Abstract: A production method of a maraging steel includes: the step of producing, by vacuum melting, a remelt electrode which comprises from 0.2 to 3.0% by mass of Ti and from 0.0025 to 0.0050% by mass of N; and the step of remelting the remelt electrode to produce a steel ingot having an average diameter of 650 mm or more; wherein the resulting maraging steel includes from 0.2 to 3.0% by mass of Ti.

Abstract: A system and method for continuous casting. The system includes a melt chamber, a withdrawal chamber, and a secondary chamber therebetween. The melt chamber can maintain a melting pressure and the withdrawal chamber can attain atmospheric pressure. The secondary chamber can include regions that can be adjusted to different pressures. During continuous casting operations, the first region adjacent to the melt chamber can be adjusted to a pressure that is at least slightly greater than the melting pressure; the pressure in subsequent regions can be sequentially decreased and then sequentially increased. The pressure in the final region can be at least slightly greater than atmospheric pressure. The differential pressures can form a dynamic airlock between the melt chamber and the withdrawal chamber, which can prevent infiltration of the melt chamber by non-inert gas in the atmosphere, and thus can prevent contamination of reactive materials in the melt chamber.

Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for feeding an anode into a metallurgical smelting reactor (2), such as a flash converter, said arrangement including a feeding funnel (7) made of at least one part for feeding at least one anode (4) at a time into the smelting reactor, said arrangement also including a bending element (5) for bending the anode, so that the essentially completely bent anode (4) is arranged to meet the surface of the melt (8) contained in the smelting reactor in an essentially horizontal position. The invention also relates to a method for feeding an anode into a metallurgical smelting reactor (2).

Abstract: A method for producing composite metal semi-finished products wherein an electrode composed of a second metal or a second metal alloy is introduced into a main body designed as a crucible and composed of a first metal or a first metal alloy, and the electrode is fused off inside the main body while current is supplied, such that the first metal or the first metal alloy of the main body is melted over a defined cross-section, wherein the two metals or the two metal alloys after solidification thereof form a slag-free mixed zone composed of the two metals or the two metal alloys.

Abstract: A method of making a silicon-containing alloy of niobium that includes: A) forming a blend comprising niobium powder and silicon powder and pressing the blend to form pressed blend; B) attaching the pressed blend to an electrode comprising niobium; C) melting the electrode and pressed blend under vacuum arc remelting conditions, such that the blend mixes with the melted electrode; D) cooling the melted electrode to form an alloy ingot; and E) applying thermo-mechanical processing steps to the alloy ingot to form a wrought product. The method provides a fully recrystalized niobium wrought product with a grain size finer that ASTM 5, that can be used to make deep drawn cups and sputtering targets.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for alternating pouring into molds, casts or refining hearths from a common hearth in a furnace. The apparatus provides a main hearth, a plurality of optional refining hearths, and a plurality of casting molds or direct molds whereby the refining hearths and molds define at least two separate ingot making lines. The main hearth alternatively pours into a first ingot making line while the other line is prepared, and vice versa allowing for continuous melting.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing maraging steel, which includes producing a consumable electrode for vacuum remelting; and subjecting the consumable electrode to the vacuum remelting. The consumable electrode contains not less 5 ppm Mg. Disclosed is also a maraging steel containing, by mass %, at least, from more than zero to less than 10 ppm Mg, less than 10 ppm oxygen, and less than 15 ppm nitrogen. The steel contains also nitride inclusions having a maximum length of not more than 15 ?m and oxide inclusions having a maximum length of not more than 20 ?m. Regarding the oxide inclusions, a content rate of spinel form inclusions having a length of not less than 10 ?m to a total content of the spinel form inclusions having a length of not less than 10 ?m and alumina inclusions having a length of not less than 10 ?m exceeds 0.33 (i.e. 33%).

Abstract: A method of electrolytically reducing a metal oxide (such as aluminium and magnesium oxides) to produce a metal in an electrolytic call is disclosed. The method includes electrolytically reducing the metal oxide in an electrolytic cell that includes a pool of molten metal, the metal being the metal of the metal oxide to be reduced, and the molten metal pool forming a cathode of the cell. The electrolytic cell also includes a pool of molten electrolyte in contact with the molten metal, the electrolyte containing alkali and/or alkaline earth halides. The electrolytic cell also includes an anode extending into the electrolyte and a body of metal oxide to reduced in contact with the molten metal and the electrolyte.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing alloy powder with dual consumable rotary electrodes arc melting is suitable for manufacturing pure and low-surface-area powder of metal, active metals and their alloys. In the process, rotary electrode and tungsten electrode adopted by conventional rotary electrode and arc process for manufacturing powder are respectively replaced with a rotary or anodic electrode containing a first metal and a feed or cathodic electrode containing a second metal. An inert gas is supplied into equipment for implementing the process to serve as a protective atmosphere and stabilize generated electric arc. The cathodic electrode melts under the high temperature of the arc at a cathodic spot, and droplets of the molten cathodic or second metal are sprayed toward the anodic electrode to mix with molten anodic or first metal and thrown out by a centrifugal force of the rotary electrode to produce round-shaped alloy powder containing the first and the second metal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing maraging steel, which includes producing a consumable electrode for vacuum remelting; and subjecting the consumable electrode to the vacuum remelting. The consumable electrode contains not less 5 ppm Mg. Disclosed is also a maraging steel containing, by mass %, at least, from more than zero to less than 10 ppm Mg, less than 10 ppm oxygen, and less than 15 ppm nitrogen. The steel contains also nitride inclusions having a maximum length of not more than 15 &mgr;m and oxide inclusions having a maximum length of not more than 20 &mgr;m. Regarding the oxide inclusions, a content rate of spinel form inclusions having a length of not less than 10 &mgr;m to a total content of the spinel form inclusions having a length of not less than 10 &mgr;m and alumina inclusions having a length of not less than 10 &mgr;m exceeds 0.33 (i.e. 33%).

Abstract: A method for producing high-purity niobium involves refining crude niobium in an electrolyte comprising a melt of salts containing a complex niobium and potassium fluoride and an equimolar mixture of alkaline metal chlorides, said electrolyte further containing sodium fluoride in the amount of from 5 to 15 wt %, and subjecting the obtained cathode deposit to electron-beam melting in a vacuum free of oil vapors under a residual gas pressure of from 5*10−5 to 5*10−7 mm Hg, a melting rate of from 0.7 to 2 mm/min and a leakage into a melting chamber from 0.05 to 0.005 l ·&mgr;m/s to produce an ingot of niobium. The method produces high-purity niobium having the total amount of impurities within the range of from 0.002 to 0.007 wt % which satisfies the requirements imposed on the materials used in microwave technology and microelectronics, with reduced losses of niobium in both of the refining stages and increased yield of high-purity niobium.