Cast Iron and Steel

Fe-C Fe-C-2% Si
2 wt. pct. Si
2.5 wt. pct. Si
C-Si Combinations
Gray Iron
 Carbon Equivalent
• C.E. = C + (Si + P) / 3
• Properties related to C.E.
– Mechanical
– Hardness
– Damping
– Thermal conductivity
C.E. Effect
 Other Important Elements
• Mn, S • Ni
– Mn ≥ 1.7 * S + 0.3 • Sn
• Cr – Strong pearlite former
– Promotes chill • P
• Cu – From pig
– Strength – Forms Steadite
• Mo
– Promotes pearlite
P Effect on Eutectic Temperature
S Effect
 Solidification
• Two possibilities
– C as cementite
• Ledeburite
– C as graphite
• Flakes
Ledeburite
Types of Flake Graphite
Type A Flake Graphite
Type A and B Flake Graphite
Type C and A Flake Graphite
Type D Flake Graphite
Type E Flake Graphite
Deep Etched Flake Graphite
 Thermal Analysis
• Look at cooling curve
• Determine rough C, Si
• Determine quality of melt/ladle
Thermal Analysis Plots
Cooling Curves
 Melting Methods
• Cupola
– Continuous
• Induction
– Batch type
Cupola
 Cupola Charging
• Materials added in alternating layers
• Metals
– Steel
• 25-90%
– Scrap iron castings
• As available
– Pig iron
• As needed to dilute tramp in steel
– Alloys
• FeMn, FeSi, etc.
 Cupola Charging
• Coke
– Carbon and heat source
– 8-16%
• Flux
– 2-8%
– Limestone (CaO)
– Soda ash (Na2CO3)
• Increases slag fluidity
– Fluorspar (CaF2)
• Maintains slag fluidity
– Calcium carbide (CaC2)
• Deox, raise C, raise T, adds to CaO
Induction Furnace
 Induction Melting Materials
• Pig Iron
– 4%C, 2.75%Si, 0.65%Mn, 0.02%S
• Steel
– 0.3%C, 0.3%Si, 0.8%Mn
• Returns
• Alloying additions
– FeSi
– FeMn
– Pyrite
– Others
 Inoculants
• Late addition of FeSiCa type alloy
• Typically contain rare earth elements such as
cerium or strontium
• Helps promote small graphite flakes
– Nucleation sites for flakes
• Slows rate of solidification
• Lowers chill tendency
• Deoxidization
 Inoculation Practice
• Dry materials
• Start tapping furnace into ladle then add
inoculants
• Add to metal stream entering ladle
• Provide good mixing
• Pour quickly to prevent fade
• In mold
– Prevent fade ladle inoculant
 Classifications
• UTS-Tensile bar size
• 25B
• 35A
• 40C
• 30S
• Dimensions
– A – 0.88” x 6”
– B – 1.2” x 9”
– C – 2.0” x 10”
Ductile Iron
C-Si Combinations
 What is ductile iron?
• Similar chemistry as gray iron
• Add a nodulizer
– Changes graphite flake into spherical nodule
– Typically Mg
• Significant change in mechanical properties
Preferred Chemistry Range
 Composition
• C, Si – Primary elements
• Mn – Promotes pearlite
• S – Combines with Mg and R.E.
• Mg – Causes spheroids, lowers S, O
– 0.02-0.08%
• Cu, Mo, Ni – Promote hardenability
 Composition
• Chunky
– Ce, Ca, Si, Ni
• Intercellular Flake
– Bi, Cu, Al, Pb, Sb, Sn, As, Cd
• Deleterious
– Zr, Zn, Se, Ti, N, S, O
 Classifications
• UTS-YS-%Elongation
• 65-45-12
• 60-40-18
• 80-55-06
• 100-70-03
• Tensile bar machined from Y-block
– Dimensions based on casting thickness
 Microstructure Classification
• Nodularity %
• Nodule Size
• Pearlite Content
• Carbide Content
Nodularity
Nodule Size
Pearlite Content
Carbide
C Float
 Magnesium Recovery

