Title of Invention

FILLED WIRE FOR INTRODUCING ADDITIVES INTO A MOLTEN METAL BATH

Abstract The invention concerns a filled wire for introducing additives into a molten metal bath comprising a metal sheath (5) containing an additive (6), said metal sheath (5) is covered with an envelope (7) which, being combustible but without unwanted residues, momentarily delays heat propagation towards the filled wire. Said filled wire is characterized in that above said combustible envelope, a metallic protection encloses the assembly formed by the additive, the metal sheath and the combustible envelope.
Full Text - 1 -


The invention concerns a filled wire for introducing additives into a molten metal bath.
Steels, cast iron, etc., are materials whose mechanical or other properties depend in particular on the complex composition of the material.
So as to obtain a material having certain properties, from a basic composition, the content of certain elements is adjusted so as to obtain the desired composition.
For about twenty years, there is a known method for adjusting the composition of melting material by introducing into said material a filled wire having a predetermined length.
This filled wire is constituted by a metal casing containing the additive it is desired to introduce into the molten bath.
As the quantity of additive per metre is known, it is relatively simple to adjust the composition of the bath.
On the first embodied filled wires, the metal casing were merely folded up so as to place side by side the two edges of the shaped steel strip.
An internal sheet was previously placed so as to close the passage which existed between the edges of said steel strip, but said sheet was less effective to the extent that this filled wire undergoes an operation for being wound on a reel and then unwound at the time it is used.
This solution has been rapidly replaced by a different method for closing the steel strip.
This method consists of mechanically stapling the two edges of the steel strip.
More specifically, this involves rolling together the two edges so that the edges cling to each other. This then avoids losses of the additive contained in said steel strip.
This solution, which makes it possible to adjust a composition by introducing a filled wire into the molten material, functions extremely

effectively with most additives.
For other additives they vaporize very quickly near the surface. However, there are problems with certain additives, such as calcium, magnesium, selenium, sulphur or others.
In fact, for some of these additives, the heat of the molten metal bath provokes explosion of the filled wire in an area extremely close to the surface of the bath.
Thus, there high reactivity occurs on the surface which generates oxidation and/or renitriding of the bath, projections of the liquid metal which damage the material, as well as high smoke emanations.
With these additives, the efficiency of this introduction operation is thus clearly poor and has safety conditions which are unsuitable for industrial use.
So as to resolve this drawback, an attempt has been made to introduce the filled wire through a nozzle made of a refractory material immersed in the bath.
The use of this nozzle is expensive and proves to be an extremely delicate operation.
The object of the invention is to resolve said drawbacks. This metal sheath can be covered by a combustible casing without leaving any harmful residue which temporarily delays propagation of the heat towards to the core of the filled wire. The advantages are considerable.
This combustible casing is helically-wound around the metal sheath. Unfortunately, sometimes the paper casing is spoiled during handling, that is at the time of winding onto the reel or when the wire placed on the reel is removed so as to be introduced into the bath.
In order to resolve this problem, the invention concerns providing a filled wire including a metal sheath containing an additive, this sheath being characterised in that this metal sheath is covered by a combustible casing 7 without leaving any harmful residue and temporarily delays propagation of the heat towards the core of the filled wire.

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Accordingly, the present invention provided a filled wire for introducing additives into a molten metal bath comprising a metal sheath containing an additive characterized in that said metal sheath is covered by a combustible casing which is constituted by at least one paper coating wound around the metal sheath.
The invention shall be more readily understood from the following
description given by way of non-restrictive example with reference to the
accompanying drawing diagrammatically showing :
o figure 1 : a section of a filled wire according to the
invention,
o figure 2 : a stage for preparing the filled wire,
o figure 3 : an installation using a filled wire,
o figure 4 : a section of a filled wire variant.
With respect to the drawing, the latter shows a filled wire 1 intended for an additive being introduced into a molten material bath 2, said material being a steel, cast iron or other substance.
This molten bath is raised to a relatively high temperature and is contained in a pocket 3.
So as to adjust the composition of the molten material bath, this filled wire 1 is introduced into the bath at a predetermined speed.
The introduction means 4 are conventional and shall not be described in detail.
This filled wire conventionally includes a metal sheath 5 containing an additive 6.
This metal sheath 5 is closed mechanically, in other words when the edges of the steel strip are associated together, for example by rolling.
Advantageously, this metal sheath is covered by a combustible casing 7 without leaving any harmful residue and which temporarily delays propagation of the heat towards the core of the filled wire.
Harmful residue is understood to include residue which affect the composition of the bath or produce inclusions modifying the behaviour of the bath at the time of pouring.
For example, a casing could be suitable for one bath composition but be unsuitable for another.
Advantageously, the protective casing 7 is constituted by at least one paper layer 7A wound around the metal sheath.
The paper 7A is a paper used for a pyrotechnical application. This means it is flame-resistant and has a heat resistance coefficient greater than that of a sheet of ordinary paper.

