JPS6475654A - Cooler for continuous annealing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To anneal the surface of a metallic wire rod without oxidizing the same by subjecting the heated metallic wire rod to precooling with cooling water of a high flow rate, then to regular cooling at the time of heating the wire rod by energization, then cooling the same with the cooling water which is pure water, thereby annealing the wire rod. CONSTITUTION:A wire 500 consisting of copper or copper alloy is first wound around an electrode wheel 1 and is progressed at the time of continuous annealing of said wire. The wire is then energized between the same and the wheel 2 so that the wire is heated to about 500 deg.C by Joule heat. The heated wire is inserted as the red hot wire rod 550 into a pipeline 3. An inert gaseous atmosphere of N2, etc., is maintained in the pipeline 3 to prevent the surface oxidation of the wire rod 550 and the pure water without contg. a reducing agent is supplied as the cooling water 13 at the high flow rate through a supply pipe 7 into a precooling tank 4 by a pump 8. Since the flow rate of the cooling water is high, the bubbles of steam are stripped from the surface of the wire rod even if said bubbles are formed on the surface of the cooling water 13 at the time when the high-temp. wire 550 is precooled by said water. The oxidation of the wire rod surface is thus obviated. The precooling water enters a cooling tank 5 where the precooled wire rod is cooled down to about 50 deg.C. The wire rod is then passed through a guide pipe 19 and is drawn out as the cooled wire rod 600 by a guide wheel 200.