Cast Metals

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Fluidity and solidification microstructures of flake

graphite cast iron in thin sections

S. Hiratsuka, E. Niyama, H. Horie, T. Kowata & M. Nakamura

To cite this article: S. Hiratsuka, E. Niyama, H. Horie, T. Kowata & M. Nakamura (1994) Fluidity
and solidification microstructures of flake graphite cast iron in thin sections, Cast Metals, 7:1, 57-62,
DOI: 10.1080/09534962.1994.11819164

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/09534962.1994.11819164

Published online: 07 Dec 2016.

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Fluidity and solidification microstructures of flake graphite
cast iron in thin sections
S. Hiratsuka,* E. Niyama,t H. Horie, T. Kowata and M. Nakamura
lwate University, 4-3-5 Veda, Morioka 020, Japan and tTohoku University, Aramaki, Aoba-ku,
Sendai 980, Japan
Fluidity determinations have been undertaken using
a silica tube as the fluidity channel, metal being
drawn in to the test tubes by means of a regulated
vacuum system. Fe-Si and Ca-Si inoculants were
added to a hypoeutectic cast iron melt which was
then tested for fluidity. A linear relationship
between fluidity length and tube diameter was
obtained. Fluidity length increased with increasing
suction pressure and with increasing temperature of
the molten iron. Fluidity length is proportional to
the square root of effective suction pressure.
Structures within the fluidity specimens have been
classified, from the tip backwards, into three zones,
containing ledeburite, mottled and flake graphite
structures. The length of each structural zone
increases with increasing suction pressure. The
total length of the ledeburite zone, plus the mottled
zone, is constant for increasing tube diameter.
Thus, the flake graphite zone increases linearly with
tube diameter. The effects of inoculation on the
structure and its fading were evaluated by the
length of the flake-graphite zone.
Introduction
With the requirements to save both material and
energy, there has been an increasing demand, over
recent years, for strong lightweight machine compo-
nents. In producing iron castings with thinner sections,
there is a need to obtain sufficient fluidity to fill the
mould cavity, whilst the structure of the resultant
casting must be free from chill. The main emphasis in
previous studies has been on metallurgical means of
eliminating the chilled zone, including inoculation.u
It would appear that there is a lack of knowledge on
the effects of such metallurgical treatments on fluidity.
Furthermore, little attention has been paid to where
such chilled zones appear, and how widespread they
can be.
The present study aims to discover not only the
ability of an iron to flow, but to investigate the
structural distribution within the range of flow of a
hypoeutectic cast iron containing flake graphite. Vari-
ables studied have involved metallurgical ones, such as
inoculation and fading, and casting variables such as
temperature, pressure and section size.
*Author for correspondence
Cast Metals, Volume 7, number I, pp 57-62
Experimental procedures
Various types of test pieces have been used by several
investigators 3- 5 to study the variables affecting the fluid-
ity of metals and alloys. The vacuum fluidity test6- 8 is
superior in its ability to provide reproducible results and
was, therefore, adopted as the basis of this study.
A high-frequency induction furnace was utilised to
prepare 3 kg of an experimental flake-graphite cast-
iron melt. A pig iron containing 4.24% C, 1.59% Si,
0.27% Mn, 0.58% P, and 0.021% S was used as the
basic charge material. Electrolytic iron and 75% Si
ferro-silicon were also used to adjust the C and Si
contents. Ferro-manganese, ferro-phosphorus and
iron sulphide were used so that the amount of Mn, P
and S in the melt would be the same as in the pig iron.
The melt was superheated to 1803 K and then the
molten metal was inoculated in a crucible at 1703 K,
using either 0.2% or 0.4% ofFe-Si and Ca-Si. In order
to test the fading, the melt was held at a constant
temperature, after inoculation, under a stream of
argon to prevent excessive oxidation.
The chemical compositions of the inoculants used
are listed in Table l. Chemical analysis revealed the
cast iron contained 3.81-3.89%C, 1.80-l.81%Si,
0.46-0.47% Mn, 0.036-0.038% P, and 0.024-
0.027% S.
Vacuum suction apparatus
The schematic diagram of the equipment used in the
measurement of fluidity is shown in Fig. 1. The cast
iron was melted in a crucible contained within a high-
frequency induction furnace. A silica tube served as the
channel for the fluidity test. The test tubes, each with a
length of 300 mm, had diameters of 1.8, 2.5 and
3.5 mm. One end of the test tube was inserted verti-
cally into the melt. The other end of the test tube was
connected, via an electromagnetic valve, to a vacuum
reservoir tank which served to keep the suction pres-
sure constant during the period of the test. The
vacuum was created by a rotary vacuum pump,
being controlled within ±1 Pa by a digital pressure
meter using a needle valve.
Prior to the experiments, the fluidity test tubes were
cleaned, using a glass cleaner, rinsed with water, and
then perfectly dried.
The testing procedure involved immersing the test
tubes in the crucible to a depth of approximately
30 mm. The electromagnetic valve was then immedi-
ately opened to apply the vacuum to the fluidity test
57
 Fluidity and solidification microstructures offtake graphite cast iron in thin sections Hiratsuka et a/.

