Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology

Experiment No: 06
Experiment Name: Study of The Cast on Foundry Practice

Name: Masuma Akther Lovely

Student ID: 1811016
Group: A3
Course: MME-346
Level-Term: 3-2
Department: MME

Date of Performance: 29/01/23

Date of Submission: 08/02/23
OBJECTIVE:

This experiment aims to cast irons using different raw materials and additives and to study the
effects of process variables on the nature and properties of cast iron.

INTRODUCTION:

Cast iron is produced by smelting iron-carbon alloys that have a carbon content of 2.14–4% and
other alloys, and 1–3% of silicon, which improves the casting performance of the molten metal.
Small amounts of manganese and some impurities like sulfur and phosphorous may also be
present. The combination of high carbon content, and the presence of silicon, gives cast iron its
excellent castability. There are four basic types of cast iron,

1. Gray Cast Iron: Gray cast iron features a graphite microstructure consisting of many small
fractures. It’s called “gray cast iron” because the presence of these small fractures creates the
appearance of a gray color.

2. Ductile Cast Iron: Ductile iron, also known as nodular iron or spheroidal graphite iron, is very
similar to gray iron in composition, but during solidification, the graphite nucleates as spherical
particles (nodules) in ductile iron rather than as
flakes. Ductile iron is stronger and more shock
resistant than gray iron.

3. White Cast Iron: White cast iron is formed when

the carbon in solution is not able to form graphite
on solidification. White cast irons are hard and
brittle; they cannot easily be machined. They are
unique in that they are the only member of the cast
iron family in which carbon is present only as a
Figure 1: Different Types of Cast Iron
carbide.

4. Malleable Cast Iron: Malleable cast iron is essentially white cast iron that has been modified by
heat treatment. It is formed when white cast iron is heated to around 920 °C and then left to cool
very slowly.

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Several raw materials and additives can be added to the cast iron according to the requirement.
Such as a high percentage of silicon forces carbon out of the solution forming graphite and the
production of grey cast iron. Other alloying agents, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, titanium,
and vanadium counteracts silicon, promote the retention of carbon, and the formation of those
carbides. The casting process variables considered are the

1. Shell mould preheat temperature

2. The pouring temperature
3. The melt hydrogen content, etc.

The addition of inoculants reduces undercooling during eutectic solidification and ensures that no
eutectic carbide is present in the final cast microstructures. Graphite base, ferrosilicon base, and
calcium silicide base are common inoculating substances. The most popular inoculant is
ferrosilicon (45% or 75% Si). Inoculants are most effective very away after treatment and lose
effectiveness over the course of 10 to 20 minutes. Based on the length of time and type of addition,
there are different inoculation techniques.

These are often divided into two categories:

1. Ladle Addition: Inoculants are added either as the liquid iron enters the ladle or just
afterward.
2. Late Inoculation: Treatment after the metal has left the ladle.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDUCRE:

1. A wedge-shaped cast iron sample was already made and the sample was polished over the
emery paper graded from 120 to 1500.
2. Dry grinding, wet polishing, and etching were done.
3. The sample was correctly positioned in the microscope on a glass plate.
4. Several phases could be identified from the microstructure.
5. The sample was collected in order to calculate Brinell’s hardness.
6. Sample diameters, applied force, and indenter diameter readings were collected.

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CALCULATION:

For Brinell hardness:

Force, P= 1000 kgf

Diameter of indentation, D = 10mm

Figure 2: The wedge-shaped casting and its cross-section

Depression diameter,

for the ‘a’ point, da = 48 division =3.56 mm

for the ‘b’ point, db = 48 division = 3.56 mm

for the ‘c’ point, dc = 48 division = 3.56 mm

for the ‘d’ point, dd = 50 division = 3.70 mm

for the ‘e’ point, de = 50 division = 3.70 mm

for the ‘f’ point, df = 49 division = 3.63 mm

2𝑃
Brinell hardness Number, BHN = 1
πD(D−(𝐷2 −𝑑 2 )2 )

