New Argon Stopper Technology for Slab Casting

Argon addition into the casting channel reduces the amount of clogging on the refractory wall to allow long sequence casting of aluminium-killed steel grades. The key to minimum surface defects on the final product is to establish the optimum quantity by optimising the gas distribution below the stopper nose. This is achieved by new argon stopper technology which supports low gas quantities with homogeneous gas and bubble distributions to float non-metallic inclusions(NMI) in the continuous casting mould.