New developments in high quality grey cast irons

The paper reviews original data obtained by the present authors, revealed in recent separate publications, describing specific procedures for high quality grey irons, and reflecting the forecast needs of the worldwide iron foundry industry. High power, medium frequency coreless induction furnaces ar...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Iulian Riposan, Mihai Chisamera, Stelian Stan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Foundry Journal Agency 2014-07-01
Series:China Foundry
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.foundryworld.com/uploadfile/2014090237114725.pdf
_version_ 1811242470472679424
author Iulian Riposan
Mihai Chisamera
Stelian Stan
author_facet Iulian Riposan
Mihai Chisamera
Stelian Stan
author_sort Iulian Riposan
collection DOAJ
description The paper reviews original data obtained by the present authors, revealed in recent separate publications, describing specific procedures for high quality grey irons, and reflecting the forecast needs of the worldwide iron foundry industry. High power, medium frequency coreless induction furnaces are commonly used in electric melting grey iron foundries. This has resulted in low sulphur (<0.05wt.%) and aluminium (<0.005wt.%) contents in the iron, with a potential for higher superheating (>1,500 °C), contributing to unfavourable conditions for graphite nucleation. Thin wall castings are increasingly produced by these electric melt shops with a risk of greater eutectic undercooling during solidification. The paper focused on two groups of grey cast irons and their specific problems: carbides and graphite morphology control in lower carbon equivalent high strength irons (CE=3.4%-3.8%), and austenite dendrite promotion in eutectic and slightly hypereutectic irons (CE=4.1%-4.5%), in order to increase their strength characteristics. There are 3 stages and 3 steps involving graphite formation, iron chemistry and iron processing that appear to be important. The concept in the present paper sustains a threestage model for nucleating flake graphite [(Mn,X)S type nuclei]. There are three important groups of elements (deoxidizer, Mn/S, and inoculant) and three technological stages in electric melting of iron (superheat, pre-conditioning of base iron, final inoculation). Attention is drawn to a control factor (%Mn) x (%S) ensuring it equals to 0.03 – 0.06, accompanied by 0.005wt.%–0.010wt.% Al and/or Zr content in inoculated irons. It was found that iron powder addition promotes austenite dendrite formation in eutectic and slightly eutectic, acting as reinforcement for the eutectic cells. But, there is an accompanying possible negative influence on the characteristics of the (Mn,X)S type graphite nuclei (change the morphology of nuclei from polygonal compact to irregular polygonal, and therefore promote chill tendency in treated irons). A double addition (iron powder + inoculant) appears to be an effective treatment to benefit both austenite and graphite nucleation, with positive effects on the final structure and chill tendency.
first_indexed 2024-04-12T13:51:46Z
format Article
id doaj.art-0b39587c5db549ca9655d7b252094422
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1672-6421
1672-6421
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-12T13:51:46Z
publishDate 2014-07-01
publisher Foundry Journal Agency
record_format Article
series China Foundry
spelling doaj.art-0b39587c5db549ca9655d7b2520944222022-12-22T03:30:30ZengFoundry Journal AgencyChina Foundry1672-64211672-64212014-07-01114351364New developments in high quality grey cast ironsIulian Riposan0Mihai Chisamera1Stelian Stan2POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest, RomaniaPOLITEHNICA University of Bucharest, RomaniaPOLITEHNICA University of Bucharest, RomaniaThe paper reviews original data obtained by the present authors, revealed in recent separate publications, describing specific procedures for high quality grey irons, and reflecting the forecast needs of the worldwide iron foundry industry. High power, medium frequency coreless induction furnaces are commonly used in electric melting grey iron foundries. This has resulted in low sulphur (<0.05wt.%) and aluminium (<0.005wt.%) contents in the iron, with a potential for higher superheating (>1,500 °C), contributing to unfavourable conditions for graphite nucleation. Thin wall castings are increasingly produced by these electric melt shops with a risk of greater eutectic undercooling during solidification. The paper focused on two groups of grey cast irons and their specific problems: carbides and graphite morphology control in lower carbon equivalent high strength irons (CE=3.4%-3.8%), and austenite dendrite promotion in eutectic and slightly hypereutectic irons (CE=4.1%-4.5%), in order to increase their strength characteristics. There are 3 stages and 3 steps involving graphite formation, iron chemistry and iron processing that appear to be important. The concept in the present paper sustains a threestage model for nucleating flake graphite [(Mn,X)S type nuclei]. There are three important groups of elements (deoxidizer, Mn/S, and inoculant) and three technological stages in electric melting of iron (superheat, pre-conditioning of base iron, final inoculation). Attention is drawn to a control factor (%Mn) x (%S) ensuring it equals to 0.03 – 0.06, accompanied by 0.005wt.%–0.010wt.% Al and/or Zr content in inoculated irons. It was found that iron powder addition promotes austenite dendrite formation in eutectic and slightly eutectic, acting as reinforcement for the eutectic cells. But, there is an accompanying possible negative influence on the characteristics of the (Mn,X)S type graphite nuclei (change the morphology of nuclei from polygonal compact to irregular polygonal, and therefore promote chill tendency in treated irons). A double addition (iron powder + inoculant) appears to be an effective treatment to benefit both austenite and graphite nucleation, with positive effects on the final structure and chill tendency.http://www.foundryworld.com/uploadfile/2014090237114725.pdfgrey iron; S; Al; Zr; Ti; electric melting; furnace superheating; preconditioning; inoculation; graphite nucleation; graphite morphology; carbides; dendritic austenite; iron powder
spellingShingle Iulian Riposan
Mihai Chisamera
Stelian Stan
New developments in high quality grey cast irons
China Foundry
grey iron; S; Al; Zr; Ti; electric melting; furnace superheating; preconditioning; inoculation; graphite nucleation; graphite morphology; carbides; dendritic austenite; iron powder
title New developments in high quality grey cast irons
title_full New developments in high quality grey cast irons
title_fullStr New developments in high quality grey cast irons
title_full_unstemmed New developments in high quality grey cast irons
title_short New developments in high quality grey cast irons
title_sort new developments in high quality grey cast irons
topic grey iron; S; Al; Zr; Ti; electric melting; furnace superheating; preconditioning; inoculation; graphite nucleation; graphite morphology; carbides; dendritic austenite; iron powder
url http://www.foundryworld.com/uploadfile/2014090237114725.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT iulianriposan newdevelopmentsinhighqualitygreycastirons
AT mihaichisamera newdevelopmentsinhighqualitygreycastirons
AT stelianstan newdevelopmentsinhighqualitygreycastirons