FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to tundish design to be employed in slab casting. Particularly, the disclosurerelates to design of starter tube in tundish.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, before molten metal from tundish flows into slab caster in start of a heat, plugs were placed at various places inside the holes of tundish through which molten metal used to come out and flows into slab caster. Later on as the level rises inside, these plugs were removed manually. This used to be very unsafe practice as there was direct involvement of human at a very high temperature molten metal. Even a single splash of metal on human body could be a disaster.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing limitations inherent in the prior-art, it is an object of the disclosure to design a tundish in which human interaction could be minimal or avoided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The disclosure providesatundish starter tube comprising a long cylindrical tube having a bottom tundish end and a top end, the long cylindrical tube being configured so that molten metal inside tundish submerges the long cylindrical tube and flow down through it into caster via the top end.The top end being covered by a metal plate so that molten metal while filling up tundish heat and melt the metal plate with delay and molten metal flows down the long cylindrical tube with pressure and high flow rate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1a-1cshows schematic diagram with various views of astarter tube in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure.
FIG. 2 shows schematic diagram of tundish where starter tube is fixed over plurality of holes in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Various embodiments of the disclosure provide astarter tube to be positioned inside bottom surface of tundish, the starter tube comprisinglong cylindrical tube having a bottom tundish end and a top end, the bottom tundish end being fixed at bottom surface of tundish, the long cylindrical tube being configured so that molten metal inside tundish submerges the long cylindrical tube and flow down through it into caster via the top end;the top end being covered by a metal plate so that molten metal while filling up tundish heat and melt the metal plate with delay and molten metal flows down the long cylindrical tube with pressure and high flow rate; andthe long cylindrical tube being composed of Al2O3 - 60 to 70%, C - 8 to 10 %, SiO2- balance.
Shown in FIGS. 1a-c is the various views and components of astarter tube(100) in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure.
Thestarter tube (100) is to be fixed inside bottom of tundish (104) as shown in FIG. 2. The bottom of the tundish comprises plurality of holes (106) through which the metal has to flow. Plurality of the starter tubes arefixedover these holes and the metal flows through the starter tube. The flow of molten metal is also shown in FIG. 2.
For the brevity and easy understanding, only one starter tube fixed over tundish has been shown.
Shown in FIG. 1c is thestarter tube (100) comprising a long cylindrical tube (108) having a bottom tundish end (112) and a top end (116). Thebottom tundish end (112) is fixed at plurality of holes of bottom surface of tundish.
In the FIG. 1c the top end is shown tapered, whereas in embodiments the top end may not be tapered as shown in FIG. 2.
The long cylindrical tube (108) is made up of following composition Al2O3: 60 -70%, C: 8 - 10 %, SiO2- balance all in wt. %. Al2O3 is very stable refractory material. Carbon is to improve thermal shock resistance and conductivity. Al2O3 along with SiO2 give higher temp strength.

Once the molten inside the tundish starts to fill, it submerges long cylindrical tube and through the top end (116), the molten metal has the tendency to flowdown the slab caster.
As shown in FIG. 1c, the top end (116) is covered by a metal plate (120) so that molten metal while filling up the tundish, heat and melt the metal plate (120) with some delay.This delay is important in building up the pressure above the metal plate and as the metal plate melts the molten metal flows with pressure and high flow rate inside the tube. This pressure is enough to ensure no choking gets build up inside the tube.
It is to be appreciated that the tube’s diameter is quite small and there may be chance of choking if the initial flow rate inside the tube is less.
The composition of the metal plate (120) is made up of mild steel.
The starter tube can be further coated by suitable insulating material to protect it against the hostile condition.

WE CLAIM
1. A starter tube (100) to be positioned inside bottom surface of tundish, the starter tube
(100) comprising:
a long cylindrical tube (108) having a bottom tundish end (112) and a top end (116), the bottom tundish end (112) being fixed at bottom surface of tundish, the long cylindrical tube (108) being configured so that molten metal inside tundish submerges the long cylindrical tube (108) and flowdown through it into caster viathe topend (120);
the top end (116) being covered by a metal plate (120) so that molten metal while filling up tundish heat and melt the metal plate (120) with delay and molten metal flows down the long cylindrical tube (108) with pressure and high flow rate; and
the long cylindrical tube (108) being composed of Al2O3 - 60 to 70%, C - 8 to 10 %, SiO2- balance.
2. The starter tube (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein plurality of the starter tubes (100) are fixed inside the bottom tundish over plurality of holes at distance.
3. The starter tube (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of the starter tubes havevarying height.
4. The starter tube (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top end is tapered.
5. The starter tube (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the metal plate (120) being made up of mild steel.