This manufacturing method is key to understanding the product's advantages.
How it Works: A permanent mold (a steel cylinder) is spun at high speeds around its horizontal axis. Molten copper is poured into the spinning mold.
Centrifugal Force: This force throws the molten metal outward against the inner wall of the mold, creating a hollow, cylindrical shape without the need for a central core.
Resulting Properties:
Density and Soundness: The centrifugal force pushes impurities (which are lighter) toward the inner diameter (ID), where they can be machined away. This creates a very dense, pore-free, and gas-free structure on the outer diameter (OD), which is critical for its function.
Fine Grain Structure: The rapid and directional solidification results in a fine, uniform grain structure, enhancing the mechanical properties of the metal.
a) Continuous Casting Machines:
Mold Plates and Liners: The water-cooled mold that molten steel first pours into is often lined with high-conductivity copper or chromium copper plates. While large, these function as liners or sleeves for the cooling system.
Support Rollers and Guides: Sections that guide the solidifying strand of steel use copper-alloy sleeves within rollers to withstand the radiant heat and provide a smooth bearing surface.
Oscillation Marks: The mechanism that oscillates the mold uses large, heavy-duty bronze bushings to handle the extreme load.
b) Rolling Mills:
Bearings and Bushings: In the roll necks (the ends of the rolls that go into the bearing housing). While modern mills use advanced roller bearings, many older and heavy-duty mills still use bronze sleeve bearings because of their high load capacity and ability to embed contaminants.
Guide Boxes and Repeaters: Sleeves and liners that guide the hot bar or sheet through the rolling stands are often made from wear-resistant copper alloys like aluminum bronze.
c) Blast Furnaces and Electric Arc Furnaces:
Cooling Staves: Large copper sleeves are integral parts of cooling pipes and staves that line the furnace walls, carrying water to extract heat and protect the furnace structure.
Tapping Hardware: Components like tuyeres (which blast air into the furnace) and parts associated with the tap hole can feature copper sleeves for their cooling properties.
Electrode Arms: In EAFs, the large arms that hold the graphite electrodes may use high-strength, high-conductivity copper alloy bushings and connectors.
d) Slag Handling and Processing:
Slag Pot Cars: The bearings and bushings on the cars that transport molten slag must withstand heat and abrasive dust. Self-lubricating bronze bushings are common here.