METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DUCTILE CAST IRON

Abstract: A method in the production of ductile cast iron comprising controlling and correcting the composition of the cast iron melt. The method further comprises extracting a sample from the melt, the mother melt, and adding an amount of an oxide, a sulphide or an oxy-sulphide with the ability to oxidize an amount of the modifying agent present in the sample and corresponding to the fading rate occurent during the casting process as a whole. The sample is permitted to solidify in a sample vessel equipped with two thermocouples, one in the centre of the sample vessel and the other in the vicinity of the sample vessel wall. The temperature and time are recorded during the process of solidification in a manner known per se and nodularity is calculated. If the amount of modifying agent is too low to secure a fully nodular graphite throughout the whole casting period, an appropriate amount of modifying agent is added.

Description: METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DUCTILE CAST IRON The present invention relates to a method for the production of ductile cast iron, comprising controlling and correcting the composition and physical properties of the cast iron melt. More particularly, the method comprises the steps of determining the inherent struc¬ tural characteristics of the melt by thermal melt analysis and making corrections that are necessary. Thermal analysis has long been applied for determining the characteristics of metal melts. The thermal analy¬ sis method allows a sample of the melt to be solidified in a suitable vessel provided with one or more thermo- couples by means of which the temperatures which pre¬ vail as the sample solidifies are recorded. The preci¬ pitation of different phases and phase transformations can be seen from the temperature-time curves. In the production of ductile iron, it is essential that the amount of structure modifying agent present is sufficient to provide nodular graphite precipitation. There must, of course, also be a sufficient amount of nucleating agent present. US-A-4 667 725 teaches a method of determining the structure characteristics of a melt which will permit determination of the metallographic structure which develops during the solidification of a metal melt. The method comprises extracting a sample from the melt and permitting the melt to solidify in a sample vessel provided with two thermosensors, one of which is placed in the centre of the sample volume and the other of which is placed in the vicinity of the inner wall of the sample vessel. During the process of solidifica¬ tion, the various temperatures in time are recorded through both thermosensors. From these recordings, values of miniumum and maximum points, duration of level temperatures, shoulders, derivatives, etc. are used to predict the structure characteristics that will be obtained. The method according to US-A-4 667 725 is mainly directed to the production of compacted cast iron, which has been a challenging task for the man skilled in this art. However, this technique can also be used to predict the structure characteristics of a melt intended for casting ductile cast iron. A typical melt for casting ductile cast iron has a C.E. value of 4.4-4.6, i.e. a hypereutectic cast iron. The method will only disclose that nodular graphite solidification will be obtained. No information relating to excessive amounts of structure modifying agent can be obtained. This means that even if the amount of modifying agent is sufficient to obtain a good cast product at the moment of extracting the sample, the modifying agent content may have decreased, by fading or burning-off, during the process of casting and thus the moulds that are filled last may possibly receive a cast iron melt which contains insufficient amounts of modifying agent. Fading is contingent on the actual process applied and the particular production equipment used. For example, in one particular foundry fading was established to be 0.003% Mg with each 5 minute period. The casting period was about 15 minutes in this case. In other words, the modifying agent content (in this case the mag- nesiu content) was found to decrease by a total of 0.009% during the whole casting period. The above-mentioned problem has forced the foundry an to use a relatively high excess of modifying agent, so as to guarantee a completely nodular graphite cast iron throughout each production run. The use of an excess quantity of modifying agent, such as magnesium, has the following drawbacks: 1. It makes the process more expensive; 2. It increases the tendency to residual carbide formations; and 3. It may form unwanted oxide inclusions in the cast¬ ings. There is an apparent need for a method which will allow the addition of modifying agent, such as magnesium and corresponding metals to be decreased. The present invention enables the need for a modifying agent to be diminished without risk of obtaining cast¬ ings in which the graphite is not completely in nodular form. The invention resides in a method for the production f ductile cast iron, by carefully controlling and cor¬ recting the composition and inherent