Thermal

Analysis
&
Cooling
Curves

Rio Tinto
Iron & Titanium

Every body know this

system, frequently found
near the furnaces or the
cupolas

Its a Thermal Analysis System

to check especially:
Ceq, C, TL, Si or Undercooling
SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

How does it work ?

It records the different steps of the cooling for the liquid and
solid alloy, by measuring of different electrical values. A
specific electrical value corresponds to each step of the
physical aspect of the alloy . These values are translated to
a graph.

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

Some definitions:
TL: Liquidus temperature
1250

TE low: Low eutectic

temperature

TE upper: High eutectic

TE Gray: Gray eutectic
temperature

TE White: White eutectic

Tem perature: C

temperature

T Liq

1200
Te Gray
T
Te Low

1150

temperature

Te Upper

T Sol

Te White

TS: Solidus temperature

1100

T: Undercooling
R: Recalescence

SORELMETAL

50

100

150

200

250

300

Time: s

PMC Dec 2008

For Iron:
Each iron grade has a specific curve:

1: Lamellar graphite iron

2: DI
3: DI with low nodules count
4: White iron
5: pseudo lamellar graphite + lamellar graphite

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

For Example:

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

For DI, there are different typical curves:

Base Iron

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

For DI, there are different typical curves:

Treated iron

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

For DI, there are different typical curves:

Treated iron
+
Inoculation

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

10

Why using Thermal Analysis?:

A last Definition.

Undercooling = TE gray TE low

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

11

Why using Thermal Analysis?:

What happens if undercooling ( T ) becomes too high ?

Fe3C
SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

12

Why using Thermal Analysis?:

What happens if TS becomes too low ?

Inverse
Inverse Chill
Chill
SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

13

Why using Thermal Analysis?:

Inverse Chill

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

14

Why using Thermal

Analysis?:
The A, B, C curves

That gives
different
Cooling curves

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

15

Why using Thermal Analysis?:

=
TE
Gray

Small Delta T =
High Nucleation
SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

16

Why using Thermal Analysis?:

High Nucleation =
less shrinkage
SORELMETAL

Thermal Analysis
can prevent
shrinkage
PMC Dec 2008

17

Why using
Thermal
Analysis?:
Thermal Analysis
can check the
iron quality
during
elaboration:
Especially after a
long maintain in
the furnace

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

18

Present Possibility:
Thermal Analysis with using the first and second derivations

This value could qualify the good nucleation

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

19

Present Possibility:
Thermal Analysis with 3 cups: presently for gray iron

This gray value is the right estimation of what we will probably obtain
in the casting regarding the white and the graphitic iron
SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

Caldobase = Fonte de Base

C=3.64
Si=1.72

S=0.011

Cu=0.05

Mn=0.15

Concrete
Examples:

1 = Fonte de Base avec ajout de graphite

C=3.66
Si=1.72

SORELMETAL

20

Temprature four=1494

Temprature four=1512

PMC Dec 2008

1inoculada = Fonte traite _ en poche

C=3.62
Si=2.4
S=0.003

Mg=0.044

0.4% inoc.

Concrete
Examples:

2inoculada = Fonte traite _ en poche

C=3.69
Si=2.34
S=0.002

SORELMETAL

Mg=0.041

0.4% inoc.

21

Temprature poche=1405

Temprature poche=1395

PMC Dec 2008

22

1200
1180
1160

Liquidus

Time

Eutectique bas

13:55

Eutectique haut

1140

14:30

1120

14:40

1100
13:40

13:55

14:35 with Te
T solidus = 1119C

Gray Iron
SORELMETAL

14:09

14:24

35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
-5

14:38

14:50

14:52

without Te
without Te + 1 Kg/T of good
graphite, Tfurnace = 1394C
without Te + strong
inoculation in the cup
graphite + 1.5Kg FeSi
correction, T furnace = 1470C

Surfusion

3.95

Recalescence
Ceq

3.9
3.85

Super

3.8
13:55

14:30

14:40

14:50

3.75

PMC Dec 2008

23

1160
Time

1155
1150

15:45

1145

15:50

1140

15:55

1135

Liquidus

1130

Eut ect ique bas

1125
15:36

16:10
16:20

Eut ect ique haut

15:50

16:04

16:19

16:33

16:25

without Te, T furnace =

1413C
without Te + 1 Kg/T of good
graphite
without Te + inoculation
without Te, T furnace =
1529C
without Te after Mg treatment
without Te with ladle
inoculation

25

4.4
4.35
4.3
4.25
4.2
4.15
4.1
4.05

Surfusion

16:00 with Te
T solidus = 1128C

20
15

Recalescence
Ceq

10
5

Ductile Iron
SORELMETAL

0
15:45 15:50 15:55 16:10 16:20 16:25

PMC Dec 2008

24

Conclusions:

Thermal Analysis can check:

the risk to obtain Fe3C and inverse chill
the risk to obtain shrinkage or porosities
Thermal Analysis gives a very good quality index by
the undercooling value
Thermal Analysis is cheap, has a good reproducibility,
human influence is low, traceability is easy

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008

25

SORELMETAL

PMC Dec 2008