Abstract: The present invention relates to new compositions of matter, particularly metals and alloys, and methods of making such compositions. The new compositions of matter exhibit long-range ordering and unique electronic character.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new compositions of matter, particularly metals and alloys, and methods of making such compositions. The new compositions of matter exhibit long-range ordering and unique electronic character.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for recovering metal beryllium from waste beryllium that has become radioactive in the reaction with neutrons, by converting the radioactive beryllium to halogenated beryllium with a halogen gas such as chlorine, bromine or iodine, and subsequently submitting the halogenated beryllium to thermal decomposition. In this way, the invention allows effective recovery of metal beryllium from waste, radioactive beryllium, thereby reducing production of radioactive wastes and ensuring an economical use of natural resources.

Abstract: Gas is dispersed into molten metal by immersing a shaft-supported impeller into the molten metal and by pumping gas through the shaft and out of the impeller. The impeller is in the form of a rectangular prism having sharp-edged corners that shear the gaas into finely divided bubbles. The particular shape of the impeller provides an especially effective bubble-shearing and bubble-dispersing action.

Abstract: A killed steel is stirred in a ladle with the aid of gaseous carbon dioxide. Before the beginning of the stirring in the ladle, there is added to the quantity of deoxidizer usually employed, a supplementary quantity of deoxidizer in the molten metal, the rate of supply of carbon dioxide, bearing in mind the capacity of the ladle and the duration of the stirring, remaining less than or equal to the maximum rate of supply corresponding to the oxidation of the supplementary quantity of deoxidizer at the end of the stirring.

Abstract: A method of reducing the nitrogen content in iron and iron alloys comprises introducing hydrogen into the melt in the form of a gas or hydrogen compound in sufficient quantity and for a sufficient time to reduce the nitrogen content and subsequently treating the melt to reduce the hydrogen content. The hydrogen may be mixed with an inert gas to minimize the risk of explosion.

Abstract: A high-strength steel for valve springs, consisting of 0.50-0.70 wt. % of carbon, 1.50-2.50 wt. % of silicon, 0.50-1.20 wt. % of manganese, 1.50-2.50 wt. % of nickel, 0.50-1.00 wt. % of chromium, 0.20-0.50 wt. % of molybdenum, 0.15-0.25 wt. % of vanadium, and the balance being iron and inevitably included inclusions. Also disclosed is a process for producing such a high-strength steel, which includes a step of minimizing oxygen in a melt of the steel, so as to reduce the oxygen content of the steel to 15 ppm or less, and a step of adding calcium to the melt and thereby controlling the form of the inclusions. The process may further includes a step of minimizing titanium and nitrogen in the melt, so as to reduce the titanium and nitrogen content of the steel to 50 ppm or less, and 60 ppm or less, respectively.

Abstract: An apparatus for treating a molten metal comprises a vertical post, a treating container disposed at one side of the post and having an opening at its upper end for containing the molten metal, a horizontal suspending arm mounted at its base end on the post upwardly and downwardly movably and rotatable in a horizontal plane, a vertical rotary shaft suspended from the arm and having a treating gas channel internally extending therethrough longitudinally, a bubble releasing-dispersing rotor provided at the lower end of the rotary shaft and having in its bottom surface a treating gas outlet in communication with the gas channel, the rotor being movable into and out of the container through the opening, and at least one baffle suspended from the arm and movable into and out of the container through the opening for preventing eddying and waving.

Abstract: A method of purifying steel in a tundish, especially to remove alumina inclusions, comprises passing the steel through at least one refractory board having apertures through it and introducing inert gas into the steel at the upstream side of the foot of the board to cause a stream of bubbles to flow over the upstream side of the board. One of the boards may comprise a ceramic filter element. The boards may be non-vertical and have integral gas supply means. The apertures may taper, may have axes angled from perpendicular to the board's plane and may have high alumina content surfaces. The upstream side of the board may have an exothermic layer.

Abstract: Molten steel, normally exposed to an atmosphere of air, is protected against impurities by placing a gas containing a major amount of carbon dioxide gas in such quantities and in such proximity to the surface to cause dissociation of the carbon dioxide at a rate which provides a gas barrier or shroud isolating the steel from the surrounding atmosphere. This method may be applied to protecting certain molten steels being transferred from a ladle to a mold, or from a ladle to a tundish and from the tundish to a mold in continuous casting. In a method where a number of shrouding operations are carried out in series, gas under pressure is bled, in increments, from a storage vessel containing a body of liquid carbon dioxide in an overlying ullage space containing vapor. Each increment is ultimately expanded and dispersed at ambient temperature to form the shroud.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of operating a ladle refining furnace for blowing Ar gas through bubbling lances submerged in molten steel in a ladle to stir the molten steel. The flow rate and the rate of change in the flow rate of the Ar gas blown through the bubbling lances are adjusted to prevent the iron lumps from attaching to the bubbling lances.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for refining molten metal in a top-blown vessel, particularly, by removal of the carbon content. The system includes various means for selecting, regulating the composition and controlling the rate of flow of the top-blown gases. The system further includes various means for introducing an inert gas from beneath the molten bath surface during top blowing and regulating the composition and controlling the rate of flow of the inert gas as a function of the top-blown gas composition and flow rate.A method for introducing the gases is also provided.

Abstract: Herein is disclosed a process for producing an alloy of low phosphorus content by means of a furnace equipped with a lance for injection. The process is characterized by producing an alloy of low phosphorus content and at the same time by gasifying the carbonaceous material.The process comprises the steps of:forming a bath of molten metal by pouring a molten metal in the furnace, said molten metal containing not more than 0.040% of phosphorus;injecting by means of said lance into said bath of molten metal a carbonaceous material together with a gasifying agent to gasify the carbonaceous material with the heat of the bath of molten metal and to increase the carbon content of the bath of molten metal, said carbonaceous material containing not more than 0.035% of phosphorus;adding to said bath of molten metal an alloying element to react with the molten metal thereby forming an alloy; andrecovering the formed gas and, at the same time, obtaining the alloy of low phosphorus content.

Abstract: A steel refining method of the type in which the steel is refined through an interfacial reaction between the molten steel in a vessel and a slag on the molten steel. The method simultaneously employs both of blowing of an inert gas into the molten steel from the bottom of the vessel to stir the molten steel by bubbling and blowing an inert gas from the upper side of the vessel into the zone on which the movement of the slag is dull. Consequently, the stirring effect on the molten steel is enhanced to promote the refining reaction. The inert gas can contain a desulfurization agent.