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 Name of The Indentation Depression Applied Force, P Brinell Hardness
Point Diameter, D Diameter, d (kgf) Number, BHN
(mm) (mm) (kgf/mm2)
a 3.56 97.17

b 3.56 97.17

c 3.56 97.17
10 1000

d 3.70 89.70

e 3.70 89.70

f 3.63 93.33

RESULT:

Ferrite
Pearlite

Lamellar Graphite

Figure 3: Microstructure of the “a” point

The microstructure of cast iron shows the matrix consisting of ferrite and pearlite. Also, lamellar
graphite is also present. The microstructures are taken at 500X magnification. At points c and d,
the amount of pearlite is higher than at any other point whereas the amount of pearlite is really low
in f point. The graphite lengths and thickness in every structure is different but flake shaped. Mn,

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S particles are also seen. The orange color marked region in some images was seen due to the light
reflection.

Figure 4: Microstructure of the “b” point Figure 5: Microstructure of the “c” point

Mn/S Particle

Steatite

Figure 6: Microstructure of the “d” point

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 Figure 7: Microstructure of the “e” point Figure 8: Microstructure of the “f” point

DISCUSSION:
Effect of Inoculation on Solidification and structure:

Small amounts of alloys called inoculants are applied to encourage eutectic graphite nucleation.
Increased growth of eutectic cells during eutectic solidification is the result of inoculation. The
iron has higher mechanical properties and a finer cell structure as a result, with no appreciable
hardness increase. Additionally, a large number of eutectic cells favor the development of the
carbide/austenite eutectic, which takes place with significant undercooling, over the
graphite/austenite eutectic. In actuality, this means keeping thin portions from being chilled.

Cast iron undergoes structural modification due to inoculation, which modifies the solidification
process. The purpose of inoculation is to generate nuclei in the liquid iron that facilitate the
nucleation of graphite at extremely low undercooling. In turn, this will encourage the development
of Type A graphite structure in gray cast irons. By inoculating an iron that would have otherwise
been white due to a low carbon equivalent value, a grey iron can be created.

How to Add Inoculants in The Melt:

1. Using ladle addition, while tapping molten metal from the furnace to ladle or from ladle to
ladle, inoculants are added to the metal stream. To ensure that the final metal simply blends,
inoculant addition should start when the ladle is one-quarter full and should be finished
when it is three-quarters full. Inoculants are never added to the bottom of the ladle and then
tapped onto it. 0.1–0.5 wt.% of metal of inoculants are added to the grey cast irons.

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 Figure 9: Inoculation addition by ladle addition
2. It is desirable to add inoculant as late as possible just before casting, it is called late
inoculation. The use of late-stream inoculation techniques leads to the virtual elimination
of the fading. Late stream inoculation is intended for foundries with mechanized moulding,
melting, and pouring lines, where conventional ladle inoculation is not possible.

Figure 10: Inoculation addition using late inoculation

Effect of Cooling Rate:

As the sample was previously prepared, so the effect of the cooling rate by observing the addition
of inoculation wasn’t possible to determine. Cast iron's structure and characteristics are
significantly influenced by the pace of cooling. When cooling more quickly, cementite structure
develops rather than graphite flakes, which affects the production of white cast iron. On the other
side, it encourages the creation of graphite flakes with a slower cooling rate. Thus, rather than
producing white cast iron, it might generate gray or other kinds of cast iron. The cooling rate in

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thin sections continues to be higher than in larger sections. As a result, there are numerous
opportunities to obtain further cementite in thin sections, and the development of cast iron
including graphite flakes may not take place.

Properties of Cast Iron:

The properties of cast iron include,

1. Low tensile strength

2. High compressive strength
3. Low melting point
4. Resistance to deformation
5. Resistance to oxidation
6. Good casting properties
7. Good machinability for grey cast iron
8. Constant Mechanical properties between 20 to 350℃
9. The materials are section sensitive, due to the slow cooling of thick sections.
10. High brittleness
11. White cast iron cannot be machined.
12. No exhibition of yield point.