Patent ID: 6116079
Filing Date: 2000-09-12
Classification: C21C,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for making copper or other metal by continuous casting by measuring the gas content of a molten metal using a molten metal gas measurement system comprising an analyzer instrument and a probe body comprises the steps of:(a) melting metal in a furnace;(b) inserting into the molten metal a probe body comprising a gas-permeable, liquid-metal-impervious material of sufficient heat resistance to withstand immersion in the molten metal, said probe body having a gas inlet to its interior and a gas outlet therefrom, the gas inlet and gas outlet being spaced from one another so that a carrier gas passing from the inlet to the outlet traverses a substantial portion of the probe body interior for entertainment of gas formed therein or at the probe interface and/or diffusing to the interior of the body from the molten metal, the probe body formed by casting in a mold a moldable paste or slurry of a particulate refractory mortar having a particle size less than about 35 mesh, the mortar containing a refractory material selected from the group consisting of carbides, nitrides and oxides of aluminum, magnesium, indium, tungsten and titanium and which paste hardens on curing and curing the molded paste by sintering to form a solid probe which is gas permeable and liquid-metal-impervious;(c) comparing with an analyzer instrument the entrained gas and carrier gas mixture with a reference value;(d) determining the gas content of the molten metal and controlling the metal making process based on the gas content value; and(e) repeating steps (b)-(d) during the metal making operation.