Table 1 Chemical compositions of inoculants Results and Discussion

used (mass%) Effect of tube diameter, temperature, and
pressure on fluidity
Si Ca c p s Fe The fluidity of the iron inoculated with Ca-Si is plotted
against diameter in Fig. 2(a) and (b) for melt tempera-
Fe-Si 75.7 0.08 0.04 0.003 Balance tures of 1573 and 1673 K, respectively. Fluidity is
Ca-Si 61.2 30.6 Balance better at the higher temperature, as expected. Fluidity
increases linearly with tube diameter, while there is a
critical diameter below which metal does not enter the
Electromagnetic Pressure gauge
valve tube. If a correction is made, as discussed later, and
straight lines are shifted to the origin, then the results
can be expressed as:
fluidity= constant x diameter.
When heat flow is governed by interface resistance, or
the flow is choked at the tip, 7 solidification time
Vacuum pump relevant to the cessation of flow may be assumed to
be proportional to the tube diameter. If so, the above
relation may be written as:
High-frequency fluidity= constant x solidification time
induction furnace
where solidification time means the time necessary to
Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of the fluidity test stop the flow. The relation is likely to be applicable to
equipment other sections, e.g., thin plates, where solidification time
is expected to be proportional to thickness. Fluidity also
tube. The molten metal then flowed, instantaneously, increases with suction pressure. An analogy from an
into the tube. The distance the liquid metal flowed, as ideal fluid suggests flow velocity to be roughly propor-
measured from the melt surface in the crucible, to the tional to the square root of pressure, independent of the
end of the solidified fluidity casting, was taken as a tube diameter. In fact, in Fig. 3, fluidity is found to be
measure of the fluidity. In most of the cases studied, linearly related to the square root of the applied
fluidity was examined at two different temperatures, pressure. However, the straight lines do not pass the
namely 1573 K and 1673 K. origin. Namely, there is a critical pressure for a flow to

250 .-<a...:.>---~--r---r---, 250 ~(b""'")_ _ _ _......-___-r------.

Ca-Si 0.4% Ca-Si 0.4%
1573K 1673K
E 200 E 200
E r -~ II E

... . . . . . . .r. . . . . . .t. . . . . . . . . . . i". . . . . .

.c 150
C)
~
201 01(Pa"" ...
.c 150
C)
c ! i c
->a 100 """"""""""[""""""""""T"""""'
G) j
l l
-13.kkPa
~

"""'''"~£qil<'il'a""
G)
100 . .~~.:!..~~.~. .
~ ~
~e::_
1
i 'C

. . ·-
:2 -4kkPa
-LL
:::::s
50
l
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[ " " " " ' 000
l
"""~i;·~;~
LL
.2 50
-2l7kPa

--~-.r:-1 133kPa
----'"-...·.1.fkPa
0 OL-~~--~~~~~----~
0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
Tube diameter , mm Tube diameter , mm
Fig. 2 Relationship between tube diameter and fluidity length for six different suction pressures:
(a) Ca-Si 0.4% inoculation, molten temperature at 1573 K and (b) Ca-Si 0.4% inoculation, molten
temperature at 1673 K

