A method is provided for fabricating iron castings for metallic components. The method for fabricating the iron castings may include forming a molten solution by melting carbon and iron and combining carbon nanomaterials with the molten solution. A first portion of the carbon nanomaterials combined with the molten solution may be dispersed therein. The method may also include cooling the molten solution to solidify at least a portion of the carbon thereof to fabricate the iron castings. The first portion of the carbon nanomaterials may be dispersed in the iron castings.

An inoculant for the manufacture of cast iron with spheroidal graphite is disclosed, the inoculant has a particulate ferrosilicon alloy having

between 40 and 80% by weight of Si;
0.02-8% by weight of Ca;
0-5% by weight of Sr;
0-12% by weight of Ba;
0-15% by weight of rare earth metal;
0-5% by weight of Mg;
0.05-5% by weight of Al;
0-10% by weight of Mn;
0-10% by weight of Ti;
0-10 by weight of Zr;
the balance being Fe and incidental impurities in the ordinary amount,
wherein the inoculant additionally contains, by weight, based on the total weight of inoculant: 0.1 to 15% of particulate Sb.sub.2S.sub.3, and optionally between 0.1 and 15% of particulate Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, and/or between 0.1 and 15% of particulate Sb.sub.2O.sub.3, and/or between 0.1 and 15% of particulate Bi.sub.2S.sub.3, and/or between 0.1 and 5% of one or more of particulate Fe.sub.3O.sub.4, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, FeO, or a mixture thereof, and/or between 0.1 and 5% of one or more of particulate FeS, FeS.sub.2, Fe.sub.3S.sub.4, or a mixture thereof, a method for producing such inoculant and use of such inoculant.

A ductile iron composition including, by weight: about 3.4% to about 4.0% Si; about 3.0% to about 3.5% C; about 0.5% to about 1.0% Cr; about 0.02% to about 0.05% Mo; up to about 0.01% S; up to about 0.5% Mn; and balance iron and incidental impurities. The composition has a a ferritic body center cubic microstructure and has a graphite nodule density of greater than 100 per mm.sup.2. A method for forming a ductile iron composition is also disclosed.

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.

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.

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 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 internal combustion engine blocks and heads having special requirements of mechanical strength and fatigue strength. Vermicular iron alloy with high mechanical strength and high fatigue strength for the production of internal combustion engines blocks and heads characterized by having a microstructure of pearlitic matrix and predominantly vermicular graphite (>70%) and presence of graphite nodules in up to 30%, wherein its graphite microstructure is described by the Microstructure Factor (FM), as defined below, with Microstructure Factor values higher than 0.94.

An inoculant for the manufacture of cast iron with spheroidal graphite is disclosed, the inoculant has a particulate ferrosilicon alloy having between 40 and 80% by weight of Si; 0.02-8% by weight of Ca; 0-5% by weight of Sr; 0-12% by weight of Ba; 0-15% by weight of rare earth metal; 0-5% by weight of Mg; 0.05-5% by weight of Al; 0-10% by weight of Mn; 0-10% by weight of Ti; 0-10 by weight of Zr; the balance being Fe and incidental impurities in the ordinary amount, wherein the inoculant additionally contains, by weight, based on the total weight of inoculant: 0.1 to 15% of particulate Bi.sub.2S.sub.3, and optionally between 0.1 and 15% of particulate Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, and/or between 0.1 and 15% of particulate Sb.sub.2O.sub.3, and/or between 0.1 and 15% of particulate Sb.sub.2S.sub.3, and/or between 0.1 and 5% of particulate Fe.sub.3O.sub.4, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, FeO, or a mixture thereof, and/or between 0.1 and 5% of one or more of particulate FeS, FeS.sub.2, Fe.sub.3S.sub.4, or a mixture thereof, a method for producing such inoculant and use of such inoculant.