Influences of the Formation of Cast Iron with Nodular Graphite

(GJS) using Magnesium Treatment Process.

Topic: Literature Report

Subject: Research Seminar MMT
Submitted to: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Gotthard Wolf (Gießerei-Institut)
Submitted by: Talha Nibras Ali (62646)
Abstract:
In metallurgical analogy Nodular iron can also be termed as Ductile Iron. The Ductile or Cast
iron is produced by adding magnesium to liquid cast iron to produce a retained magnesium
content of about 0.04 % or more by weight. When this amount of magnesium is retained the iron
solidifies with nodular or spherical graphite. The graphite in the cast iron exists as the spherical
shape or spheroids. This phenomenon occurs when the graphite splits from the molten melt
during solidification and the reaction of the additives involved. Current views on the mechanism
of the formation of nodular graphite in cast iron are examined with respect to their explanatory
power. The formation of these nodules enhances the strength and toughness when compared to
the gray cast iron. This property helps the nodular cast iron to be widely used in manufacturing
technologies. The matrixes in which magnesium or rare earth metals are added just before the
casting process can be any ferrous alloy e.g. pearlite, martensite or austenite. But the latest
research shows the best results as in case of the nodular graphite by using the bainite matrix.

Introduction:
Within the past twenty years, interests have been increased for the addition of alkali and the
alkaline earth metals to ferrous metals. By far the greatest interest has centered around the idea of
the addition of magnesium in order to change the shape of the graphite from flake to
spheroidal[1]. This phenomenon occurs when the graphite splits from the molten melt during
solidification and the reaction of the additives involved. Current views on the mechanism of the
formation of nodular graphite in cast iron are examined with respect to their explanatory power.
The formation of these nodules enhances the strength and toughness when compared to the gray
cast iron. This property helps the nodular cast iron to be widely used in manufacturing
technologies.

Magnesium is the most commonly used spheroidizing element used in the ductile iron production
and it is usually added in any multicomponent alloy form with Si, Ca, rare earths etc. Such alloys
are used to balance the reaction violence, to promote graphite spheroidizing, to neutralize the
effect of impurities on the graphite morphology and to control the microstructure. The most
commonly used materials for nodularizing ductile irons are the ferrosilicon alloys containing
45% Si, 3-12% Mg and various levels of Ca and earth metals Ce, La etc.[2]

The magnesium is added in the foundry to liquid cast iron in the ladle or in a special-purpose
treatment vessel, using a wide range of treatment materials including pure magnesium or alloys
based upon ferrosilicon or nickel and containing magnesium contents ranging from about 16 per
cent down to about 3 per cent. The amount of magnesium retained in the iron depends upon the
proportion of the added magnesium which has dissolved. Some of the magnesium added is lost
by combination with oxygen in the atmosphere and some is lost because it combines the sulfur
in the iron to be treated. Both magnesium sulfide and magnesium oxide are formed during
treatment and are removed as slag which usually floats to the surface of the iron[3].
Inoculation is a way of controlling the structure and properties of cast iron by lessening
undercooling and increasing the number of graphite nodules during solidification. An inoculant is
a material added to the liquid iron just previous to casting which will provide an appropriate
phase for nucleation of graphite nodules during the subsequent cooling. Conventionally,
inoculants have been based on graphite, ferrosilicon, or calcium silicide. The most common
inoculant today is ferrosilicon containing small quantities of elements, such as Ca, AI, Zr, Ba and
Sr.
Inoculants are generally Fe–Si-based alloys containing various active elements promoting
nucleation and precipitation of graphite in cast irons. Examples of active elements are aluminum,
barium, calcium, cerium, manganese, strontium, titanium and zirconium. The amount of
inoculant used for treating cast irons is 0.2–0.5 wt% of the total mass, depending on the
inoculation method. Therefore, the concentrations of inoculating elements in the final cast irons
are very low, and most elements may be present in only trace amounts [4].
Mg recovery is usually higher when the lower Mg-content alloys are used but it also depends on
the processes used for the addition of the magnesium into the melt. The commonly used methods
are 1. The open ladle method 2. Mechanical feeder 3. The plunging method 4. Mg wire treatment
method[a].
It is well known that malleable irons have always been subjected to severe practical limitations
relating to useful ranges of composition, section size, and the combinations of mechanical,
physical and chemical properties which could be produced therein. For example, it has been a
difficult problem to control the size, density and distribution of the graphite nodules formed in
the malleable iron during the heat treatment. But on the other hand nodular graphite cast iron is
produced directly from the melt and thus requires no further heat treatment[5].

