What is an inoculant?
Inoculant is an alloyadditive used to improve the properties of cast iron.
The main function of the inoculant is to improve the strength, toughness and wear resistance of cast iron by promoting graphitization, reducing the tendency of whitening, improving the morphology and distribution of graphite, increasing the number of eutectic groups, and refining the matrix structure.
Inoculants are usually used in the inoculation process of cast iron production. They are added to the molten ironto evenly distribute them in the cast iron, thereby improving the properties of the cast iron. The type and composition of inoculants vary depending on the type of cast iron and production requirements. The selection of appropriate inoculants is of great significance to improving the performance of cast iron.
In addition, inoculants can also be used in the inoculation treatment of steel materials to improve their performance and organizational structure.
What types of inoculants arethere?
The types of inoculants vary depending on their ingredients and uses. Here are some common types of inoculants:
1. Silicon-based inoculant: mainly ferrosilicon, including calcium silicon, barium silicon, etc. This type of inoculant mainly functions to promote graphitization, reduce the tendency of whitening, improve the morphology and distribution of graphite, increase the number of eutectic groups, refine the matrix structure, etc.
2. Carbon-based inoculants: mainly carbon, including low-carbon inoculants and high-carbon inoculants. This type of inoculant improves the properties of cast iron primarily by controlling carbon content.
3. Rare earth inoculant: mainly rare earth elements, such as cerium, lanthanum, etc. This type of inoculant has the functions of promoting graphitization, refining grains, and improving the strength, toughness and wear resistance of cast iron.
4. Compound inoculant: an inoculant composed of multiple elements, such as calcium silicon, barium silicon, rare earth, etc. This type of inoculant has the effect of multiple elements and can comprehensively improve the properties of cast iron.
How to use inoculant
The use of inoculants mainly depends on the specific cast iron type and production requirements. The following are some common ways of using inoculants:
Inoculation in the bag: Add the inoculant into the bag, then pour in the molten iron to melt it evenly and then pour it.
Surface inoculation: Sprinkle the inoculant evenly on the surface of the molten iron to make it work quickly.
Inoculant spraying: After diluting the inoculant in proportion, spray it on the surface of the mold cavity through a spray gun so that it can penetrate into the mold.
Inoculation during pouring: Put the inoculant into the tundish, and the molten iron flows into the mold cavity during pouring to play a feeding role.
Post time: Nov-29-2023
