REFRACTORIES FOR INGOT CASTING.

The series of articles has followed a sequence beginning with the production of steel in the basic oxygen vessel and ending with the steel solidified in the continuous casting strand. This sequence is now completed by discussing the solidification of steel teemed by the ingot casting route. The subject can be described as ″last but not least″ bearing in mind that over 80% of world output is still cast by this route. The refractories used in the casting pit divide into two groups as below: (i) Those used to transfer the molten steel from the ladle to the base of the ingot in uphill teeming operations, usually described as ″holloware″ ; and (ii) Those used within the ingot itself either at the top to modify the shape of the final solidification contraction cavity or at the bottom to resist erosion.