The copper mould tube is the core component of the continuous casting machine, directly in contact with the high-temperature molten steel. Its main function is to rapidly cool and solidify the molten steel into a solid shell of a certain thickness and shape, providing the initial shape and size (such as square billets, rectangular billets, round billets, etc.) for the cast billet.
1. Material: It is usually made of high thermal conductivity copper alloys, such as phosphorus-deoxidized copper (TP2), silver-copper (CuAg0.1), or chromium-zirconium-copper (Cr-Zr-Cu), to enhance high-temperature strength, wear resistance, and creep resistance.
2. Structure: It is in the form of a hollow tubular or combined plate-like structure (square/rectangular billets are mostly combined copper plates, while round billets are cylindrical copper tubes). The working surface of the inner wall is often treated with a coating (such as nickel plating, chromium plating, or composite coating) to enhance wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and reduce adhesion to the shell.
3. Design features: The inner cavity often adopts segmented conical (such as double conical or multi-conical) or parabolic design, with the upper section having a larger cone angle than the lower section, and the straight face having a higher cone angle than the arc surface, to match the contraction law of the shell and reduce the thermal resistance of the air gap, improving the cooling efficiency.
4. Cooling method: An external narrow-gap water channel or spray cooling system is usually matched, using circulating cooling water to control the solidification speed and ensure the quality of the cast billet.
The performance of this component directly affects the output, quality of the cast billet, and the efficiency of continuous casting. Its service life is one of the key indicators in continuous casting production.