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This heat protection is obtained :
o either by integrating constituents delaying ignition in the
composition of the paper,
o or by combining the paper iayer and the glue used to glue
the
superimposed strips onto each other.
For example, known types of flame-retarded non-coated guaranteed wood-free papers Ml are used. This concerns a material for which flame propagation is nil with no ignited drips and no flame persistence.
This casing has heat insulation characteristics whilst being combustible.
Tests have been carried out with one paper type and show :
o that without any paper coating, the filled wire explodes at
the end of one second,
o with two coatings, the filled wire explodes at the end of two
and a half seconds, and
o with ten coatings, the filled wire explodes at the end of 2.20
seconds.
Thus, by adjusting the thickness of the casing and the speed for introducing the filled wire, either explosion or vaporisation is delayed sufficiently and thus It is easy to introduce the filled wire to a sufficient depth.
The coating(s) of the casing are advantageously constituted by one or several helical windings of a paper strip.
These windings may, for example, be crossed.
In one embodiment variant, an external fixing of these coatings is carried out by applying a varnish coating which shall dearly be made without water or substances violently reacting with the material constituting the bath.
Thus, a fixing coating is provided for the casing, especially when the latter is formed of several strips.
The width of the strip is preferably adapted to the wire diameter and the usage conditions and may be between five and forty centimetres.
The thickness of the protective casing shall therefore be adapted to customer needs (temperature of the bath and the material to be injected).

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Advantageously (figure 4), especially in certain cases where the injection machine could damage the combustible casing, a metal protection 10 above this casing 7 encloses the unit constituted by the additive, the metal sheath and the combustible casing.
Said unit is therefore covered by a metal protective element
This metal protective element 10 ensures that the combustible casing does not alter during handling of the filled wire and secondly forms along with the metal sheath housing the additive and the combustible casing a complex material delaying melting of the unit.
Advantageously, this metal protective element is constituted by a steel strip whose edges are stapled so as to form a tubular element
This concerns the method normally used to form a metal sheath housing the additives.
The shape of the staple 11 has not been shown.
This method seems the simplest to implement and does not damage the combustible casing,
Advantageously, instead of placing the paper sheet in a wound form, the paper sheet can be much thicker and placed at the same time as the metal protective element,
The edges of the thick sheet overlap.

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WE CLAIM :
1. Filled wire for introducing additives into a molten metal bath
comprising a metal sheath (5) containing an additive (6) characterized in that
said metal sheath is covered by a combustible casing (7) which is constituted
by at least one paper coating (7A) wound around the metal sheath.
2. Filled wire as claimed in claim 1, wherein the paper (7A) is a paper
for a pyrotechnical application.
3. Filled wire as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coating(s) of the
casing are constituted by one or several helical windings of a paper strip.

4. Filled wire as claimed in claim 3, wherein the windings are crossed.
5. Filled wire as claimed in claim 3, wherein an external fixing of these
coatings is carried out by applying a layer of varnish.
6. Filled wire as claimed in claim 3, wherein the width of the strip is
between five and forty centimetres.
7. Filled wire as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, wherein above the
combustible casing , a metal protective element is provided enclosing the unit
constituted by the additive, the metal sheath and the combustible casing.
8. Filled wire as claimed in claim 7, wherein the metal protective
element is constituted by a steel strip whose edges are stapled so as to form
a tubular element.

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9. Filled wire as claimed in claim 7, wherein the combustible casing is
formed by a thick sheet placed at the same time as the metal protective
element.
10. Filled wire for introducing additives into a molten metal bath,
substantially as herein described, particularly with reference to and as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The invention concerns a filled wire for introducing additives into a molten metal bath comprising a metal sheath (5) containing an additive (6), said metal sheath (5) is covered with an envelope (7) which, being combustible but without unwanted residues, momentarily delays heat propagation towards the filled wire. Said filled wire is characterized in that above said combustible envelope, a metallic protection encloses the assembly formed by the additive, the metal sheath and the combustible envelope.

Documents:


Patent Number 207222
Indian Patent Application Number IN/PCT/2002/00198/KOL
PG Journal Number 22/2007
Publication Date 01-Jun-2007
Grant Date 31-May-2007
Date of Filing 07-Feb-2002
Name of Patentee AFFIVAL S.A .,
Applicant Address 70 RUE DE LABBAYE ,F-59730 SOLESMES
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 RICHE DOMINIQUE 33 RUE DE LA NEUVILLE F-59554, TILLOY LEZ CAMBRAI
2 BECART JEAN-CLAUDE OF RUE DES TILLEULS F-59990,CURGIES FRANCE
PCT International Classification Number C 21 C 7/00
PCT International Application Number PCT/FR01/02044
PCT International Filing date 2001-06-27
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 00/08284 2000-06-28 France