Engineered Cooling Process for High Strength Ductile Iron Castings

Abstract

Professor Stefanescu contributed fundamentally to the science of solidification and microstructural evolutions in ductile irons. In this article, the possibility of development of high strength ductile iron by applying an engineered cooling process after casting early shake out from the sand mold was explored. The structures in industrial ductile iron were experimentally simulated using a computer controlled heating/cooling device. CFD modeling was used for process simulation and an experimental bench scale system was developed. The process concept was experimentally verified by producing cast plates with 25 mm wall thickness. The tensile strength was increased from 550 MPa to 1000 MPa in as-cast condition without the need for alloying and heat treatment. The possible practical applications were discussed.