Construction and analysis of dynamic solidification curves for non-equilibrium solidification process in lost-foam casting hypo-eutectic gray cast iron

Abstract

Most lost-foam casting processes involve non-equilibrium solidification dominated by kinetic factors, while construction of a common dynamic solidification curve is based on pure thermodynamics, not applicable for analyses and research of non-equilibrium macro-solidification processes, and the construction mode can not be applied to non-equilibrium solidification process. In this study, the construction of the dynamic solidification curve (DSC) for the non-equilibrium macro-solidification process included: a modified method to determine the start temperature of primary austenite precipitation (TAL) and the start temperature of eutectic solidification (TES); double curves method to determine the temperature of the dendrite coherency point of primary austenite (TAC) and the temperature of eutectic cells collision point (TEC); the “technical solidus” method to determine the end temperature of eutectic reaction (TEN). For this purpose, a comparative testing of the non-equilibrium solidification temperature fields in lost-foam casting and green sand mold casting hypoeutectic gray iron was carried out. The thermal analysis results were used to construct the DSCs of both these casting methods under non-equilibrium solidification conditions. The results show that the transformation rate of non-equilibrium solidification in hypoeutectic gray cast iron is greater than that of equilibrium solidification. The eutectic solidification region presents a typical mushy solidification mode. The results also indicate that the primary austenite precipitation zone of lost-foam casting is slightly larger than that of green sand casting. At the same time, the solid fraction (fs) of the dendrite coherency points in lost-foam casting is greater than that in the green sand casting. Therefore, from these two points, lost-foam casting is more preferable for reduction of shrinkage and mechanical burnt-in sand tendency of the hypoeutectic gray cast iron. Due to the fact that the solidification process (from the surface to center) at primary austenite growth area in the lost-foam cylinder sample lags behind that in the green sand casting, the mushy solidification tendency of lost-foam casting is greater and the solidification time is longer.

Keywords

• hypo-eutectic gray cast iron; lost-foam casting; non-equilibrium solidification process; dynamic solidification curve