Patent ID: 8813826

Claim:
A method of continuously casting a metal slab, comprising: a. continuously introducing molten metal into an inlet of a casting cavity defined between spaced confronting casting surfaces advancing in a direction of casting; b. providing said casting surfaces with an ability to remove heat from said molten metal in said casting cavity to cause said molten metal to solidify and thereby form a fully- or partially-solid metal slab within the casting cavity; c. continuously discharging said metal slab from said casting cavity through an outlet of said casting cavity; and d. reducing said ability of at least one of said casting surfaces to remove heat from the molten metal in a region of said cavity spaced from both said inlet and said outlet between immediately upstream and downstream regions of said casting cavity and extending transversely to said direction of casting, said ability of said at least one of said casting surface in said region being reduced relative to said ability of said at least one casting surface to remove heat from said immediately upstream and downstream regions of said casting cavity wherein said casting surfaces each form one side of a heat-conductive member also having an opposite side, and said ability of said casting surfaces to remove heat is provided by supplying a liquid coolant to said opposite side of the heat-conductive cooling member, and wherein said ability of said at least one of said casting surfaces to remove heat is reduced by at least partially insulating said opposite side of said member from said liquid coolant in said region while avoiding said at least partial insulation in said immediately upstream and downstream regions.