Elkem 19 Aluminum in Cast Iron

Technical Information 19 Aluminium in Cast Iron
Aluminium is normally found in Cast Irons as a mainly harmless residual element. The major sources for Aluminium are Steel scrap, contaminated cast scrap (engine blocks etc with pistons included), the ferroalloys consumed and inclusions of non-ferrous metals in the charge materials. A common occurrence in foundries is the pinhole problem from hydrogen gas evolution, which often can be attributed to excessive Aluminium contents. It is accepted that Aluminium has an influence on the surface tension of the liquid iron, a consequence of which could be susceptibility to pinholing defects. The figure below shows the relationship between Aluminium in the iron and the tendency to pinholing. It is shown that grey iron is more sensitive to pinholing than ductile iron due to the overall lower surface tension for grey iron. Above a certain level of Aluminium (approximately 0.2%), the susceptibility for pinholing is reduced as the surface tension again increases. The most critical range is between 0.05% to 0.2% for ductile iron and 0.008% to 0.2% for grey iron. Consequently, Aluminium should always be kept low, preferably below this range where the risk will be highest.
Figure 1: The Influence of Aluminium Content on Surface Tension and Pinhole Susceptibility of Grey and Ductile Irons
It must also be remembered that iron temperature will influence the surface tension and thus well insulated ladles are of importance (refer to Technical Information Sheet No.21 for more data). Aluminium will also add to the slag formation, resulting in poor furnace performance, more ladle and holder maintenance, and increased risk for slag inclusions in castings. Aluminium has virtually no inoculating effect as such, but it may add to the hardness of the iron, and it can also be harmful to the nodularity of ductile iron. It is also important to note that Titanium will play the same role as Aluminium to a certain extent, although normally present in smaller amounts than Aluminium it has to be remembered that the two elements will have an aggregated effect, and both elements should be monitored and controlled at all times. It is also well known that many elements can interact with Aluminium to affect the iron properties, either by an enhanced inoculation potency or by detrimental effects such as the combination of Aluminium and Titanium. The presence of even minor traces of Titanium
Elkem ASA, Silicon Division
Postal address: P.O.Box 5211 Majorstua N-0303 Oslo Norway Office address: Hoffsveien 65 B Oslo Telephone: 47 22 45 01 00 Telefax 47 22 45 01 52 Revision No. 1 06.04.1998
means that the tolerable Aluminium levels will be dramatically reduced. The figure below shows the combined effects of Aluminium and Titanium on the hydrogen pinholing tendency in ductile iron. Above the curve there will be a significant risk for such defects to occur.
Figure 1: Combined Effects of Aluminium and Titanium in Hydrogen Pinholing Tendency in a Grey Iron Casting
Figure 2: Example of Pinhole Defect Ductile Iron.
For ductile iron the permissible Aluminium is roughly 5-10 times that of grey iron. No data is available concerning the combined effects of Aluminium and Titanium in grey iron, but there are reasons to believe the interaction is about as for ductile iron and both elements should therefore be closely watched. Since both nodularizers (magnesium-ferrosilicon) and inoculants will contain various amounts of Aluminium and Titanium, it is important that choice of alloys is being made with full awareness of its total chemical composition. At higher Aluminium contents, ferrosilicon-based alloys will tend to improve solubility, but the increased slag formation and pinholing tendency should call for caution. High Aluminium containing alloys should hence only be used where low addition rates are applicable (i.e. stream inoculation). Special attention should be paid to large amounts of ferrosilicon used as a furnace charge material. It is worth noting that hydrogen pinhole defects often will have similar characteristics as other type of gas defects, such as nitrogen porosities. A characteristic feature for pinholes is the graphite lining covering the inner pore surfaces. An example of such a hydrogen pinhole defect is shown in the figure above. This defect characteristic can also occur for nitrogen defects, and it is therefore often difficult to separate between such gas defects. A thorough investigation into nitrogen, aluminium and titanium levels will be necessary to determine the type of gas involved, since a high Aluminium and Titanium level may promote hydrogen pinholes but at the same time effectively neutralize nitrogen by forming TiN and AlN inclusions. Choice of core binder system and green sand humidity level is also vital for the avoidance of hydrogen and nitrogen pinhole defects.

Elkem 19 Aluminum in Cast Iron

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Technical Information 19 Aluminium in Cast Iron

Figure 2: Example of Pinhole Defect Ductile Iron.

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