• High affinity for S

• Need base iron to be low in S or recovery will
suffer
• Can use Mg as a S remover
Mg Plunger
Sandwich Production Method
• Started with open ladle
• Slight improvement
• Need fast tapping
• Low recovery
Covered Ladle
• Tundish
• Improved Mg recovery
• Need to tap fast
• Can improve further
with refractory dam
• Usually pour in different
ladle
Steel
C-Si Combinations
 Difference
• Can have more alloy content
• More shrinkage
• Hotter
• Melting
• Alloy additions
• Molding
Pour Steel Hotter
 Materials
• Need good control of the residual elements
• Different grades available for most materials
• Purer materials cost more
– High C FeCr vs. Low C FeCr vs. Electrolytic Cr
 Classifications
• Steel vs. Stainless Steel
• Chemistry
• Mechanical properties
 Steel – WCB
• Chemistry (max) • Mechanical props
– C: 0.3 – Tensile: 70-95
– Mn: 1.0
– Yield: 36
– P: 0.04
– S: 0.045 – Elongation: 22%
– Si: 0.6 – Reduction of Area: 35%
– Cu: 0.3
– Ni: 0.5
– Cr: 0.5 • Pouring temp
– Mo: 0.2 – 2750 – 3000 °F
– V: 0.03 – 1510 – 1650 °C
– Total Resid: 1.0
 Steel Melting
• Dead melt
– Minimize oxygen during melting
– FeSi or FeMn additions to control O
• Live melt
– Purposely add taconite (Fe203)
– Need to add deoxidizer at tap
• CaSiBar, FeSi
 Stainless – CF8M
• Chemisty • Mechanical
– C: 0.08 – Tensile: 70
– Mn: 1.5 – Yield: 30
– Si: 2.0 – Elongation: 30%
– P, S: 0.04
– Cr: 18.0-21.0 • Pouring temp
– Ni: 9.0-12.0 – 2900 – 3100 °F
– Mo: 2.0-3.0 – 1590 – 1705 °C
• 3#/1000 FeSe added for
green sand molding
 Molding Differences
• Chemically bonded sand
– Different chemicals needed that withstand higher
temperatures
– Coating a must
• Green Sand
– Clay type
 Clay Types
Southern Bentonite
• Calcium
• Found in southern US
– Mississippi, Alabama
• Quick to develop green and
shear strength
– Less mull time needed
• Low mold shrinkage
• Good for non-ferrous
– Mix for iron
Western Bentonite
• Sodium
• Found in western US
– Wyoming, South Dakota
• Higher hot strength
• Less flowable
• More thermally durable
• Used exclusively for steel
 Charge Correction
• Calculate weight of each element for
– Aim
– Prelim
– Need to add to get to aim
• Calculate addition of alloy for each element
• Want to use cheapest materials that will not
cause other issues
 Steel Charge Correction
• 1000# • Carbon – 100% C
• C: 0.2%, Aim: 0.25 • FeMn – 75% Mn, 6.3% C
• Mn: 0.45%, Aim: 0.85% • Electrolytic Mn – 100%
– Shoot for 0.9% to Mn
account for recovery • FeSi – 75% Si
• Si: 0.15%, Aim: 0.25%
– Final Si: 0.45%
• Other elements: Min
 Steel Charge Correction 2
• 1000# • Carbon – 100% C
• C: 0.23%, Aim: 0.25 • FeMn – 75% Mn, 6.3% C
• Mn: 0.4%, Aim: 0.85% • Electrolytic Mn – 100%
– Shoot for 0.9% to Mn
account for recovery • FeSi – 75% Si
• Si: 0.18%, Aim: 0.25%
– Final Si: 0.45%
• Other elements: Min
 Stainless Charge Correction
• 1000# • FeMn – 75% Mn, 6.3% C
• Electrolytic Mn – 100% Mn
• C: 0.04%, Aim: Min • FeSi – 75% Si
• Mn: 0.6%, Aim: 0.9% • Pyrite – 50% S
• Ni – 100% Ni
• Si: 0.45%, Aim: 1.0%
• FeMo – 62.4% Mo
• S: 0.015%, Aim: 0.03% • Pure Moly – 100% Mo
• Ni: 8.75%, Aim:9.4% • High C FeCr – 6.3% C, 65.6% Cr
• Low C FeCr – 0.035% C, 70% Cr
• Cr: 17.25%, Aim: 18.5% • Electrolytic Cr – 99.34% Cr
• Mo: 1.9%, Aim: 2.1%