Effect of Metallic, Nonmetallic, Water Cooled and Cryogenic Chills on Pearlite Content (PC), Eutectic Cell Count (ECC) and Grain Size (GS) of Hypo Eutectic Nickel Alloyed Cast Iron

Abstract

This paper presents the results obtained, deductions made from solidification behaviour and a series of micro structural studies such as pearlite content, eu-tectic cell count and grain size of hypoeutectic gray cast iron which was sand cast (CO2 moulding) using metallic, nonmetallic, water cooled and subzero (cryogenic) end chills. Hypo-eutectic cast irons containing C 3.42, Si 2.4 and Ni 1.5 with impurity contents (S, P, Mn etc.) were solidified unidirectionally in an American Foundrymen Society (AFS) standard mould, the end of which was provided with different end chills to study the effect of chilling during solidifi-cation. The melts were inoculated with 0.3% Fe-Si to promote graphitization. It was observed that the transition from one structure to another is more gradual than normally obtained in the structure of cast irons solidified mul-ti-directionally in a sand mould at room temperature. Austenite dendrite interactions were shown to be a major factor in determining the microstructure, in which the higher dendrite reaction leads to changes in DAS, ECC and GS. It is observed that, the number of eutectic cells is an index of graphite nucleation and the effect of these on structure, since the eutectic cells are developed on the graphite nuclei during solidification.