Chair of foundry production and strengthening technologies, Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Ekaterinburg, Russia:

A. V. Sulitsin, Assistant Professor, e-mail: kafedralp@mail.ru
R. K. Mysik, Professor
S. V. Brusnitsyn, Professor

The aim of this experimental study is examination of the solidification process of copper billets cast on horizontal continuous belt-type caster with water-cooled mold as a part of technology CONTIROD for continuous casting and rolling of copper wire rod. The “Freezed-in thermocouples” method is founded on application of specially designed starting bar for continuous casting with installed thermocouples unit. With the help of this starting bar were determined temperature curves during cooling stage, thickness of solidified skin and length of liquid metal bath. Statistical analysis of the obtained results on the time-dependent solid skin thickness of copper billet allowed us to derive empirical relationships that describe the pattern of growth of the solid skin in different directions at cross section of continuously cast billets. Billets in size of 120x70 mm were produced with casting speed 7 m/min at casting temperature of 1120 ^oC. The pattern of growth with the course of time for the solidified skin on copper billet in the horizontal direction from the side face of billet to the center of the workpiece is described by the equation δ = 6.62·τ^0.61; in the vertical direction from the top face to the center zone of the workpiece — δ = 4.23·τ^0.69; and from the bottom face to the center zone of the workpiece — δ = 5.23·τ^0.63. The length of the liquid metal bath was 2750 mm. In the course of experimental study it was revealed that the maximum temperature difference in the horizontal section of a continuously casted billet was 80 oC, and 55–60 ^oC in the vertical section. The results of the experiment confirmed probability of occurrence of cracks on the side face of cast billets due to the thermal stresses, and revealed possibility of increasing productivity of continuous caster, without the danger of a breakthrough of liquid metal at the outlet of the mold. The obtained results can be used to improve technology for production of copper wire rod by the combined process of continuous casting and rolling.

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