Niobium as a protective barrier in molten metals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9327347-B2
Application number	US-201414464754-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2014
Priority date	Mar 5, 2008
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Devices may be in contact with molten metals such as copper, for example. The devices may include, but are not limited to, a die used for producing articles made from the molten metal, a sensor for determining an amount of a dissolved gas in the molten metal, or an ultrasonic device for reducing gas content (e.g., hydrogen) in the molten metal. Niobium may be used as a protective barrier for the devices when they are exposed to the molten metals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a solid article from a molten metal, the method comprising:
providing a bath comprising the molten metal;
introducing molten metal from the bath into an entrance of a die, the die comprising:
(i) an outer layer comprising graphite; and
(ii) an inner layer comprising elemental niobium, the inner layer having a thickness in a range from about 1 to about 10 microns; and

processing the molten metal through the die while cooling to produce the solid article at an exit of the die.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the inner layer comprising elemental niobium is in a range from about 3 to about 6 microns.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the inner layer comprising elemental niobium is in a range from about 1 to about 4 microns.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the inner layer comprising elemental niobium is in a range from about 1 to about 3 microns.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molten metal comprises copper.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid article is a rod comprising copper.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the bath comprises molten copper;
the entrance of the die is generally cylindrical; and
the thickness of the inner layer comprising elemental niobium is in a range from about 2 to about 8 microns.

8. A method for producing a solid article from a molten metal, the method comprising:
providing a bath comprising the molten metal;
introducing molten metal from the bath into an entrance of a die, the die comprising:
(i) graphite portions; and
(ii) a coating comprising elemental niobium over the graphite portions, the coating having a thickness in a range from about 1 to about 10 microns; and

processing the molten metal through the die while cooling to produce the solid article at an exit of the die.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the coating comprising elemental niobium is in a range from about 2 to about 8 microns.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the coating comprising elemental niobium is in a range from about 3 to about 6 microns.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the coating comprising elemental niobium is in a range from about 1 to about 4 microns.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the molten metal comprises copper.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the solid article is a rod comprising copper.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the bath comprises molten copper;
the entrance of the die is generally cylindrical; and
the thickness of the coating comprising elemental niobium is in a range from about 3 to about 6 microns.

Assignees

• Southwire Co Llc

Inventors

• Rundquist Victor F
• Gill Kevin S

Classifications

• B22D11/04 Primary

  into open-ended moulds (B22D11/06, B22D11/07 take precedence; plants for continuous casting, e.g. for upwardly drawing the strand B22D11/14) · CPC title

• B06B3/00

  Methods or apparatus specially adapted for transmitting mechanical vibrations of infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic frequency · CPC title

• B22D25/02

  by its peculiarity of shape; of works of art {(cylinders, pistons B22D15/02)} · CPC title

• C22C9/00

  Alloys based on copper · CPC title

• B22D11/004

  Copper alloys · CPC title