physical proper¬ ties of the cast iron melt. The method comprises extracting a sample from a melt intended for casting ductile cast iron. This melt will contain a modifying agent in a quantity which is at least enough to create nodular graphite when solidifying. Excess amounts of modifying agent should be avoided. A melt sample is introduced into a sample vessel, which is permitted to come into thermal equilibrium with the melt. The sample vessel is provided with two thermosensors, one of which is positioned so as to be in the centre of the sample volume and the other of which is positioned so as to be in the vicinity of the wall of the sample vessel. The sample melt contained in the vessel is permitted to solidify and the temperature values prevailing during the process of solidification are recorded through the thermosensors. As thermosensors can i.a. thermocouples or pyrometers be used. According to one embodiment of the invention, a given quantity of an oxide, a sulphide or an oxysulphide, in an amount which is sufficient to oxidize the modifying agent present in the sample, so as to lower the per¬ centage of modifying agent present by about 0.01% (calculated for magnesium) . The modifying agent is of a type known to the man skilled in this art. Normally, magnesium is used, often in combination with rare earth metals, although other agents may also be usd. For the sake of simplicity, we refer here to a modifying agent consisting solely of magnesium, which makes it possible to give realistic percentage figures. The person skilled in this art will immediately realize the corrections that are required when using other modifying agents. According to the present invention, a determined amount of an oxidizing agent is added to the sample vessel. This oxidizing agent will react with the melt sample, which is a determined volume dependent on the design of the sample vessel used, by oxidizing the modifying agent, usually magnesium. This oxidizing action reduces the content of active modifying agent by a predeter¬ mined percentage which is calculated to correspond to the loss of active modifying agent due to fading during the normal time of the casting process. It is also possible to extract a melt sample with a ladle and then add an appropriate amount of oxidating agent to the ladle. The sample vessel can then be sub- merged in the ladle and filled with melt. The sample vessel is thereafter taken up and the recording of the solidification temperatures carried out. The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows the relationship between different types of graphite precipitation, expressed in percentage of nodular graphite crystals, and the percentage of dis- solved elementary magnesium. Figure 2 of the drawings shows a typical recording of a good ductile cast iron melt, where the amount of dissolved elementary mag¬ nesium is decreased by 0.01%. The values make it possible to predict the percentage of magnesium present when the graphite formed is not completely nodular (or compacted) . This is shown in Figure 1, which illustrates the relationship between the percentage of nodular graphite formed and the content of dissolved elementary magnesium. From Figure 1, it can be seen that this area is from about 0.016% to 0.032% Mg and that information concerning the per¬ centage of nodular graphite formed also informs about the percentage of dissolved elementary magnesium within this area of ca 0.016-0.032% Mg. In the area above ca 0.032% Mg, i*- is impossible to observe changes in the magnesium content from the solidification curves, while at contents below 0.016% Mg, the graphite is fully compacted until it becomes flaky below ca 0.008% Mg. Figure 2 shows typical curves (Tc, Tw) for an accep¬ table melt from which ductile cast iron can be cast The most important values are T which is the super¬ cooling achieved at the thermocouple located in the vicinity of the sample vessel wall, Tw, which informs about the precipitation nuclei in the melt. Of value is also the re value, which is the positive derivative of the solidification curve in the lower part of the diagram and the ΔT value which is the difference between the equilibrium eutectic temperature T_ and maximum growth temperature at the centre of (the curve Tc) of the sample volume. This value ΔT gives informa- tion about the percentage of nodular graphite precipi¬ tations. The person skilled in this art will realize which values correspond to the equipment used. The signal from the thermocouples is a function of the latent heat evolved during the solidification process. As the growth rate depends on the growth mechanism which in turn is influenced by the amount of modifying element present in the melt, the rate of evaluation of latent "heat" can be established as a function of the aspect ratio length divided by witdth of graphite crys¬ tals, from say 20/1 for a typical compacted graphite crystal to 1/1 in the case of a fully modular crystal. The diagrame of the thermal analysis values changes in morphology is therefore at its maximum in the midst of the S-curve shown in Figure 1 and a minima where the curve flattens out. The invention is exemplified in the following examples, which are not intended