Patent attributes
A method and apparatus for casting metals in a DC mold to form an ingot or product having at least two layers formed by sequential solidification. The apparatus has at least one cooled divider wall at the entry end portion of the mold to divide the entry end portion into at least two feed chambers. Metal is fed to the chambers to form an inner layer and at least one outer layer. The divider wall has a metal-contacting surface for contacting the metal for the at least one outer layer, the surface being arranged at an angle to the vertical sloping away from the metal for the outer layer in a downward direction. The angle increases at positions on the divider wall spaced from a central section of the wall approaching each longitudinal end thereof. The apparatus is suitable for casting a metal having a high coefficient of contraction as an inner layer or core ingot, e.g. a high-Mg or high-Zn aluminum alloy, or metal combinations having a large difference in their coefficients of contraction.
