Effect of Eight Individual Rare-earth Elements on the Graphite Nodule Count of a Thin-section of Spheroidal-graphite Cast Iron

Abstract

Eight rare-earth elements, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Dy, and Yb, were added individually to two irons, one containing 0.02% S and the other 0.08% S. After nodularisation, the metal was poured into CO2 Process sand moulds to produce stepped test-specimens with thicknesses of 3,6 and 9 mm and into shell moulds to provide ‘break-off’ type specimens with a dia of 30 mm. The effect of each of these rare earth elements on the nodule number, and chill formation was investigated and the mechanism of the nodule number increase studied.The increase in the nodule number differed significantly with each kind of rare-earth element added to the molten iron. The largest rise in the nodule number was with Ce followed in turn by La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Yb and Y. It was seen that the increase in nodule number was more pronounced when the elements were added to the iron with the higher sulphur content. To maximise the increase in nodule number, it was found that the optimum added quantity of these rare-earth elements was almost stoichiometric with the sulphur content of the iron.X-ray microanalysis of the prepared specimens containing these rare-earth elements confirmed that only sulphides formed in the melts treated with Ce, La, Pr, Nd, or Yb, whilst both sulphides and phosphides formed when additions were made of Dy, Sm or Y. The specimens poured into a metal mould during the eutectic solidification stage, and subsequently quenched showed that graphite had formed on the rare-earth sulphide substrates, but not on the phosphide. It was concluded that the latter cannot act as substrates for the formation of graphite.Measurement of the average diameters of the rare-earth sulphides (Ce, La, Pr, and Nd) showed that the largest effects upon nodule numbers were associated with elements producing sulphides of smaller diameter. This phenomena may reasonably be explained. A rare-earth sulphide exists as a liquid phase in an iron melt and aggregates until it solidifies, increasing its diameter. The degree of aggregation differs amongst the different rare-earth sulphides, resulting in a different number of substrates for each graphite formation.