Products
Flow Control
Isostatically pressed functional refractories for continuous casting — engineered for clean steel and long sequence casting.
Hofai flow-control products are produced from alumina-graphite and zirconia composites by cold isostatic pressing, fired under reducing atmosphere and machined to tight tolerances. Anti-clogging bore practice, optional argon sealing and high-purity ZrO₂ slag-line inserts deliver stable casting performance over long sequences.
Product range
Long Nozzle / Ladle Shroud
Alumina-graphite shrouds protecting the ladle-to-tundish stream from reoxidation.
- Argon sealing options
- Thermal-shock optimised body
- Quick-coupling designs
Submerged Entry Nozzle (SEN)
Al₂O₃-C body with ZrO₂-C slag-line for tundish-to-mould casting of slab, bloom and billet.
- ZrO₂-C slag-line zone
- Anti-clogging CaO-ZrO₂ liner option
- Custom port geometry
Quick-Exchange Nozzle
Exchangeable nozzles for billet and bloom casters using rapid nozzle-change systems.
- Fits mainstream QC systems
- Consistent bore accuracy
Monoblock Stopper
One-piece stopper rods with high-purity ZrO₂ insert at the contact zone for precise flow regulation.
- High-purity ZrO₂ nose insert
- Argon purging through the tip
Slide Gate Plates
Al₂O₃-C and Al₂O₃-ZrO₂-C plates produced with high-pressure pressing and vacuum pitch impregnation.
- Multiple-heat service life
- Erosion and thermal-shock resistant
- Low, stable impurity levels
Upper & Collector Nozzles
Nozzles and well blocks matched to major slide-gate systems.
- Grades matched to steel practice
Typical properties
Typical values for reference only — detailed datasheets available on request.
| Property | Long Nozzle (Al₂O₃-C) | SEN body (Al₂O₃-C) | SEN slag-line (ZrO₂-C) | Stopper (Al₂O₃-C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al₂O₃ (%) | ≥ 50 | ≥ 45 | — | ≥ 45 |
| C (%) | 25–30 | 25–30 | 14–18 | 25–30 |
| ZrO₂ (%) | — | — | ≥ 75 | — |
| Bulk density (g/cm³) | ≥ 2.30 | ≥ 2.30 | ≥ 3.80 | ≥ 2.35 |
| Apparent porosity (%) | ≤ 18 | ≤ 18 | ≤ 18 | ≤ 17 |
| CCS (MPa) | ≥ 20 | ≥ 20 | ≥ 25 | ≥ 22 |
Applications
Slab, bloom and billet continuous casters; ladle-to-tundish and tundish-to-mould stream protection; special, stainless and carbon steel grades. Compatible with mainstream quick-change and slide-gate systems.