The effect of chemical composition on the metal expansion penetration in grey cast iron

In some grey cast iron components which are cast in sand moulds, the metal sometimes penetrates into the mould producing defects and causing difficulties when cleaning the components. To improve knowledge of the metal penetration mechanism a series of test castings was performed at ITT Flygt’s foundry where the influence of chemical composition was studied. The chemical composition of the melt was changed in the ladle before pouring. The result showed that the carbon and phosphorus content had an influence on metal penetration. The metal penetration tendency decreased when decreasing the carbon content as well as when increasing the phosphorus content. The penetration areas were analysed in a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) with Energy Dispersive Analysis (EDS). The analysis showed that the average chemical composition in the penetration zones was close to the initial composition of the alloy. Consequently, no significant macro segregation of carbon or phosphorous could be observed. The whole casting process was simulated with the software MAGMAsoftTM, in order to investigate the solidification characteristics as well as the porosity formation in the casting studied. For this, a special module for cast iron was used, MAGMAironTM, where nucleation and growth of all relevant phases are considered. During simulation it is possible to detect the areas where porosities are likely to be formed. The results show that expansion penetration generally occurs in the same areas depending on the mode of solidification. The inoculation and solidification behaviour will result in excess or deficiency of the metal at the end of solidification, which will lead to either metal penetration or formation of porosities