aluminum alloy for high elongation forming of articles of complex configuration. The alloy is continuously cast with an as-cast gage of 6-30 mm and immediately hot rolled with final strip exit temperature between 200 C and 350 C, and net rolled gage reduction of 30-80% to 3-12 mm, and coiled. The hot rolled coil is annealed at 470-560° C. to homogenize the microstructure. After cooling to ambient, the coil is cold rolled to desired sheet thickness, but with a net gage reduction of 50-90%. After suitable recrystallization of the cold worked microstructure the sheet is ready for hot, high elongation forming.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Inventor: Ravi Verma
  • Patent number: 6698498
    Abstract: Twin roll caster produces cast steel strip that passes in a transit path through pinch roll stand and optional hot rolling mill and runout table to a coiling station which has a pair of switchable coilers. A strip shear located in advance of the coiling station is operable to sever strip into discrete lengths which can be diverted by setting deflectors to allow the severed lengths to pass across a runout table to a scrap bin. The strip may be thus severed and diverted to scrap on development of strip defects or malfunctioning of equipment without stopping continuous casting and the strip redirected to the coiling station when the problem is rectified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2004
    Assignee: Castrip, LLC
    Inventors: John Albert Ziegelaar, Heiji Kato
  • Patent number: 6695929
    Abstract: A melt of an iron-based rare earth material alloy, represented by (Fe1-mTm)100-x-y-zQxRyMz, is prepared, wherein T is Co and/or Ni; Q is B and/or C; R is selected from Y (yttrium) and the rare earth elements; M is selected from Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ga, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Hf, Ta, W, Pt, Au and Pb; 10≦x≦30 at %; 2%≦y<10 at %; 0≦z≦10 at % and 0≦m≦0.5. The melt is fed onto a guide to form a flow of the melt thereon and move the melt onto a melt/chill roller contact region, where the melt is rapidly cooled by the chill roller to make a rapidly solidified alloy. An oxygen concentration of the melt yet to be fed onto the guide is controlled at about 3,000 ppm or less in mass percentage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Sumitomo Special Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kanekiyo, Satoshi Hirosawa
  • Publication number: 20040016530
    Abstract: Non-oriented electrical steels are widely used as the magnetic core material in a variety of electrical machinery and devices, particularly in motors where low core loss and high magnetic permeability in all directions of the strip are desired. The present invention relates to a method for producing a non-oriented electrical steel with low core loss and high magnetic permeability whereby the steel is produced from a steel melt which is cast as a thin strip or sheet, cooled, hot rolled and/or cold rolled into a finished strip. The finished strip is further subjected to at least one annealing treatment wherein the magnetic properties are developed, making the steel strip of the present invention suitable for use in electrical machinery such as motors or transformers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventors: Jerry W. Schoen, Robert J. Comstock
  • Patent number: 6675869
    Abstract: A plain carbon steel strip is continuously cast in a twin roll caster and passes to a run out table on which it is subjected to accelerated cooling by means of cooling headers whereby it is cooled to transform the strip from austenite to ferrite at a temperature range between 850° C. and 400° C. at a cooling rate of not less than 90° C./sec, such that the strip has a yield strength of greater than 450 MPa. The strip after casting and before cooling is passed through a hot rolling mill to reduce the thickness of strip by at least 15% and up to 50%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannappar Mukunthan, Walter Blejde, Rama Mahapatra
  • Publication number: 20030205355
    Abstract: Steel strips and methods for producing steel strips are provided. In an illustrated embodiment, a method includes continuously casting molten low carbon steel into a strip of no more than 5 mm thickness having austenite grains that are coarse grains of 100-300 micron width; and providing desired yield strength in the cast strip by cooling the strip to transform the austenite grains to ferrite in a temperature range between 850° C. and 400° C. at a selected cooling rate of at least 0.01° C./sec to produce a microstructure that provides a strip having a yield strength of at least 200 MPa. The low carbon steel produced desired microstructure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Inventors: Lazar Strezov, Kannappar Mukunthan, Walter Blejde, Rama Mahapatra
  • Patent number: 6634416
    Abstract: In a continuous-casting plant, the segments of the guide for the casting bar are replaced rapidly, at least in part, using a two-station system, at least one of which stations being mobile, so as to be able to align head on a platform provided with means for hooking and extracting the said guide with the structure containing the guide itself. Once this alignment is obtained, the guide is displaced from one station to the other, its segments are replaced, and the guide is brought back into the original position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Danieli & C Officine Meccaniche S.p.A.
    Inventors: Alfredo Poloni, Massimo Maurizio, Michele Meret
  • Patent number: 6622778
    Abstract: A method for the direct production, from molten metal, of scale-free thin metal strip. Hot thin metal strip exiting a continuous caster system is directed to a reducing chamber wherein a reducing gas reduces strip surface oxides while the cast metal strip is at an elevated temperature from retained heat from the molten metal. A cooling unit following the reducing chamber is used to cool the strip to a temperature below about 150° C. prior to exposing the strip to an oxidizing atmosphere. In various embodiments of the invention, strip thickness is reduced with use of hot and cold rolling mills and the scale-free surface of the strip is coated with protective coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Danieli Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen L. Feldbauer