Research Information System
International Journal of Metalcasting, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
This study explores the effects of various rapid cooling techniques that can be employed by foundry method engineers to enhance the mechanical properties of EN-GJS-600-10, particularly in cases where insufficient or improper inoculation leads to suboptimal performance. Due to the inability of standard casting configurations to meet the required mechanical properties in the customer-specified cross section, the use of chilled casting has been evaluated as an alternative approach. Three casting conditions non-chilled, externally chilled, and embedded chilled were systematically examined. Solidification behavior and cooling rates were analyzed through commercial simulation software to assess thermal performance across the different conditions. Simulation results and microstructural observations revealed that externally chilled castings exhibited approximately twice the solidification time compared to non-chilled ones. On the other hand, the embedded chills failed to fully deliver the expected improvement in cooling performance. Microstructural evaluations confirmed that the external chill significantly refined the graphite morphology by reducing particle size and increasing nodule count, thus promoting the formation of well-defined spheroidal graphite structures. As a result, the elongation increased markedly from 3% to 13%, without any detrimental effect on tensile or yield strength. These outcomes highlight the effectiveness of external chill casting in enhancing the mechanical performance of EN-GJS-600-10 ductile iron, offering a promising solution for applications demanding high ductility alongside strength.