Metallurgical defects of cast steel Foundry-Institute Seminar Metallurgical defects of cast steel Claudia Dommaschk TU Bergakademie Freiberg Foundry Institute, Germany 1

Structure Gas cavities Oxide and slag inclusions, Nonmetallic Shrinkage cavities Hot tear Primary grain boundary fracture Defects caused by heat treatment 2

Description and reasons: Gas cavities Description and reasons: Cavities in castings, especially in the upper parts of the castings Formation during solidification because of degrease of gas solubility often in combination with oxide and slag inclusions formation of gas cavities depends on the concentration of oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen the inner surface of the cavities is smooth 3

Gas cavities 4

use of dry materials and ladles use of clean charge Gas cavities Prevention: use of dry materials and ladles use of clean charge degasification of the melt look at the mould sands (permeability of gas, vent…) 5

Oxide and slag inclusions, nonmetallic inclusions Description and reasons: Classification: endogenous and exogenous inclusions endogenous inclusions are caused by the reaction products during the melting process (especially during deoxidation) exogenous inclusion are caused by other materials in the melt (e.g. refractory lining) thin fluid slag can precipitate at the grain boundaries  danger of formation of hot tears is higher Classification of size: Macro inclusions > 20 μm Micro inclusions < 20 μm 6

Oxide and slag inclusions, nonmetallic inclusions GX3CrNiMoN17-13-5 GX2CrNiMo18-14-3 7

Oxide and slag inclusions, nonmetallic inclusions Prevention: use of clean charge optimization of gating and feeding system (lamellar flow) decrease of the dissolved oxygen decrease of the overheating temperature 8

Oxide and slag inclusions, nonmetallic inclusions Example: G42CrMo4 nonmetallic inclusions arise by reason of the reactions during the melting process 9

Description and reasons: specific volume of melt is higher than Shrinkage cavities Description and reasons: specific volume of melt is higher than the specific volume of solid  contraction during solidification and cooling feeding is necessary – if the feeding is not optimal  formation of shrinkage cavities the shrinkage volume of cast steel is about 4-7 % the inner surface is rough Liquid shrinkage Solidification shrinkage Specific volume shrinkage RT TS TL TP 10

Shrinkage cavities GE 300 (GS 60) 11

use of optimal feeding system (calculation and simulation) Shrinkage cavities Prevention: use of optimal feeding system (calculation and simulation) warranty of directional solidification use of exothermic feeder sleeve decrease of the pouring temperature 12

Description and reasons: hot tears are intercrystalline discontinuity cracks run along the grain boundaries the risk of cracks at alloys with a high freezing range is higher than with a small freezing range the reason are stresses during solidification because of hindered contraction (residual stress) the main reason for formation of hot tears are the geometry of casting if melt can flow into the crack - partial or completely annealed hot tears are possible 13

Influence of Carbon content on the inclination of hot tears Influence of Manganese and Sulphur content on the inclination of hot tears Influence of Carbon content on the inclination of hot tears Sulphur is very dangerous - Manganese compensate Maximum of the hot tearing tendency by ~0.4 % C - Low tendency below 0.2 % 14

Hot tear 15

Partial annealed hot tear 16

design appropriate to casting, prevention of residual stresses, wide Hot tear Prevention: design appropriate to casting, prevention of residual stresses, wide difference in the wall thickness and hot spots) prevention of hot sand effects 17

Primary grain boundary fracture (“Rock candy or shell fracture”) Al-N-precipitations G24Mn5 Caused by Al-N-precipitations high content of Al and N and thick-walled castings 18

Defects caused by heat treatment GS33NiCrMo left: quenching and tempering not correct – ferrite, pearlite and bainite  lower ductility 19

Defects caused by heat treatment G24Mn5 (thick-walled casting) quenching and tempering not complete – ferrite, pearlite and bainite different structure and lesser properties 20

Defects caused by heat treatment G30Mn5 GS25 Decarburization of the surface area caused by heat treatment without protective atmosphere  Chance of properties in the surface area 21

Defects caused by heat treatment GX3CrNiMo20-18-7 temperature of solution heat treatment to low and/or cooling rate not correct  precipitation of delta-ferrite  these components are brittle  lower ductility 22

Defects caused by heat treatment GX 120Mn13 temperature of austenitizing to high  coarse grain  bad mechanical properties 23

Defects caused by heat treatment G105Cr4 = hypereutectoid cast steel hardening crack structure: coarse martensite and residual austenite reason: temperature of austenitizing and cooling rate to high 24

Defects caused by heat treatment GX 5CrNiMo19-11-2 intercrystalline corrosion heat treatment not correct  precipitation of Cr-carbides on the grain boundary  corrosion was possible 25

Defects caused by heat treatment G71Si7 = spring steel “Black shortness” Softening anneal not correct  precipitation of graphite 26

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