Degassing launder

Abstract

A degassing launder having a plurality of partition plates configured to block a flow of molten aluminum and including a plurality of domes. Two adjacent partition plates and two side walls of the launder form a degassing chamber. A lower portion of the partition plates is provided with a passage through which the molten aluminum flows into a next degassing chamber. The domes are arranged on the bottom of the launder.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A rotor for dispersing gas into molten metal comprising a hexagonal body, said body having a upper face and a lower face, the upper face defining a hub opening, the rotor further including a central cavity on the lower face that interconnects the hub opening with a plurality of elongate grooves extending radially outwardly from the cavity to the six sidewalls forming the hexagonal body. 
     
     
         16 . The rotor of  claim 15 , wherein each groove is equidistantly angularly spaced from adjacent grooves. 
     
     
         17 . The rotor of  claim 15  including at least twelve grooves. 
     
     
         18 . The rotor of  claim 15 , wherein the longitudinal axis of each groove aligns with a radius of the opening. 
     
     
         19 . In combination, an elongate rotatable refractory shaft connected to the rotor of  claim 15 , the shaft projecting from the upper face of the rotor and having first and second ends, the first end configured to connect to an associated source of gas and the second end being received in the opening in the rotor, the shaft having a longitudinal extending bore in fluid communication with the opening in the rotor, whereby gas to be dispersed into molten metal can be delivered through the shaft and out of the rotor along the lower face. 
     
     
         20 . A method of mixing flux and/or inert gas within a flow a molten material, at least a portion including aluminum, the method comprising: providing a degassing launder; introducing a flux and/or inert gas into the launder using the rotor of  claim 15 ; and distributing the flux and/or inert gas into the flow of molten material. 
     
     
         21 . The combination of  claim 19 , wherein said combination introduces a flux. 
     
     
         22 . The rotor of  claim 15  wherein the grooves include a rounded internal surface. 
     
     
         23 . The rotor of  claim 15  wherein each sidewall is intersected by at least two grooves. 
     
     
         24 . The rotor of  claim 15  wherein the grooves are disposed at approximately equal angles to each other. 
     
     
         25 . The rotor of  claim 15  wherein each groove is disposed equidistantly from adjacent grooves. 
     
     
         26 . The rotor of  claim 15  wherein the grooves include longitudinal axes that are aligned with each other. 
     
     
         27 . The rotor of  claim 26  wherein the longitudinal axes are parallel to a greatest dimension of each groove and are colinear with the radius of the cavity rounded at its innermost surface. 
     
     
         28 . The rotor of  claim 15  wherein the cross-sectional area taken normal to the longitudinal axis remains constant from the distal end of the groove to where the groove intersects the cavity.