Abstract

The article presents the investigation results of the effect of melt treatment with powder briquetted modifiers containing tellurium on the structural features and mechanical characteristics of cast iron produced from this melt. The melt was processed using in-mold modification with briquettes consolidated from a mixture of tellurium (10%), copper (40%) and iron (50%) powders. The casting was produced with use of vertical casting arrangement with siphon gating system. The modifier briquettes were installed in the area of the lower part of the сasting mold. As the research results showed, carbide-stabilizing modification with tellurium leads to a decrease in the concentration of graphite inclusions in cast iron compared to cast iron without tellurium, corresponding to an increase in the content of the cementite phase in the alloy structure from 20-26% for cast iron without tellurium to 28-32% with tellurium and an increase level of the bleaching criterion. With an increase in the concentration of tellurium in cast iron, the value of material strength and hardness as well as its wear resistance has increased too.

Keywords:Cast iron; Modification; Powder; Tellurium; Structure; Graphite inclusions; Cementite; Hardness; Strength