Effect of Cooling Rate on Microstructure of Thin-Walled Vermicular Graphite Iron Castings

This article addresses the effect of cooling rate and of titanium additions on the microstructure of thin-walled vermicular graphite iron (TWCI) castings as determined by changing molding media, section size and Ferro Titanium. The research work was carried out on TWCI castings and reference castings of 2-5 mm and 13-mm wall thickness, respectively. Various molding materials were employed (silica sand and insulating sand ‘‘LDASC’’) to achieve different cooling rates. Thermal analysis was implemented for determinations of the actual cooling rates at the onset of solidification. This study shows that the cooling rates exhibited in the TWCI castings varies widely (70- 14oC/s) when the wall thickness is changed from 2 to 5 mm. In turn, this is accompanied by a significant variation in the vermicular graphite fraction. The resultant cooling rates were effectively reduced by applying an insulating sand in order to obtain the desired vermicular graphite shape. In addition, good agreement was found between the theoretical predictions of the solidification process and the experimental outcome. Ti additions in combination with LDASC sand molds were highly effective in promoting the development of over 80 % vermicular graphite in castings with wall thicknesses of 2 and 3 mm as evidenced by quantitative metallographic analyses.