A ductile iron composition including, by weight: about 3.1% to about 3.6% C; about 3.5% to about 4.0% Si; about 0.035% to about 0.050% Mg; about 0.001% to about 0.004% Ce; up to about 0.005% Sb; about 0.008% to about 0.016% S; up to about 0.04% P; up to about 0.3% Mn; and balance iron and incidental impurities;
The ductile iron composition includes a ratio of Sb/Ce greater than or equal to about 1.25, has a ferritic microstructure and graphite nodules, and greater than about 65% of the graphite nodules having a highly spherical geometry. A method and apparatus for forming a ductile iron composition are also disclosed.

A spheroidal graphite cast iron comprising: C: 3.3 to 4.0 mass %, Si: 2.1 to 2.7 mass %, Mn: 0.20 to 0.50 mass %, S: 0.005 to 0.030 mass %, Cu: 0.20 to 0.50 mass %, Mg: 0.03 to 0.06 mass % and the balance: Fe and inevitable impurities, wherein a tensile strength is 550 MPa or more, and an elongation is 12% or more.

A spheroidal graphite cast iron meeting N.sub.(5-)≥250, N.sub.5-20)/N.sub.(5-)≥0.6, and N.sub.(30-)/N.sub.(5-)≤0.2, wherein N.sub.(5-) represents the number (/mm.sup.2) of graphite particles having equivalent-circle diameters of 5 μm or more, N.sub.(5-20) represents the number (/mm.sup.2) of graphite particles having equivalent-circle diameters of 5 μm or more and less than 20 μm, and N.sub.(30-) represents the number (/mm.sup.2) of graphite particles having equivalent-circle diameters of 30 μm or more, among graphite particles observed in an arbitrary cross section of at least 1 mm.sup.2.

A spheroidal graphite cast iron meeting N.sub.(5-)≥250, N.sub.5-20)/N.sub.(5-)≥0.6, and N.sub.(30-)/N.sub.(5-)≤0.2, wherein N.sub.(5-) represents the number (/mm.sup.2) of graphite particles having equivalent-circle diameters of 5 μm or more, N.sub.(5-20) represents the number (/mm.sup.2) of graphite particles having equivalent-circle diameters of 5 μm or more and less than 20 μm, and N.sub.(30-) represents the number (/mm.sup.2) of graphite particles having equivalent-circle diameters of 30 μm or more, among graphite particles observed in an arbitrary cross section of at least 1 mm.sup.2.

Biodegradable compositions containing from 10.0 to 95.0 weight percent iron for use in preparing medical devices. These biodegradable compositions exhibit properties that make them suitable for use as medical devices for implantation into a body of a patient. The compositions also include one or more elements selected from manganese, magnesium, zirconium, zinc and calcium. The compositions can be prepared using a high energy milling technique and high energy mechanical alloying followed by compaction and sintering, film deposition techniques, such as, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), as well as melting, casting, homogenization and extrusion methods. The resulting compositions and the medical devices formed therefrom are useful in various surgical procedures, such as but not limited to orthopedic, craniofacial and cardiovascular.

A spheroidal graphite cast iron having a chemical composition of: C: 3.0% to 4.0%, Si: 2.0% to 2.4%, Cu: 0.20% to 0.50%, Mn: 0.15% to 0.35%, S: 0.005% to 0.030%, Mg: 0.03% to 0.06%, each by mass, and the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, where Mn and Cu are contained at 0.45% to 0.75% in total; and a structure in which a ferrite layer encloses spheroidal graphite crystallized out in a matrix of pearlite. Part of the pearlite is extended from the matrix side to the spheroidal graphite side to divide the ferrite layer at one or more areas.

The present invention provides a casting method and cast product of spherical graphite cast iron, in which, even with a small modulus, there is no chill, the spherical graphite in the tissue is further made ultrafine, the dispersion of the particle diameter is small, and the number of the particles is several times that of the conventional one in the as cast state where heat treatment is not carried out.

A casting method of a spherical graphite cast iron comprised from, a melting process, a spheroidizing treatment process, an inoculation process, and a casting process, in which the original molten metal after the inoculation process is poured and filled up to a product space through a gate of a metal mold; wherein the original molten metal before being filled up to the product space is controlled to a semi-solidification temperature range. An amount of nitrogen at the time of melting of the (cast iron?) is controlled to 0.9 ppm (mass) or less. The casting process is carried out by controlling the pouring temperature and the heat removal amount from the molten metal so that the temperature of the raw material when passing through the gate becomes a substantially constant temperature between an eutectic temperature and a liquidus temperature.

The present invention provides a casting method and cast product of spherical graphite cast iron, in which, even with a small modulus, there is no chill, the spherical graphite in the tissue is further made ultrafine, the dispersion of the particle diameter is small, and the number of the particles is several times that of the conventional one in the as cast state where heat treatment is not carried out.

A casting method of a spherical graphite cast iron comprised from, a melting process, a spheroidizing treatment process, an inoculation process, and a casting process, in which the original molten metal after the inoculation process is poured and filled up to a product space through a gate of a metal mold; wherein the original molten metal before being filled up to the product space is controlled to a semi-solidification temperature range. An amount of nitrogen at the time of melting of the (cast iron?) is controlled to 0.9 ppm (mass) or less. The casting process is carried out by controlling the pouring temperature and the heat removal amount from the molten metal so that the temperature of the raw material when passing through the gate becomes a substantially constant temperature between an eutectic temperature and a liquidus temperature.

The present invention provides a die-cast product producing method and a spheroidizing agent of a spherical graphite cast iron with ultrafine spherical graphite by simple method and good reproducibility.

The present invention provides a sand mold producing method and a spheroidizing agent capable of producing an ultrafine spherical graphite cast iron with good reproducibility even in a sand mold thin walled spherical graphite cast iron, which has solidification cooling conditions equivalent to those of a metal mold.

The present invention provides a producing method of a die-cast product of a spherical graphite cast iron using a spheroidizing agent, in which a C amount is 0.5 mass % or more, a total nitrogen amount N is 150 ppm (by mass) or less, and a nitrogen amount generated during melting is 15 ppm (by mass) or less, in a producing method of a sand mold cast product of a thin walled spherical graphite cast iron having a melting process, a spheroidizing process, an inoculation process, and a casting process.

The present invention refers to a vermicular cast iron alloy specially designed for blocks and heads of internal combustion engines that have special requirements for mechanical strength and machinability; said vermicular alloy has a microstructure that results in high values of mechanical properties, such as a minimum strength limit of 500 Mpa, a minimum yield limit of 350 MPa, along with good machinability; also, wherein the ferritization factor must be such that it is between 3.88 and 5.48. This set of properties makes it possible to design new engine blocks and heads with complex geometry, high mechanical properties, without compromising machinability, making it attractive both from a technical and economic point of view.