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Effects of High-Concentration Cu and Sn on the Nucleation and Growth Behavior of Graphite on Rare-Earth Compounds During the Solidification of Cast Iron

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Abstract

Ferrous scraps have been widely utilized as raw materials in the production of ductile irons. With increasing scrap use and repeated recycling, the concentrations of tramp elements such as copper (Cu) and tin (Sn) in the raw materials are expected to increase as they cannot be easily removed through conventional refining processes. To obtain fundamental insights into the effects of high-concentration Cu (up to 2.0 wt pct) and Sn (up to 1.0 wt pct) on the nucleation and growth of graphite on a foreign substrate, a novel approach through contact-melting of cast iron on lanthanum oxide (La2O3) substrate is utilized to study graphite nucleation and growth behavior at the alloy/substrate interface and in the bulk alloy. Enhanced graphitization at the alloy/substrate interface and in the bulk alloy are observed at varying Cu content. Copper promotes graphitization in cast iron by elevating the equilibrium liquidus temperature of graphite (TG) and increasing the carbon supersaturation (ΔC). On the other hand, Sn demonstrates stronger graphitizing effects than Cu as only a lower concentration of Sn is required to achieve a similar increase of TG and ΔC. More significantly, Sn enhances graphite nodule counts in the bulk alloy through the formation of fine La-Sn intermetallic compounds which act as effective sites for graphite nucleation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by the Iron and Steel Institute of Japan (ISIJ) Research Promotion Grant. Hereby, the authors express their sincerest gratitude and appreciation for the financial support by ISIJ.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan

    Kok Long Ng

  2. Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan

    Hideaki Sasaki, Hisao Kimura, Takeshi Yoshikawa & Masafumi Maeda

  3. Department of Materials Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, 3 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-0826, Japan

    Hideaki Sasaki

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  1. Kok Long Ng
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Correspondence to Hideaki Sasaki.

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Manuscript submitted August 1, 2020; accepted December 6, 2020.

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Ng, K.L., Sasaki, H., Kimura, H. et al. Effects of High-Concentration Cu and Sn on the Nucleation and Growth Behavior of Graphite on Rare-Earth Compounds During the Solidification of Cast Iron. Metall Mater Trans A 52, 902–913 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-020-06124-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-020-06124-1

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