Experimental Procedure:

Material: GJS 500 and GJS 600 with a matrix of pearlite and ferrite.
Melting treatment:
The pouring temperature of 1550°C in Medium-frequency crucible induction furnace of Inducal
Göllingen GmbH (60 kg) in which degree of saturation Sc is equivalent to 1.0 and carbon
equivalent value CEV is approx. 4.3 are kept for achieving near eutectic iron-carbon-silicon
casting alloy. The melt volume of is of 50 kg, which is approximately 38 kg raw iron and 10,5 kg
iron scrap. Addition of pure carbon C99.8 (200 g) for the melting loss reasons. Inoculation
condition is ladle inoculation with 0.3 % FeSi75 (200 g). Desulphurization and deoxidation is
carried out with FeMn82 (180 g). Magnesium treatment used is plunger bell with master alloy of
1,2 % FeSiMg5 (650 g).
The standard chemical composition to be expected in the following table A
 Name C Si Mn P Cu S Mg
GJS 3.5-3.8 2.1-2.3 0.30-0.35 <0.2 <0.25 <0.01 <0.04-0.5
Table A.

For Melting equipment, Casting samples are tubes of L50 mm x Ø10 mm and platelet samples
are 30 x 30 x 4 mm³ for chemical composition. To observe Chemical composition, Optical
emission spectrometer SPECTROMAXx of the company SPECTRO Analytical Instruments
GmbH is used and the software tool used called Stream Motion (Version: 2.3.3) from Olympus
Soft Imaging Solutions which can perform an automatically graphite analysis.The Analytical
equipment used are Automatic grinder and polisher TegraPol-31 of the company Struers GmbH
and Microscope Olympus BX51M with an integrated camera Progress GRYPHAX Aktur of the
company Jenoptik AG and the Software Stream Motion by Olympus. A deep-etching process is
carried out using 3 % HNO3 (Nital) to visualize the surface of graphite nodules on the polished
samples.

Results and Discussion:

After the Experimental Procedures, in this part we discuss about the results of the two samples on
which the experiments were conducted. The results from the Optical emission spectrometer are
then compared briefly for the results.

Fig 1a) Fig 1b)

GJS 6 100x polished GJS 6 100x etched

Fig 2a) Fig 2b)

GJS 5 100x polished GJS 5 100x etched

After examining the results on the basis of graphite form, graphite size and disposition of the
graphite it can be observed that graphite is present in both the samples. Forms 5 and 2 are the
commonly visible graphite forms present. But in Fig 2a) Form 2 is also visible. This is correlated
by the data from the Fig 3a) and Fig 3b). In sample GJ S5, form class-V is 63%, form class- II is
24% and form class-IV is 13% graphite is mainly seen. On the other side in sample GJ S6 it’s
quite similar which has majorly form class-V of 69% and form class-II of 31% graphite. Graphite
size classes observed in both the samples are nearly similar being in size-class 7.

Fig 3a) Fig 3b)

Comparison of class to graphite percentage

Fig 4a) Fig 4b)

Correlation with graphite modularity and Form factor.

The graphite modularity of the sample GJS 5 is 49.8% and GJS 6 is 49.5%. This is also nearly
similar.

Conclusion:

Experiments carried out to investigate the nodularizing effect of magnesium in magnesium

treated cast irons indicates the presence of magnesium gas bubbles in the melt and the pressure
dependence of the nodularizing effect of magnesium. These results are satisfactorily explained by
the gas bubble theory and it is clear that magnesium gas bubbles are responsible for the
nodularization of graphite in cast irons treated with magnesium and its alloys. This nodularization
effect, acting as ‘crack arresters’, increases the strength and toughness of the cast iron rendering it
suitable for welding cutting etc. thus making its existence in a very special type of steel family.
The results also depicts that mechanical properties of the cast iron can be influenced by cooling
rate and chemical composition and as well as formation, number and size of the graphite nodules.
References:
Articles and Journals:

[1] Trojan, P. K., and R. A. Flinn. “Fundamentals of Magnesium Addition to Ductile Iron.” SAE
Transactions, vol. 73, 1965, pp. 265–294. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44553812. Accessed 30
June 2020

[2] T. Skaland. ‘Nucleation mechanisms in Ductile Iron’. (AFS Cast iron inoculation Conference)
Sept 29-30, 2005.

[3] John. V. Dawson, Peter White. ‘Method of treating the Magnesium content of Mg treated
Cast Iron’. Jan 24, 1989.

[4] Qing, J., Xu, M. & Pikhovich, V. ‘Why is Graphite Spherical in Ductile Iron? A Study of
Elemental Distributions at Interfaces in Ductile Iron Using Atom Probe Tomography and
Transmission Electron Microscopy’. Inter Metalcast (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40962-020-
00443-0

[5] A. P. Gagnebin, ET AL. ‘Magnesium-Treated Malleable Iron.’ December 18, 1951.

Books:

[a] ‘The complete book on Construction Materials’- NPSC Board of Consultants and Engineers.