EP0429351A1 - Method and apparatus for removing impurities from a molten metal bath for hot dipping a steel strip - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the present invention is a process for purifying a bath of liquid metal, in particular zinc or zinc-aluminum, intended for the continuous manufacture of a steel strip coated by immersion in a coating zone (5a) , method according to which the metal coating bath (2) is continuously circulated between the coating zone (5a) and a purification zone (5b), the purification is brought to the purification zone (5b) of the solid intermetallic compounds contained in said bath, the ascent of said compounds is accelerated, and the purified bath (2), the iron content of which is close to or less than the limit of solubility, is returned to zone (5a). The invention also relates to a device for implementing the method.

Description

The subject of the present invention is a process and a device for purifying a bath of liquid metal, in particular zinc or zinc-aluminum, intended for the continuous manufacture of a steel strip coated by immersion.

The present invention is particularly suitable for continuous hot-dip galvanizing.

During the immersion of the steel strip in the liquid metal bath, the iron of said strip is attacked by the liquid metal bath and dissolves in said bath. Beyond the limit of solubility, the iron reacts with the elements of the bath to form solid intermetallic compounds in the form of particles, zinc-iron, zinc-aluminum aluminum, or zinc-aluminum in the case of galvanization by quenching at hot.

These particles have a size ranging from a few microns to several hundred microns depending on the degree of saturation of the bath. Depending on their density and composition, these particles rise to the surface, or remain in saturation or even settle at the bottom of the bath. Consequently, the particles can be entrained by the strip and remain included in the coating. However, the inclusions of particles are detrimental to the surface appearance and to the use of hot-dip galvanized sheet, in particular for visible parts of the automobile body.

The object of the present invention is to limit the size and the quantity of particles present in the bath, particularly near the strip, and consequently to limit their presence in the coating.

The subject of the present invention is therefore a process for purifying a bath of liquid metal, in particular zinc or zinc-aluminum, intended for the continuous manufacture of a steel strip coated by immersion in a coating area, consisting of:
- to put in continuous circulation, the metal coating bath between the coating zone and a purification zone,
- to cause in the purification zone, the rise to the surface of the solid intermetallic compounds contained in said bath,
- to accelerate the rise of said solid intermetallic components,
- And to bring back to the coating zone the purified bath whose iron content is close to or below the solubility limit, characterized in that the rise of solid intermetallic compounds in the purification zone is caused by a drop in the bath temperature in said purification zone in order to lower the solubility limit of the iron.

According to other characteristics:
the temperature of the bath in the purification zone is between 435 and 460 ° C and preferably between 440 and 450 ° C, the temperature of the bath in the coating zone being between 440 and 490 ° C and preferably between 460 and 470 ° C.
- said ascent of the solid intermetallic compounds in the purification zone is accelerated by a higher aluminum concentration in the bath in the purification zone,
- the aluminum concentration of the bath in the purification zone is between 0.15 and 0.70% and preferably between 0.20 and 0.30%.

The invention also relates to a device for purifying a bath of liquid metal, in particular zinc or zinc-aluminum, intended for the continuous manufacture of a steel strip coated by immersion in a tank forming a zone of coating comprising means for continuously circulating the bath of liquid metal between the coating zone and an enclosure forming a purification zone and conversely, means for rising to the surface, in the purification zone of the solid intermetallic compounds contained in said bath, and means for accelerating the rise of said solid intermetallic compounds, characterized in that the means for continuously circulating the bath of liquid metal comprise at least one variable speed pump and in that said variable speed pump collects the bath of polished liquid metal in the coating zone by means of a pipe and sends it to the two ends of the zone puration at a level between half and two thirds of the height of the bath in said area.

According to other characteristics:
said variable speed pump takes up the bath of purified liquid metal at the bottom of the purification zone and returns it to the coating zone by piping,
the means for raising the surface, in the purification zone, of the solid intermetallic compounds are formed by a circuit for cooling the bath in said zone so as to keep the temperature of said bath below the temperature bath in the coating area,
the means for accelerating the ascent to the surface, in the purification zone, solid intermetallic compounds are formed by ingots introduced into said purification zone and whose average aluminum content is between 0.30 and 0 , 80% and preferably between 0.40 and 0.50%.

• - la Fig. 1 est une vue schématique en coupe transversale d'une cuve de revêtement neuve ou rénovée munie du dispositif suivant l'invention,
• - la Fig. 2 est une vue de dessus de la Fig. 1,
• - la Fig. 3 est une vue schématique en coupe transversale d'une cuve de revêtement existante à laquelle est associée le dispositif suivant l'inven­tion,
• - la Fig. 4 est une vue de dessus de la Fig. 3.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, given solely by way of example, made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• - Fig. 1 is a schematic view in cross section of a new or renovated coating tank provided with the device according to the invention,
• - Fig. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1,
• - Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view in cross section of an existing coating tank with which the device according to the invention is associated,
• - Fig. 4 is a top view of FIG. 3.