58 Cast Metals, Volume 7, number 1, pp 57-62

Hiratsuka et a!. Fluidity and solidification microstructures offlake graphite cast iron in thin sections

250~--------~--~r------, 250 .....------""'r"----r-------,

Ca-Si 0.4% Ca-Si 0.4%
1673K 1673K
E
E 200 E 200
E
.c .c
-C) 150 -C) 150
s::::: s:::::
G) G)

~
·-
"C

-
::::J
100

-~

"C
100

1.8mm
LL 50
-::::J
LL
50

o...___
0
0 50 100 150 0 50 100 150
112
J' Suction pressure ,Pa I Effective pressure , Pa 1/2

Fig. 3 Relationship between suction pressure and Fig. 4 Relationship between effective pressure and
fluidity length at 1673 K with Ca-Si 0.4% fluidity length at 1673 K with Ca-Si 0.4%
inoculation inoculation

enter a tube, presumably to overcome surface tension. In

This may be interpreted as:
addition, attention must be paid to the effect of gravity,
which tends to pull down the metal in the vertical tube. fluidity= velocity x solidification time (5)
Considering these two factors, effective pressure P is
defined as where velocity is mostly a function of pressure only
and solidification time is mostly a function of diameter
(I) only. This gives a very rough but reasonable picture of
where Pais the applied suction pressure in Pa, Pg is the the phenomenon of fluidity.
pressure loss by gravity in Pa, and Ps is the pressure The results may be applied to real castings, by
loss by surface tension in Pa. noting that the experimental tube diameter represents
Assuming perfect non-wetting, back pressure by
surface tension is
(2) 250
Ca-Si 0.4%
where 1 is the surface tension in Njm and Dis the tube
• ,0 :3.5mm
diameter in m. .A. ,f"'. :2.5mm
Pressure loss by gravity depends on the height of
E 200 e ,Q: 1.8mm
flow and hence is estimated roughly as
E
Pg = pgL
3
where p is the density of the melt in kgjm , g is the
(3)

gravitational acceleration in mjs 2 and L is the fluidity

-
..s::::
C')
s:::::
Cl)
150
1673K

length in m.
Ps and Pg are substituted in Eqn (I) when 1 was
chosen as 0.91 Njm, which was calculated using Eqn
-
"C
>- 100

::::J
(2) and the experimental results. The calculated results 50
LL
are shown in Fig. 4, where straight lines intersect at the
origin. It may be said that fluidity is proportional to
square root of effective pressure, and hence, approxi- O.e~~~--~----~--~

mately proportional to average velocity: 0 1 00 200 300 400

fluidity= constant x velocity. J Effective pressure X Tube diameter,Pa 112
mm

The above results are summarised in Fig. 5 as:

fluidity= Fig. 5 Relationship between product of square root of
constant x square root of effective pressure x diameter effective pressure and tube diameter and fluidity
(4) length with Ca-Si 0.4% inoculation

Cast Metals, Volume 7, number I, pp 57-62 59

Fluidity and solidification microstructures offlake graphite cast iron in thin sections Hiratsuka et al.

1573K, -20.0kPa 250~-------------------------~-----,----------------~

200~~--------~--------.-- Ca-Si 0.2%
E 1673K
E E
200
E UJ
:::::s
150 u
UJ
c:
cu 150
E
E

-
...0
cu
u
c:
100

-
ca
UJ
c
50
Flake
graphite

o~---&-----~---------------~---------------~
o~------~----~--~--~ 0 50 100 150
1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
Tube diameter , mm
J Suction pressure, Pa
112

Fig. 7 Structural zones in fluidity test specimens at

Fig. 6 Effect of inoculation on fluidity length as a 1673 K with Ca-Si 0.2% inoculation, tube
function of tube diameter at 1573 K, suction
diameter 3.5 mm
pressure -20.0 kPa

fact leads to an interesting suggestion that when

the casting thickness and the suction pressure can be
making a thin-sectioned casting, a complete graphitic
converted to the sprue head. Besides, the cooling
structure may be secured by providing an overflow, so
ability of quartz is not much different from that of a
as to exclude the part of the metal near the tip of the
sand mould.
flow from the casting per se.

