The Effect of Inoculation on the Thermal Expansion/Contraction during Solidification of Gray Cast Iron

Abstract

Inoculation of casting used to improve the microstructure and the properties of the component. Depending upon the area of application, gray cast iron has different microstructure and mechanical properties. The type and amount of the inoculation result in shape and orientation differences of the flake graphite. The Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT) shows a variation in displacements change during the solidification. Temperature measurement used to analyze cooling curves and microstructural analysis of sample to examine the physical differences. Thermal analysis compared with the experimental results and microstructural study for describing the variation in area fraction and shape of graphite. The experimental result indicates contraction in austenite formation region, and expansion in eutectic formation region. The effect of the inoculant and the superheat temperature shows a variation in degree of expansion/contraction and cooling rates of the experiments. The comparisons between the experimental and the theoretical results have been done. Combining the theoretical and experimental results, it resembles a difference in eutectic formation region, and it needs carful investigation in future works.