Numerical Simulation of Shrinkage Cavity Formation in Spheroidal Graphite Iron Castings Based on Micro Modeling

A micro-modeling method (MM) for the quantitative prediction of the shrinkage cavity formation in SGiron castings is proposed. The mathematical models describing the volume changes during the solidification ofspheroidal graphite cast iron are established based on the models of solidification kinetics. The shrinkage cavityformation of T-shaped SG iron castings is calculated with MM method. The calculated results are compared with theexperimental results. It is shown that the predicted size, shape and distribution of shrinkage cavity by MM methodare in good agreement with the measured results.

Experimental and FEM Study of Coated and Uncoated Tools Used for Dry Milling of Compacted Graphite Cast Iron

Compacted graphite cast iron （CG1） has been the material for high-power diesel engines recently, but its increased strength causes poor machinability. In this study, coated and uncoated carbide tools were used in dry milling experiment and FEM simulation to study the machinability of CGI and wear behaviour of tools. The experimental and FEM simulation results show that coated tool has great advantage in dry milling of CGI. SEM and EDS analysis of tool wear indicate the wear morphology and wear mechanism. Adhesive wear is the main mechanism to cause un- coated tool wear, while abrasive wear and delamination wear are the main mechanism to cause coated tool wear. Stress and temperature distribution in FEM simulation help to understand the wear mechanism including the reason for coat- ing peeled off.

Eutectic solidification mode of spheroidal graphite cast iron and graphitization

The shrinkage and chilling tendency of spheroidal graphite (abbreviated SG) cast iron is much greater than that of the flake graphite cast iron in spite of its higher amount of C and Si contents. Why? The main reason should be the difference in their graphitization during the eutectic solidification. In this paper, we discuss the difference in the solidification mechanism of both cast irons for solving these problems using unidirectional solidification and the cooling curves of the spheroidal graphite cast iron. The eutectic solidification rate of the SG cast iron is controlled by the diffusion of carbon through the austenite shell, and the final thickness is 1.4 times the radius of the SG, therefore, the reduction of the SG size, namely, the increase in the number, is the main solution of these problems.

The forty years of vermicular graphite cast iron development in China (Part Ⅰ)

In China, the research and development of vermicular graphite cast iron (VGCI) as a new type of engineering material, were started in the same period as in other developed countries; however, its actual industrial application was even earlier. In China, the deep and intensive studies on VGCI began as early as the 1960s. According to the incomplete statistics to date, more than 600 papers on VGCI have been published by Chinese researchers and scholars at national and international conferences, and in technical journals. More than ten types of production methods and more than thirty types of treatment alloy have been studied. Formulae for calculating the critical addition of treatment alloy required to produce VGCI have been put forward, and mechanisms for explaining the formation of dross during treatment were brought forward. The casting properties, metallographic structure, mechanical and physical properties and machining performance of VGCI, as well as the relationships between them, have all been studied in detail. The Chinese Standards for VGCI and VGCI metallographic structure have been issued. In China, the primary crystallization of VGCI has been studied by many researchers and scholars. The properties of VGCI can be improved by heat treatment and addition of alloying elements enabling its applications to be further expanded. Hundreds of kinds of VGCI castings have been produced and used in vehicles, engines, mining equipment, metallurgical products serviced under alternating thermal load, machinery, hydraulic components, textile machine parts and military applications. The heaviest VGCI casting produced is 38 tons and the lightest is only 1 kg. Currently, the annual production of the VGCI in China is about 200 000 tons. The majority of castings are made from cupola iron without pre-treatment, however, they are also produced from electric furnaces and by duplex melting from cupola-electric furnaces or blast furnace-electric furnace. Examples of typical applications for VGCI castings are introduced in this paper. In China, the technologies such as rapid testing of the molten metal and non-destructive testing of casting microstructure still need to be improved. Several proposals are put forward in this paper in order to improve the production of VGCI. Generally speaking, in China, the research, production, and application of vermicular graphite cast iron are at the same level as in other developed countries and in some fields China even takes lead. (332 references and 5 Tables)

Quantitative models for microstructure and thermal conductivity of vermicular graphite cast iron cylinder block based on cooling rate

