PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR MINIMISING THE POTENTIAL FOR EXPLOSIONS IN DIRECT CHILL CASTING OF ALUMINIUM LITHIUM ALLOYS Russian patent published in 2018 - IPC B22D11/22 

FIELD: foundry.

SUBSTANCE: device comprises a casting pit having a top portion, an intermediate portion and a bottom portion, a mould located at the top portion of the casting pit and comprising a cavity having a reservoir; a coolant feed operable to introduce a coolant to a surface of a cast workpiece; a movable platen operable to support the cast workpiece as it solidifies in the mould; means for detecting bleed out; a group of outlets for removing water vapour located around the perimeter of at least the upper portion of the casting pit; and means for introducing an inert fluid into the coolant supply means in response to the detection of bleed out by the means of detecting bleed out. Method includes the introduction of molten metal in a casting mould and cooling the molten metal by supplying a coolant to the solidifying metal in the casting pit having upper, middle and lower portions, as well as a movable platen, detection of bleed out or breakthrough, after which the formed gas is pumped out from the casting pit with a flow rate greater than the flow rate before the bleed out or breakthrough is detected, inert gas is introduced into the casting pit having a density lower than air density, an inert fluid is introduced into the coolant supply means associated with the mould, and the coolant flow to the coolant supply means is stopped.

EFFECT: technical result is minimisation of explosive potential during direct chill casting of alloys.

34 cl, 5 dwg