Process and apparatus for producing semi-solidified slurry of iron alloy

Abstract

A process for producing a semi-solidified slurry of an iron alloy including the steps of pouring a melt of an iron alloy into a semi-solidified slurry producing vessel 30 and cooling the melt therein to obtain a semi-solidified slurry having a crystallized solid phase and a residual liquid phase, wherein a hypoeutectic cast iron composition is used as a material, a melt of the composition is poured into the semi-solidified slurry producing vessel 30 in a predetermined amount at a time, a temperature of the melt when poured into the semi-solidified slurry producing vessel 30 is controlled to be not lower than a crystallization initiation temperature of the composition and not greater than a temperature that is 50° C. higher than the crystallization initiation temperature, and a cooling rate of the melt poured into the semi-solidified slurry producing vessel 30 is controlled not to exceed 20° C. per minute.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for producing a semi-solidified slurry of an iron alloy, comprising: melt pouring means capable of holding and pouring a melt of a hypoeutectic cast iron composition; and a semi-solidified slurry producing vessel configured to cool the melt poured therein to produce a slurry in a semi-solidified state; wherein
 the melt pouring means includes melt-pouring-temperature adjusting means for pouring the melt of the hypoeutectic cast iron into the semi-solidified slurry producing vessel by adjusting a temperature of the melt to be not lower than a crystallization initiation temperature of the melt and not greater than a temperature that is 50° C. higher than the crystallization initiation temperature, and   the semi-solidified slurry producing vessel includes cooling-rate adjusting means for cooling the received melt at a cooling rate of not greater than 20° C. per minute.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus for producing a semi-solidified slurry of an iron alloy according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the melt pouring means is constituted by a ladle for receiving and delivering the melt from a melting furnace, and a relay and damper vessel placed above the semi-solidified slurry producing vessel and configured to once receive the melt from the ladle in a required, predetermined amount and then pour the received melt into the semi-solidified slurry producing vessel, and   the melt-pouring-temperature adjusting means has first temperature adjusting means for adjusting a temperature of the melt which is to be received in the relay and damper vessel such that the melt has a temperature within a predetermined temperature range at an outlet of the ladle, and second temperature adjusting means for adjusting a decrease in temperature of the melt which is cooled in the relay and damper vessel such that the melt has a temperature within a predetermined temperature range at an outlet of the relay and damper vessel.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus for producing a semi-solidified slurry of an iron alloy according to  claim 10 , wherein the melt-pouring-temperature adjusting means has third temperature adjusting means for adjusting a decrease in temperature of the melt from when the melt is discharged from the relay and damper vessel until when the melt reaches the semi-solidified slurry producing vessel. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus for producing a semi-solidified slurry of an iron alloy according to  claim 9 , wherein the cooling-rate adjusting means has pre-heating means for pre-heating the semi-solidified slurry producing vessel. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus for producing a semi-solidified slurry of an iron alloy according to  claim 12 , wherein the pre-heating means of the semi-solidified slurry producing vessel includes high-frequency induction heating means.