The relationships of cooling rate with microstructure and thermal conductivity of vermicular graphite cast iron(VGI) cylinder block were studied, which are important for design and optimization of the casting process of VGI cylinder blocks. Cooling rates at different positions in the cylinder block were calculated based on the cooling curves recorded with a solidification simulation software. The metallographic structure and thermal conductivity were observed and measured using optical microscopy(OM), scanning electrical microscopy(SEM) and laser flash diffusivity apparatus, respectively. The effects of the cooling rate on the vermicularity, total and average areas of all graphite particles, and the pearlite fraction in the VGI cylinder block were investigated. It is found that the vermicularity changes in parabola trend with the increase of cooling rate. The total area of graphite particles and the cooling rate at eutectoid stage can be used to predict pearlite fraction well. Moreover, it is found that the thermal conductivity at room temperature is determined by the average area of graphite particles and pearlite fraction when the range of vermicularity is from 80% to 93%. Finally, the quantitative models are established to calculate the vermicularity, pearlite fraction, and thermal conductivity of the VGI cylinder block.

Influence of boron on ferrite formation in copper-added spheroidal graphite cast iron

This paper reviews the original work of the authors published recently,describing the influence of B on the matrix of the Cuadded spheroidal graphite cast iron.The effect of Cu has been corrected as a ferrite formation promoter in the matrix of the grey cast iron by the usage of high-purity material.Also,this paper focuses on the ferrite formation and the observation of the Cu distribution in the B-added and B-free Cu-containing spheroidal graphite cast iron.The Cu film on the spheroidal graphite can be successfully observed in the B-free sample using a special etching method.However,in the B-added sample,no Cu film could be found,while the secondary graphite was formed on the surface of the spheroidal graphite.The interaction between B and Cu is stressed as a peculiar phenomenon by the employment of a contrast experiment of B and Mn.The heat treatment could make Cu precipitate more significantly in the eutectic cells and in the matrix in the form of large Cu particles because of the limited solubility of Cu.

Different thermal fatigue behaviors between gray cast iron and vermicular graphite cast iron

The initiation and propagation of thermal fatigue cracks in gray cast iron and vemicular graphite cast iron were investigated by Uddeholm method to reveal the complex thermal fatigue behaviors of cast iron.Differences of thermal fatigue behaviors of gray cast iron and vemicular graphite cast iron were observed and analyzed.It is found that the observed differences are related to the combination of graphite morphology and the oxidization of matrix.More oxidized matrix is observed in gray cast iron due to its large specific surface area.The brittle oxidized matrix facilitates the propagation of microcracks along the oxidization layer.By contrast,the radial microcracks are formed in vermicular graphite at the edge of graphite due to fewer oxidization layers.It indicates that the thermal fatigue resistance of gray cast iron is dominated by graphite content and morphology while that of vermicular graphite cast iron strongly relates to the strength of the matrix.

Shrinkage Behaviour of Spheroidal Graphite Cast Iron in Green and Dry Sand Molds for the Benchmarking of Solidification Simulation

The effects of metallurgical and processing parameters on the formation of shrinkage cavities and porosities in spheroidal graphite cast iron have been studied, considering the parameters of carbon equivalent, inoculation, casting modulus, mold type (green or dry) and pouring temperature within specific ranges of these variables. Based on the orthogonal experiments, the metallurgical and processing parameters of the minimum casting shrinkage and the maximum casting shrinkage were obtained, and the effects of metallurgical and processing parameters on the formation of shrinkage cavities and porosities in spheroids graphite cast iron castings were discussed. Finally, two regression equations relating these variables to the formation of shrinkage porosity were derived based upon the orthogonal experiments conducted.

Numerical simulation of microstructure evolution on near eutectic spheroidal graphite cast iron

A multiphase cellular automaton model was developed to simulate microstructure evolution of near eutectic spheroidal graphite cast iron(SGI) during its solidification process, and both dendritic austenite and spheroidal graphite growth models were adopted. To deduce the mesh anisotropy of cellular automaton method, the composition averaging and geometrical parameter were introduced to simulate the spheroidal graphite growth. Solute balance method and decentered square algorithms were employed to simulate austenite dendrites growth with different crystallographic orientations. The simulated results indicate that the graphite nodule grows in a spherical morphology when the surrounding environment of a single graphite nodule is same. However, for two adjacent graphite nodules, the environment is different. The higher the carbon concentration, the faster the growth of graphite. By comparison with experimental results, it is found that the microstructure evolution of near eutectic spheroidal graphite cast iron during solidification process can be reproduced quantitatively by numerical simulation with this model.

