Process and apparatus for direct chill casting

An apparatus for direct chill casting of metal having an open ended mold cavity formed by a casting surface, a refractory sleeve adapted to receive molten metal, a coolant delivery system for supplying coolant to chill the descending hot metal body, and a boron nitride ring mounted between the refractory sleeve and the peripheral wall of the mold cavity. A downspout may be used instead of a refractory sleeve having a flow control rod or floating baffle to control the amount of molten metal entering the mold cavity. A process for direct chill casting of a metal including continuously filling the cavity with molten metal and permitting the metal to move downwardly through the mold to form an ingot, and simultaneously chilling the ingot by spraying coolant on the ingot from the coolant delivery system.