Patent ID: 7722933

Claim:
A process for the continuous dip-coating of a metal strip ( 1 ) in a tank ( 11 ) containing a liquid metal bath ( 12 ), in which process the metal strip ( 1 ) is made to run continuously, in a protective atmosphere, through a duct ( 13 ), the lower part ( 13 a ) of which is immersed in the liquid metal bath ( 12 ) in order to define with the surface of the bath, and inside the duct ( 13 ), a liquid seal ( 14 ), the metal strip ( 1 ) is deflected around a deflector roller ( 15 ) placed in the metal bath ( 12 ), and the coated metal strip ( 1 ) is wiped on leaving the metal bath ( 12 ), characterised in that, in a region ( 17 ) where the strip ( 1 ) leaves the liquid metal bath ( 12 ), the liquid metal is isolated from the surface of the bath in an isolating enclosure ( 20 ) having an internal wall with an upper edge, the metal strip is positioned with respect to the upper edge of the internal wall of the enclosure, metal oxide particles and intermetallic compound particles are recovered by the liquid metal flowing from this region ( 17 ) into the enclosure ( 20 ), the drop in height of the liquid metal ( 12 ) in this enclosure being maintained higher than 50 mm in order to prevent the metal oxide particles and intermetallic compound particles from rising as a countercurrent to the flow of liquid metal, the particles are extracted from this enclosure ( 20 ), the internal wall ( 23 ) of the enclosure ( 20 ) has a lower part that slopes inward towards an upper part that is parallel to the metal strip ( 1 ), such that the metal strip ( 1 ) is positioned closer to the internal wall ( 23 ) at the upper part than at the lower part, and the metal strip is positioned with respect to the upper edge of the internal wall of the enclosure by using positioning means ( 35 , 36 ).