Influence of Mg on Solidification of Hypereutectic Cast Iron: X-ray Radiography Study

Radiography using a synchrotron radiation X-ray source was performed to examine solidification and melting behaviors in hypereutectic cast iron specimens containing 0.002 and 0.05mass pctMg. The solidification sequence in the alloy containing 0.002mass pctMg was (1) nucleation and growth of graphite particles of which transformed to a flake-like shape, (2) growth of γ-Fe dendrites, (3) nucleation of graphite particles ahead of the interface just prior to the eutectic solidification, and (4) the eutectic solidification. In contrast, (1) and (2) occurred nearly at the same time in the specimen containing 0.05 mass pct Mg. The addition of 0.05mass pctMg significantly reduced the temperature range in which the graphite particles grew as the primary phase. Image-based analysis of melting behavior showed that even 0.05 mass pct addition was sufficient to modify the phase equilibrium of the liquid, γ-Fe, and graphite phases. Thus, the observed influence of Mg on the solidification sequence was attributed to the modification of the phase equilibrium. The influence was consistently explained by considering the shift of the eutectic composition to the carbon side in the pseudo-ternary system. It was also suggested that supersaturation of carbon in the melt increased as the temperature decreased even though the primary graphite particles existed. The supersaturation may cause the nucleation of the graphite particles just before the eutectic solidification.