Referring to Figs 1 and 2, there is shown a tank designated as a whole by the reference 1, and filled with a bath of liquid metal 2, in particular zinc or zinc-aluminum.

This tank 1 optionally includes a means 3 for regulating the temperature, for example by induction, by immersion heaters or even by electrical resistances in the case of a steel tank.

The tank 1 comprises two compartments separated by a partition 4, for example made of refractory bricks, which define a first enclosure forming it a coating area 5a and a second enclosure 6 forming a zone 5b for cleaning the liquid metal bath.

In the coating zone 5a, a steel strip 7 continuously circulates by means of a roller 8. The steel strip 7 is protected, as it enters the bath 2 of the coating zone 5a, by a sheath 9.

During the immersion of the steel strip 7 in the bath of liquid metal 2, the iron of said strip is attacked by the bath of liquid metal and dissolves in said bath. Beyond the solubility limit, the iron reacts with the elements of bath 2 to form solid intermetallic compounds in the form of zinc-iron particles, or zinc-iron-aluminum or zinc-aluminum in the case of dip-dip galvanization. hot. Depending on their density and composition, these particles rise to the surface, or remain in saturation or even settle at the bottom of the bath 2.

Consequently, the particles can be entrained by the strip 7 and remain included in the coating.

To avoid this, the tank 1 comprises means for continuously circulating the bath 2 of liquid metal between the coating zone 5a and the purification zone 5b.

These means consist of a first variable speed pump 10 which takes the bath 2 of polished liquid metal in the coating area 5a. proximity of the strip 7 and of the roller 8 via a pipe 11 and which sends it via a pipe 12 to the two ends of the treatment zone 5b at a level between half and two-thirds of the height of the bath in said purification zone 5b.

The means for continuously circulating the liquid metal bath also comprises a second variable speed pump 13 which takes up the bath 2 of purified liquid metal at the bottom of the purification zone 5b by means of a pipe 14 and returns it to the coating area 5a by a pipe 15 near the strip 7 and the roller 8.

The purification of bath 2 in zone 5b is based on the rise of solid intermetallic compounds by decreasing the solubility of iron in zone 5b of purification, when the temperature of said bath 2 decreases and / or when the aluminum content increases.

To this end, and taking into account the heat exchanges between the coating zone 5a and the purification zone 5b, the purification zone 5b is provided with a circuit with cooling fluid 20, for example by circulation of a gas , such as air or a liquid such as water, so as to maintain the temperature of bath 2 in zone 5b at a level lower than the temperature of bath in zone 5a.

The temperature of the bath in zone 5b is between 435 and 460 ° C and preferably between 440 and 450 ° C, while the temperature of bath 2 in zone 5a of coating is between 440 and 490 ° C and preferably between 460 and 470 ° C.

The aluminum content in the coating zone 5a is between 0.15 and 0.20% and in the purification zone 5b between 0.15 and 0.70%, preferably between 0.20 and 0.30%. .

Aluminum enrichment is carried out with pre-luminous ingots or zinc ingots plus zinc-aluminum alloy ingots introduced in A and B (Fig. 2) in the purification zone 5b.

The pre-illuminated ingots have an aluminum content of between 0.30 and 0.80% and preferably between 0.40 and 0.50%. In the case of a supply of pure zinc or of zinc with a low aluminum content, the enrichment is carried out by the addition of aluminum or of zinc-aluminum alloy. This higher concentration of aluminum will accelerate the formation of solid intermetallic compounds, iron-zinc-aluminum and iron-aluminum lighter than zinc.

In this zone 5b, there is no effect of aluminum depletion of the bath 2 caused by the strip 7 as in the coating zone 5a.

This ascent of the solid intermetallic compounds being relatively long and having to be as complete as possible before the return of the bath to the coating area 5a, this ascent is accelerated by local mixing of the bath 2.

To this end, zone 5b is provided with a small pipe 21 for introducing a neutral gas, such as for example nitrogen, which opens out at the bottom of said zone 5b and which creates a microbubble in this zone. forming an upward movement of liquid and solid intermetallic compounds.

The so-called surface matte intermetallic compounds are eliminated by an operator or by an automatic device.