to restrict the scope of the invention. Example 1 A cast iron melt was produced in which the true content of dissolved elementary magnesium was 0.035% (sub¬ sequently calculated) . A thermal analysis was carried out in a known manner on a melt sample contained in a sample vessel of the kind specified in the general part of the specification. This analysis showed that the melt sample was of acceptable quality with an almost complete nodularity. It was the intention to complete the entire casting process within a time period of 15 minutes from the moment of taking a sample. Assuming that the fading rate of Mg is 0.003%/5 minutes, the true Mg-level will be 0.026% at the end of this 15-minute period and will have entered the area in which an inferior ductile iron quality with a nodularity of less than the standard 80% appears in the final castings of the series. In the thermal analysis, carried out in accordance with the invention, the original magnesium level of the sample was reduced by 0.010% through the iron and sulphur addition, thus giving a result corresponding to 0.035-0.010 = 0.025% Mg and a nodularity of about 50% (cf. Figure 1) . Thus, it is necessary to increase the Mg content of the whole melt to at least 0.042% Mg, so as to compensate for magnesium which is lost through fading during the entire process (e.g. 15 minutes) . Thus, an additional amount of 0.042-0.035 = 0.007% Mg is necessary. Example 2 A cast iron melt in which the true active magnesium content was 0.055% was tested according to the present invention. The thermal analysis showed a nodularity of 100% (0.055-0.10 = 0.045). The cast iron melt was intended for the production castings over a casting period of 15 minutes. No prob¬ lem concerning nodularity was observed, although a etallographic analysis showed some oxide inclusions and a minor amount of carbides in the solidified sample. The test showed that the modifying agent was in excess and could be decreased in the next batch of melt. Alternatively, the magnesium content can be decreased by using a holding time before casting or by adding an appropriate amount of an oxidation agent. Thus, the invention provides a valuable tool in the art of casting ductile cast iron products.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method in the production of ductile cast iron in which the solidification characteristics of the cast iron melt are controlled and corrected, said method comprising a) taking a sample from the melt, the mother melt, with the aid of a sample vessel, and permitting the vessel to come into thermal equilibrium with the melt, said vessel being provided with two thermosensors, one of which is placed in the centre of the vessel and the other in the vicinity of the vessel wall; b) permitting the sample to solidify and recording temperatures during the process of solidification and calculating from the temperaures recorded during soli¬ dification period in a manner known the nodularity of the precipitated graphite crystals and the correspond¬ ing percentage of structure modifying agent, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the melt the sample vessel is provided with a defined proportion of an oxide, a sulphide or an oxysulphide having the ability to oxidize a certain amount of the modifying agent present in the sample, this amount corresponding to the fading rate that prevails during the entire casting process, and is further characterized in that additio¬ nal modifying agent is added to the mother melt when the analysis shows that the modifying agent present is insufficient to provide all castings with a completely nodular graphite structure. 2. A method according to Claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the modifying agent is pre¬ dominantly magnesium, and in that the content of active magnesium is lowered through oxidation by 0.005-0.015%. 3. A method according to Claim 1 , c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that the modifying agent contains predominantly magnesium. 4. A method according to Claim 1, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that the initial content of modifying agent in the mother melt is sufficiently small to ensure that the subsequent decreased content of modify¬ ing agent will be beneath 0.03%, thereby enabling further modifying agent to be added to the mother melt in an amount which is just sufficient to obtain a completely nodular graphite in all castings obtained from the mother melt. 5. A method alternative to Claim 1, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that a sample of the mother melt is taken in a ladle and that an appropriate amount of oxides, sulphides or oxysulphides is added to the ladle and that the sample vessel equipped with said two thermosensors is submerged in the sample contained in the ladle and then taken up for the solidification temperature recording. 6. A method according to Claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that said thermosensors are thermo- couples.

Inventors: BAECKERUD STIG LENNART, BAECKERUD, STIG, LENNART
Applicants: SINTERCAST LTD, SINTERCAST LTD.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B22D46
IPC codes: B22D1, B22D2, B22D46, C21C1, C22C33, G01N33