Effects of cooling rate on vermicular graphite percentage in a brake drum produced by onestep cored wire injection

In this research, a vermicular graphite cast iron brake drum was produced by cored wire injection in a one-step method. Silica sand and low-density alumina-silicate ceramic were used as molding materials in order to investigate the effect of cooling rate on percentage of vermicular graphite and mechanical properties of the brake drum casting. Several thermocouples were inserted into the casting in the desired positions to measure the temperature change. By means of one-step cored wire injection, the two residual concentrations of Mg and RE were effectively controlled in the ranges of 0.013%-0.017% and 0.019%-0.025%, respectively, which are crucial for the production of vermicular graphite cast iron and the formation of vermicular graphite. In addition, the cooling rate had a significant effect on the vermicular graphite percentage. In the case of the silica mold brake drum casting, there was an obvious difference in the cooling rate with the wall change, leading to a change in vermicular graphite percentage from 70.8% to 90%. In the low-density alumina-silicate ceramic mold casting, no obvious change in temperature was detected by the thermocouples and the percentage of the vermicular graphite was stable at 85%. Therefore, the vermicular graphite cast iron brake drum with a better combination of mechanical properties could be obtained.

Study of Manufacturing Technology and Properties of AVGCI with Rare Earths

By vermicularizing agent containing RE (REFeSi), austempered vermicular graphite cast iron (AVGCI) with RE can be produced with austempered treatment. The process of austenitization of vermicular graphite cast iron (VGCI) with RE and the transformation of AVGCI with RE with temperature increasing were studied by SEM with heating device. Properties of AVGCI with RE, such as tensile strength, elongation, impact toughness, hardness, thermal fatigue resistance, thermal expansive coefficient and weight increasing by oxidation were measured by electron universal testing machine with heating device. Experimental results indicate that AVGCI with RE possesses good comprehensive properties at room and elevated temperatures.

Wear Behavior and Mechanism of Spheroidal Graphite Cast Iron

Wear behavior and mechanism of spheroidal graphite cast iron were studied on a pin on-disk elevated tem- perature wear tester. The phase and morphology of worn surfaces were examined by X ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Results show that with an increase of load, wear rate of spheroidal graphite cast iron gradually increases under low loads, rapidly increases or potentially increases under high loads; wear rate increases with in- creasing ambient temperature. At 25 200 ℃, adhesive wear prevails; oxidative wear and adhesive wear coexist at 400 ℃. As load surpasses 150 N at 400 ℃, extrusive wear appears. The elevated-temperature wear of spheroidal graphite cast iron is a physical and chemical process including the following reactions： xFe＋y/2O2-FexOy , 2C＋ O2- 2CO and Fex Oy ＋yCO-xFe＋yCO2. Hence, at 400 ℃, the amount of graphite and tribo oxides are substan- tially reduced because of reductive function of graphite. It can be suggested that wear reduced effect of graphite and tribo-oxides is impaired.

Cementites decomposition of a pearlitic ductile cast iron during graphitization annealing heat treatment

Cementites decomposition of a pearlitic ductile cast iron during graphitization annealing heat treatment was investigated.Fractographies and microstructures of heat treated samples were observed using a scanning electron microscope and mechanical properties were measured by a universal tensile test machine.The results indicated that during isothermal annealing at 750°C,the tensile strength of pearlitic ductile cast iron was increased to a peak value at 0.5h,and decreased gradually thereafter but the elongation was enhanced with the increase of annealing time.Moreover,the diffusion coefficient of carbon atoms could be approximately calculated as 0.56μm2/s that could be regarded as the shortrange diffusion.As the holding time was short（0.5h）,diffusion of carbon atoms was incomplete and mainly occurred around the graphites where the morphology of cementites changed from fragmentized shape to granular shape.In addition,the ductile cast iron with tensile strength of 740MPa and elongation of 7% could be achieved after graphitization annealing heat treatment for 0.5h.Two principal factors should be taken into account.First,the decomposition of a small amount of cementites was beneficial for increasing the ductility up to elongation of 7%.Second,the diffusion of carbon atoms from cementites to graphites could improve the binding force between graphites and matrix,enhancing the tensile strength to 740 MPa.