For quick and high-quality sampling of metal melts in various metallurgical units, disposable immersion samplers are convenient to use. After using the sampler, the sample is obtained in the form of a cylinder with the correct geometry: a round shape with a diameter of 35 mm or an oval shape of 35x40 mm (depending on the sampler model) and a height of 6, 8, 10, or 12 mm (also depending on the model). The sample has no external or internal defects (such as pores, cavities, cracks, etc.) and exhibits good homogeneity for further spectral analysis. If necessary, the samplers can use deoxidizers (aluminum, zirconium, or titanium).
Using samplers offers several advantages over the traditional method of using a spoon and a metal ladle:

1. No need for preparation of equipment (the sampler is ready for use immediately);
2. Short time required for sampling – no more than 10 seconds;
3. Minimal labor and time for preparing the sample for analysis (eliminating the operation of removing "flash");
4. Reduced costs for grinding wheels (time and height of metal removed are at least twice as small);
5. No cases of sample return for re-machining due to inability to perform the analysis (no hidden defects);
6. High reproducibility of parallel measurements when performing analyses.

Below, we will discuss the immersion samplers of EVRAZSAMP for sampling liquid cast iron (model ESU) and liquid steel (model ES).

The disposable immersion sampler for liquid cast iron (type ESU) consists of a sand head-ladle with steel plates inside, serving as coolers. This head is attached to a paper sleeve. For use, the sampler is placed onto a fixture, which allows the metallurgist to lower the sampler into the melt (when performing manual sampling), or it is mounted on a manipulator (for automatic sampling).

By briefly immersing the ESU sampler into the melt (5-10 seconds) at a depth below the slag level but not more than 2/3 of the sampler's length, the protective cap melts, which covers the ladle's hole and thus prevents slag inclusions from entering the sample. Through this opening, under ferrostatic pressure, the ladle is filled with liquid cast iron. The coolers inside the sampler accelerate the crystallization of the sampled liquid and allow for the collection of a sample of white cast iron. After removing the sampler from the melt, the sand ladle is broken.

After removing the sampler from the melt, it is broken, and the finished white cast iron sample is extracted in the form of a disk. Depending on the model of the EVRAZSAMP ESU sampler, a core sample may also be obtained.

For sampling steel, the EVRAZSAMP ES model sampler is used. The ladle design of this sampler differs slightly from the ESU cast iron sampler. However, the sampling technology remains exactly the same.

The EVRAZSAMP ES sampler consists of a head pressed into a paper sleeve. The head, in turn, consists of a steel ladle fixed in a sand body and closed with a slag-protective cap. During immersion, the cap melts, and the liquid steel flows into the ladle through the quartz tube. The quartz tube may contain a deoxidizer (aluminum, zirconium, or titanium) if necessary.
Currently, many black metallurgy enterprises face the issue of accurately determining the aluminum content in steel grades, such as 08Ю, IF-steels, rail steels, and wheel steels.
A sampler with a zirconium deoxidizer helps solve this problem, as zirconium has better deoxidizing properties than aluminum. A sampler with a zirconium deoxidizer can replace standard samplers without a deoxidizer, as zirconium does not affect the actual chemical composition of the sampled metal.
Samples deoxidized with zirconium maintain the required viscosity across a wide temperature range and have good resistance to impact loads. The surface of the sample deoxidized with zirconium is free of microcracks and microporosity. The deoxidizer is more evenly distributed within the sample and is also easily processed by equipment like "SPECTROLUX," "SPECTROLAB," "HERZOG," and similar systems.

According to the diagram:

1. Steel protective cap
2. Mastic
3. Quartz tube
4. Sand body
5. Steel ladle
6. Steel clamp

The sample obtained with the EVRAZSAMP ES sampler can have different geometries depending on the model: a circle with a diameter of 35 mm and a thickness of 12 mm, or an oval with dimensions 35x40 mm and a thickness of 12 mm.