Effect of inoculation on Fluidity

Fig. 6 shows the effect of inoculation on the fluidity of
200 P-------~------------------.
Fe-Si 0.4%
the hypoeutectic iron at a fixed temperature and
-13.3kPa
suction pressure. Fluidity is decreased only slightly
by inoculation and the amount of decrease becomes
E 1673K
E
larger as the addition ofinoculants is raised. The effect
of Ca-Si appears slightly larger than that of Fe-Si. One UJ 150
possible cause of the decrease in fluidity as a result of ::::s
0
inoculation is a reduction in effective superheat, due to UJ Fluidity length

~
a rise in eutectic solidification temperature by the c:
Q)
promoted nucleation. E
E 100

Solidification microstructures of fluidity

test specimens
Although it is widely known that cast iron tends to
-...0
Q)
0
£:
form undesirable ledeburite in thin-walled sections, ~ 50 Flake
quantitative knowledge of the local distribution of UJ graphite
such structures is extremely scarce. i5
Fig. 7 is a result of microscopic examination of the
fluidity test specimens, showing structural distribution
along the length. The structures can be classified into
three zones from the tip towards the entrance of the 2 3 4
tube: ledeburite, mottled and flake graphite zones. It is Tube diameter mm
noted that the lengths of all three zones increase with
increasing suction pressure. In other words, the length Fig. 8 Structural zones in fluidity test specimens at
1673 K with Fe-Si 0.4% inoculation, suction
of each zone is proportional to the total length. This pressure -13.3 kPa

60 Cast Metals, Volume 7, number 1, pp 57-62

 Hiratsuka et a!. Fluidity and solidification microstructures offlake graphite cast iron in thin sections

(a) (b)
E 100 Fe-Si 0.2o/o
E ~ 10 ° Ca-Si 0.2%
~

tJ)
80 Ledeburite
::::::s
(.)
tJ)
·-
s::::
Fluidity
length
Fluidity
length
C1) 60
E ~
E ~
0
:to.
40
'1-

C1) C1)
(.) Flake (.) Flake
20
...ca
s::::

tJ)
graphite
....!aca
s:::: graphite

·-c c
2 3 4 2 3 4
Tube diameter mm Tube diameter mm
Fig. 9 Structural zones of two kinds of fluidity test specimens at 1573 K, suction pressure -6.7 kPa:
(a) inoculation with Fe-Si 0.2% and (b) inoculation with Ca-Si 0.2%

Figs 8 and 9 also present results of the structural
examination, with the fluidity and zone lengths plotted
against tube diameter. The flake graphite zone increases
with tube diameter, as expected. It is interesting to note
that by plotting in such a manner, the lines separating
the zones are nearly parallel with each other. Thus, the
sum of the ledeburite zone and the mottled zone is
constant and independent of the tube diameters. This is
rather surprising, because one would expect shorter
ledeburite and mottled zones in larger tubes, consider-
ing the dependence of the cooling rate on size.
The above results may be interpreted in the light of
Eqn (5) where the structure of a particular part of the
metal is related to the time lag between the time the tip
passes a particular point on the mould and the time the
part of the metal in question passes the same point.
This interpretation suggests that the cooling rate is
governed by the time lag rather than the section size.
This can be justified by assuming that structure is
governed by the initial rate of cooling, which is
dependent on the state of the mould at the time of
contact with that part of the metal during flow, and not
by the average rate of cooling until complete solidifi-
cation, which may be dependent on the section size.
These results, combined with a computer simulation of
flow, should be utilised in the structure prediction of
thin-walled castings.
Fig. 9 shows that fluidity of iron inoculated with Fe-
Si is higher than that inoculated with Ca-Si, whereas
the flake graphite zone, which is more important in
practice, is larger in the latter, because the ledeburite
and mottled zones are made smaller by the more
effective inoculation of Ca-Si.
Effects of inoculant fading on fluidity and
zonal structure
In Fig. 10 the effects of inoculation and its fading with
time are clearly reflected in the zonal structures. The
structure in the absence of inoculation consists of
ledeburite and the flake graphite zone appears only
after inoculation. But its length quickly diminishes with
time and disappears completely in five or ten minutes.
After ten minutes, even the mottled zone disappears,
again leaving a complete ledeburite zone. Fading, as
judged from the length of the flake graphite zone, is
slower with Ca-Si inoculation than with Fe-Si. It may
well be that the chilling tendency of iron melts can be
evaluated by examining the zonal structures in fluidity
specimens with a similar or, possibly, better sensitivity
than by conventional methods such as wedge specimens.
A small decrease in fluidity is observed between 10
and 30 min with specimens with a ledeburite structure.
It was also observed that ledeburite needles were more
elongated at 30 min compared with that at I 0 min. The
elongated needles may have caused an earlier freezing
of the melt in the tubes.
Conclusions
Fluidity tests and structural examination of the test
specimens of a hypoeutectic flake-graphite cast iron
revealed the following:
1 Fluidity or length of flow before freezing of the
metal increases linearly with increasing diameter of
the test tube, suggesting that time to cessation of
flow is proportional to diameter.

