The Importance of TDA Thermal Analysis in an Automated Metallurgical Process

Łukasz Petrus,Jakub Sobieraj,Tomasz Paruch,Daniel Burdzy,Mariusz Urbanowicz,Jerzy Zych,Mateusz Brzeżański,Andrzej Bulanowski,Krzysztof Janerka,Jakub Kołakowski

doi:10.7494/jcme.2021.5.4.89

Abstract

The article presents the results of research and work related to the implementation of the research and development project POIR.01.01.01-00-0120/17 co-financed by the EU, through the NCBR, entitled: Innovative technology using thermal analysis, TDA, of self-feeding manufacturing of high-quality cast iron to produce new generation, enhanced performance casts. In many foundries, thermal derivative analysis (TDA) is used in addition to chemical analysis to evaluate the physical and chemical properties of an alloy while it is still in the melting furnace or ladle and before it is poured into the mold. This fact makes it possible to improve the metallurgical quality of the alloy by introducing alloying additives, carburizers or modifiers into the furnace as part of the pre-modification or primary or secondary modification in the ladle or when pouring into molds. Foundry machinery (modifier dosing systems and spheroidizing station) is very important in these operations. Only the full synergy of modern equipment with modern technology ensures high quality and repeatability of the casting process. The article mainly discusses the obtained parameters of TDA analysis (with the use of the ITACA system) at different stages of melting and how to improve them by using modern and fully automated dosing systems (Itaca OptiDose, ItacaWire and ItacaStream). Special attention was paid to the minimum temperature of the eutectoid. The change of its value after the modification process, its influence on the quality of the melted metal, a very strong correlation with the number of nuclei and the number of graphite precipitations in the casts were shown.

Highlights

Production of high-quality castings with complex shapes without defects requires modern equipment used directly in the manufacturing process and quality assessment systems at its various stages, including chemical analysis, thermal derivative analysis (TDA), mechanical properties, metallographic tests and non-destructive tests (RT, UT).Thermal derivative analysis, which records the cooling curve and crystallization curve determined from it, is best suited for metallurgical quality assessment [1]
This analysis allows the evaluation of the physicochemical state of the metal and captures important parameters not shown by chemical analysis
An example is a modification process that results in a significant change in the properties of cast iron without any discernible change in the chemical composition

Summary

Introduction

Production of high-quality castings with complex shapes without defects requires modern equipment used directly in the manufacturing process (melting furnaces, spheroidization and modification stations, molding stations) and quality assessment systems at its various stages, including chemical analysis, thermal derivative analysis (TDA), mechanical properties, metallographic tests and non-destructive tests (RT, UT).Thermal derivative analysis, which records the cooling curve and crystallization curve determined from it, is best suited for metallurgical quality assessment [1]. (Iron Foundry in Śrem) as a part of testing a modern, automated production line using metallurgical quality control based on thermal derivative analysis The Importance of TDA Thermal Analysis in an Automated Metallurgical Process

Results

Conclusion