Worried about oxidation and contamination during steel transfer from ladle to tundish? Our ladle shroud provide effective protection, ensuring superior steel quality by preventing reoxidation and minimizing inclusions.
Improve steel quality and reduce defects with our customized ladle shroud. Precisely designed to protect molten steel during transfer, ensuring a cleaner, more efficient casting process.
Our ladle shroud are designed to protect the molten steel stream as it flows from the ladle to the tundish. They minimize exposure to air, preventing oxidation and the absorption of unwanted elements. The result is cleaner steel, fewer defects, and improved mechanical properties. With increasing demands for high-quality steels, the choice of your ladle shroud is more important than ever.
What makes our ladle shroud superior?
Looking for ladle shroud that offer exceptional durability, thermal shock resistance, and superior protection against oxidation? Our custom-engineered shrouds deliver unmatched performance.
Consider these key features:
- Hi Resistance:Constructed to withstand the aggressive environment of molten steel and rapid temperature fluctuations, preventing cracking and failure.
- Extended Service Life:Achieved through gradient sintering technology, resulting in a material density of 98.5%. Resists erosion from flowing steel for over 24 hours, handling over 12,000 tons of steel with up to 20 consecutive heats per shroud.
- Multi-Layer Composite Structure:Features an outer layer of zirconium-carbon material (ZrO₂ ≥ 75%) and an inner lining with a boron nitride coating. This enhances oxidation resistance by 80%, minimizes nitrogen pickup in the steel (≤ 3ppm), and reduces subcutaneous defect rates in the cast billet by 60%. Designed with anti-clogging and anti-splashing features to improve performance.
- Argon Sealing System:Offers millisecond-response argon gas flow control, nearly eliminating oxygen penetration, making it ideal for sensitive steel grades such as silicon steel and automotive sheet.
- Self-Cleaning Design: Our shrouds feature a self-cleaning flow path with internal guide vanes, reducing Al₂O₃ buildup by 90% and preventing casting interruptions due to clogging.
Let's dig into the Details of Shroud Performance
Here’s a deeper look at how these features translate into real-world improvements for your steelmaking operations.
- Gradient Sintering for Enhanced Durability：This advanced manufacturing process creates a shroud with varying density across its structure. The outer layer is highly dense. This provides exceptional resistance to wear and corrosion. The inner layers are designed to provide thermal insulation, minimizing heat loss and preventing thermal shock.
- Zirconium-Carbon and Boron Nitride for Ultimate Protection：Zirconium-carbon provides excellent resistance to oxidation and slag attack, while boron nitride is a non-wetting material that prevents the buildup of inclusions on the shroud’s inner surface Together, these materials create a barrier that protects the molten steel from contamination.
- Argon Sealing Optimizes Flow：The argon sealing system creates a protective atmosphere around the steel stream. This prevents reoxidation and minimizes the absorption of nitrogen and hydrogen. This is important for producing high-quality steels with consistent mechanical properties.
- Self-Cleaning Maximizes Performance：Aluminum oxide buildup is a common problem that can restrict the flow of steel and even lead to casting interruptions. Our self-cleaning design minimizes this buildup, and ensures trouble-free operation.
Feature | Description | Benefit |
High Refractoriness & Thermal Shock Resistance | Handles temps and fast changes | Prevents cracking & failure |
Extended Service Life | Density at 98.5%, w/stands steel | Lasting for over 24 hours |
Multi-Layer Composite Structure | Outer layer of carbon, lining of nitride | Oxidation resistance up to 80% |
Argon Sealing System | Seals argon with the flow | Seals oxygen for sensitive steels |
Self-Cleaning Design | Has inner linings | Reduces clogging |
Why choose a customized solution?
Do you have unique steelmaking challenges that off-the-shelf ladle shroud can’t solve? Do you need a shroud that’s perfectly tailored to your specific steel grades, ladle configuration, and casting process? We specialize in customized solutions.
We understand that every steel plant has unique requirements. That’s why we offer a comprehensive customization service, ensuring optimal performance and maximum value.
- Dimensions and Shape:Tailored to perfectly fit your ladle and tundish configuration.
- Material Customization:Selecting from a variety of refractory materials to suit different steel grades and casting conditions.
- Design Variations:Optimizing the shroud’s structure, including special anti-clogging or anti-splashing features, based on your ladle structure and steelmaking process.
- Special Coatings:Providing specialized coatings to enhance thermal shock resistance or reduce adhesion.
- Connection Method Customization:Tailoring the shroud’s connection method to your ladle’s connection style, ensuring easy and reliable installation.
Here's a Deeper Dive into Our Customization Process
- Matching Shroud Dimensions to Ladle Size and Shape：ladle shroud must fit precisely to ensure proper sealing and prevent air infiltration. We take precise measurements of your ladles and tundishes. Thus, we will design shrouds that integrate seamlessly with your existing equipment.
- Selecting the Right Refractory Materials for the Steel Grade：Different steel grades have different chemical compositions and require different casting temperatures. We carefully select the refractory materials. This will ensure the shroud can withstand corrosion from slag and steel.
- Optimizing Shroud Design for Steel Flow and Preventing Clogging：The internal geometry of the shroud affects the flow of steel and the likelihood of clogging. We use advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling. Thus, we can optimize the shroud design to minimize turbulence. This prevents buildup of inclusions, and ensures a smooth, consistent flow of steel.
- Applying Specialized Coatings to Enhance Shroud Life：Coatings can be applied to the inner surface of the shroud to improve its resistance to thermal shock, erosion, and slag attack. We offer a variety of coatings, including boron nitride, alumina, and zirconia-based coating. Therefore, we can help you select the coating that is best suited for your specific application requirements.
Customization Area | Description | Benefit |
Dimensions & Shape | Tailored to ladle | Perfectly fitting |
Material | Choose from materials | For usage per casting |
Design Variations | Build design types | With features added |
Special Coatings | Providing coatings | Coatings of resistance |
Connection Method | Customize connection | Easy installs |
My Insight
In my experience, I’ve seen that many steelmakers focus solely on the cost of ladle shroud, without fully considering the long-term benefits of investing in high-quality, customized solutions. A well-designed and properly maintained ladle shroud can significantly reduce defects, improve steel cleanliness, and extend the life of your downstream equipment. In the long run, this translates into substantial cost savings and improved profitability.