Cast Metals, Volume 7, number I, pp 57-62 61

 Fluidity and solidification microstructures offlake graphite cast iron in thin sections Hiratsuka et al.

(a) Fe-Si 0.4%, 1673K (b) Ca-Si 0.4%, 1673K

E 120 E 120
E E
ui 100 ui 100
:::s
0 :::s
0
.!a 80 .!a
1: 80
Cl) 1:
Cl)
E E
60 60
E E
.......
0
40 .......0 40
Cl) Cl)
0
1: 20 0 20
~ ...m
1:

c 0
Non
0 5 10 20 30 c
.!a 0
Non 0 5 10 20 30
inoculation Inoculation
Holding time min Holding time min
Fig. 10 Structural zones of fluidity test specimens for holding times at 1673 K, suction pressure -6.7 kPa:
(a) inoculation with Fe-Si 0.4% and (b) inoculation with Ca-Si 0.4%

2 After correcting the applied suction pressure for
surface tension and flow height, fluidity is propor-
tional to the square root of the effective pressure,
suggesting that fluidity is proportional to the aver-
age flow velocity.
3 Fluidity decreases slightly as a result of inoculation
and then increases with holding time, reflecting the
process of inoculant fading and its effect.
4 Structures within the fluidity specimens are classified in
three zones from the tip backwards: ledeburite,
mottled and flake graphite zones. The length of each
zone is highly sensitive to inoculation and its subse-
quent fading and can be used as a measure of melt
quality.
5 Inoculation with Ca-Si is more effective than inocu-
lation with Fe-Si in increasing flake graphite zone
and retarding its fading.
6 The sum of the lengths of the ledeburite zone and the
mottled zone is constant for different tube diameters,
but increases with increasing suction pressure, sug-
gesting that structure is governed by the time lag after
the tip passes a particular point on the mould.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Associate Professor
K. Anzai at Tohoku University for his interest in this
study and valuable discussion. Thanks are also
extended to Mr T. Saitoh, Mr M. Ohmori, Mr M.
Sawada and Mr H. Takiguchi for their assistance in
the experimental measurements.
References
1. H. Horie, T. Kowata and A. Chida, "Effect of Rare Earth
Elements on Chill Formation and Nodule Count in Thin-
section Spheroidal Graphite Cast Iron", Cast Metals,
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2. H. Horie and T. Kowata, "Effect of Bismuth on Nodule
Count in Spheroidal Graphite Iron Castings with Thin
Section", lnomo, 1988, 60, 173.
3. W. C. Jeffery, E. E. Langner Jr, W. G. Mitchell and G. D.
Aziz, "Relationship of carbon equivalent to the properties
of cast iron", AFS Transactions, 1954, 62, 568.
4. D. V. Ragone, M. C. Adams and H. F. Taylor, "Some
Factors Affecting Fluidity of Metals", AFS Transactions,
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5. S. Venkateswaran, R. M. Mallya and M. R. Seshadri,
"Effect of trace elements on the fluidity of eutectic Al-Si
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6. J. E. Niesse, M. C. Flemings and H. F. Taylor, "Appli-
cation of Theory to Understanding Fluidity of Metals",
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(Received 4 March, 1994; accepted 14 April, 1994)

62 Cast Metals, Volume 7, number 1, pp 57-62