An inoculant for manufacturing cast iron with lamellar, compacted or spheroidal graphite is disclosed. The inoculant has a particulate ferrosilicon alloy having 40 and 80% by weight of silicon, 0.5-5 wt % of calcium and/or strontium and/or barium, 0-10 wt % of rare earths, 0-5 wt % of magnesium, less than 5% by weight of aluminium, 0-10 wt % of manganese and/or zirconium, and the balance being iron, wherein the inoculant additionally contains 0.1-10 wt % of particulate bismuth oxide particles and optionally 0.1-10 wt % of one or more particulate metal sulphides and/or one or more particulate iron oxides, where the particulate bismuth oxide is mixed or blended with the ferrosilicon particles, or is simultaneously added to cast iron together with the particulate ferrosilicon particles.

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.

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; 0-10% 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% by weight of particulate rare earth metal oxide(s) and at least one of from 0.1 to 15% of particulate Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, and/or from 0.1 to 15% of particulate Bi.sub.2S.sub.3, and/or from 0.1 to 15% of particulate Sb.sub.2O.sub.3, and/or from 0.1 to 15% of particulate Sb.sub.2S.sub.3, and/or from 0.1 to 5% of one of more of particulate Fe.sub.3O.sub.4, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, FeO, or a mixture thereof, and/or from 0.1 to 5% of one of 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 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.

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.

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.

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.