In order to limit the formation of zinc oxides on the surface of the purification zone 5b, the latter is provided with a cover 22 and a supply 23 of neutral gas, such as for example nitrogen, so as to maintain the upper part of said zone 5b under a neutral atmosphere.

In the case of an existing tank 1, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the purification zone 5b is formed by a tank 30 independent of the tank 1 and possibly provided with heating means 31.

As for the first embodiment, the device comprises means (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) for continuously circulating the bath 2 of liquid metal between the coating zone 5a and the purification zone 5b and vice versa. The device also comprises means for raising the surface of the solid intermetallic compounds constituted by the cooling circuit 20 of the bath 2 in order to lower the solubility limits of the iron and / or by the introduction of pre-aluminous ingots or zinc ingots more ingots of zinc-aluminum alloy in A and B of said purification zone 5b.

The tank 30 is provided with a means 21 for accelerating the ascent of the solid intermetallic compounds and with a cover 22 as well as an injection 23 of neutral gas limiting the oxidation on the surface of the bath 2.

In the two embodiments, the device comprises a system, not shown, for regulating the level of bath 2 of liquid metal and the variable speed pumps 10 and 13 can be replaced by any other material producing the same effect. The circulation rate of the bath 2 can vary between 6 and 60 T / h for example for a renewal of the bath every three hours approximately. The bath 2 returning to the coating area 5a is heated and the increase in temperature has the effect of raising the solubility of iron.

Following this treatment, bath 2 has a reduced iron content, which may be below the saturation limit, and it has a minimum of solid intermetallic compounds in lift.

The method according to the present invention makes it possible to limit the size and the quantity of particles present in the bath, particularly near the strip, and consequently to limit their presence in the coating, which makes it possible to improve the surface appearance of sheet metal, in particular for visible parts of the automobile body.

Claims (8)

1. Method for purifying a bath (2) of liquid metal, in particular zinc or zinc-aluminum intended for the continuous manufacture of a steel strip (7) coated by immersion in a zone (5a) of coating, consisting of:
- continuously circulating the bath (2) of metallic coating between the coating zone (5a) and a purification zone (5b),
- to cause, in the purification zone (5b), the rise to the surface of the solid intermetallic compounds contained in said bath (2),
- to accelerate the rise of said solid intermetallic compounds,
- And to bring to the coating zone (5a) the purified bath (2) whose iron content is close to or below the solubility limit, characterized in that the rise of solid intermetallic compounds in zone (5b) d purification is caused by a drop in the temperature of the bath (2) in said purification zone (5b) in order to lower the solubility limit of the iron. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the temperature of the bath (2) in the purification zone (5b) is between 435 and 460 ° C and preferably between 440 and 450 ° C, the temperature of the bath (2) in the coating zone (5a) being between 440 and 490 ° C and preferably between 460 and 470 ° C. 3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said recovery of solid intermetallic compounds in the purification zone (5b) is accelerated by a higher aluminum concentration in the bath (2) in the purification zone (5b). 4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the aluminum concentration of the bath (2) in the treatment zone (5b) is between 0.15 and 0.70% and preferably between 0.20 and 0 ,30%. 5. Device for purifying a bath (2) of liquid metal, in particular zinc or zinc-aluminum intended for the continuous manufacture of a steel strip (7) coated by immersion in a tank (1) forming a coating zone (5a), comprising means (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) for continuously circulating the bath (2) of liquid metal between the coating zone (5a) and an enclosure (6 , 30) forming a purification zone (5b) and vice versa, means (20) for raising the surface, in the zone (5b) for purifying the solid intermetallic compounds contained in said bath, and means. (21) for accelerating the rise of said solid intermetallic compounds, characterized in that the means for continuously circulating the bath (2) of liquid metal comprise at least one variable speed pump (10, 13), and in that that said variable speed pump (10) takes the bath (2) of polished liquid metal in the coating zone (5a) by means of a pipe (11) and sends it to the two ends of the zone (5b ) purification at a level between half and two thirds of the height of the bath (2) in said zone (5b). 6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that said speed pump variable (13) takes up the bath (2) of purified liquid metal at the bottom of the purification zone (5b) and returns it to the coating zone (5a) by piping (14, 15). 7. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the means for rising to the surface, in the purification zone (5b), solid intermetallic compounds are formed by a cooling circuit (20) of the bath (2) in said zone (5b) so as to keep the temperature of said bath lower than the temperature of the bath in the coating zone (5a). 8. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the means for accelerating the ascent to the surface, in the purification zone (5b), solid intermetallic compounds are formed by ingots introduced into said zone (5b) d 'purification and whose average aluminum content is between 0.30 and 0.80% and preferably between 0.40 and 0.50%.

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