In cast iron

Lead and its alloys are generally melted, handled, and refined in cast-iron, cast-steel, welded-steel, or spun-steel melting ketdes without fear of contamination by iron (qv). Normal melting procedures require no dux cover for lead. Special reactive metal alloys require special alloying elements, duxes, or covers to prevent dross formation and loss of the alloying elements. 

Nickel—Iron. A large amount of nickel is used in alloy and stainless steels and in cast irons. Nickel is added to ferritic alloy steels to increase the hardenabihty and to modify ferrite and cementite properties and morphologies, and thus to improve the strength, toughness, and ductihty of the steel. In austenitic stainless steels, the nickel content is 7—35 wt %. Its primary roles are to stabilize the ductile austenite stmcture and to provide, in conjunction with chromium, good corrosion resistance. Nickel is added to cast irons to improve strength and toughness. 

Silicon [7440-21-3] Si, from the Latin silex, silicis for flint, is the fourteenth element of the Periodic Table, has atomic wt 28.083, and a room temperature density of 2.3 gm /cm. SiUcon is britde, has a gray, metallic luster, and melts at 1412°C. In 1787 Lavoisier suggested that siUca (qv), of which flint is one form, was the oxide of an unknown element. Gay-Lussac and Thenard apparently produced elemental siUcon in 1811 by reducing siUcon tetrafluoride with potassium but did not recognize it as an element. In 1817 BerzeHus reported evidence of siUcon occurring as a precipitate in cast iron. Elemental siUcon does not occur in nature. As a constituent of various minerals, eg, siUca and siUcates such as the feldspars and kaolins, however, siUcon comprises about 28% of the earth s cmst. There are three stable isotopes that occur naturally and several that can be prepared artificially and are radioactive (Table 1) (1). 

Calcium—Silicon. Calcium—silicon and calcium—barium—siUcon are made in the submerged-arc electric furnace by carbon reduction of lime, sihca rock, and barites. Commercial calcium—silicon contains 28—32% calcium, 60—65% siUcon, and 3% iron (max). Barium-bearing alloys contains 16—20% calcium, 9—12% barium, and 53—59% sihcon. Calcium can also be added as an ahoy containing 10—13% calcium, 14—18% barium, 19—21% aluminum, and 38—40% shicon These ahoys are used to deoxidize and degasify steel. They produce complex calcium shicate inclusions that are minimally harm fill to physical properties and prevent the formation of alumina-type inclusions, a principal source of fatigue failure in highly stressed ahoy steels. As a sulfide former, they promote random distribution of sulfides, thereby minimizing chain-type inclusions. In cast iron, they are used as an inoculant. 

An ahoy of titanium containing 40—50% Ti and 45—50% Si is used as an additive in cast iron to shorten the graphite flakes. The effect is to provide a smooth casting surface. The resulting casting is then used to produce glass botde molds. 

In metallurgical practice, sodium uses include preparation of powdered metals removal of antimony, tin, and sulfur from lead modification of the stmcture of siHcon—aluminum alloys appHcation of diffusion alloy coatings to substrate metals (162,163) cleaning and desulfurizing alloy steels via NaH (164) nodularization of graphite in cast iron deoxidation of molten metals heat treatment and the coating of steel using aluminum or zinc. 

Dichlorophenols. Among all the dichlorophenols, C H Cl O, it is 2,4-dichlorophenol that is produced in greatest quantity. 2,4-Dichlorophenol is used in manufacturing 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid [94-75-7] (2,4-D) and 2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)propionic acid [720-36-5] (2,4-DP). Industrially, 2,4-dichlorophenol can be obtained by chlorinating phenol, -chlorophenol, o-chlorophenol, or a mixture of these compounds in cast-iron reactors. The chlorinating agent may be chlorine or sulfuryl chloride in combination with a Lewis acid. For example ... 

Figure 12.14 Typical appearance of severe cavitation damage in cast iron.

Another form of microstructural galvanic corrosion, graphitic corrosion, is unique to gray and nodular cast irons. It may be encountered in cast iron pumps and other cast iron components. It is a homogeneous form of galvanic corrosion, not requiring connection to a different metal. 

Straight-lobe compressor casings, also called housings or cylinders by different manufacturers, are furnished in cast iron by all vendors. There is an optional aluminum construction available for special applications. Inlet and outlet are suitable for a 125 pound standard ANSI flanged connection. 

Because cast iron has a carbon content approximately equivalent to its eutectic composition, it can be cast at lower temperatures than steel and flows more readily than steel because of its much narrower temperature solidification range. The presence of the graphite flakes in cast iron decreases its shrinkage on solidification much less than that of steel. These factors contribute to the fabrication of cast iron as sound castings in complex shapes and with accurate dimensions at low cost. 

Welding is sometimes used to repair broken and defective castings [6]. This process is more difficult than welding steel because the high carbon content in cast iron may lead to brittle structures on cooling, thus... 

The operator took about one to two minutes to open the valve halfway very soon afterward, there was a loud bang as a 6-in. cast-iron valve on a branch (unused and blanked) failed as a result of water hammer. The operator was able to climb out of the pit, but later died from his burns, which covered 65% of his body [17J. Figure 9-11 explains the mechanism. 

Directional solidification (see [121-123,125] and [126-129]) is the most frequent way in which a material changes its state from sohd to liquid. The necessary removal of the latent heat of freezing usually occurs in a direction prescribed by the location of heat sinks For a freezing lake it is the cold atmosphere above it in casting iron in a foundry it is the cold sand-form into which the heat flow is directed. 

Figure 10-130. Pressure drop versus rate of flow for water at 70°F in cast iron cooling sections, similar to Figure 10-127.

Nickel in cast iron Corrosion rate (mm/year) % Nickel in cast iron Corrosion rate (mm/year)... 

In addition to nickel alloys, nickel also forms an important alloying element in stainless steels and in cast irons, in both of which it confers additional corrosion resistance and improved mechanical and engineering properties, and in Fe-Ni alloys for obtaining controlled physical and magnetic properties (see Chapter 3). With non-ferrous metals nickel also forms important types of alloys, especially with copper, i.e. cupro-nickels and nickel silvers these are dealt with in Section 4.2. 

An example where reactant concentration is solely governed by corrosion considerations is in the production of concentrated nitric acid by dehydration of weak nitric acid with concentrated sulphuric acid. The ratio of HN0j H2S04 acid feeds is determined by the need to keep the waste sulphuric acid at > 70 Vo at which concentrations it can be transported in cast-iron pipes and stored after cooling in carbon-steel tanks. 

Discussion. Neo-cuproin (2,9-dimethyl-l,10-phenanthroline) can, under certain conditions, behave as an almost specific reagent for copper(I). The complex is soluble in chloroform and absorbs at 457 nm. It may be applied to the determination of copper in cast iron, alloy steels, lead-tin solder, and various metals. 

NOTE Do not confuse graphitization with graphitic corrosion, which is different. Graphitic corrosion causes the iron in cast iron to selectively leach out, leaving behind a porous graphite structure. 

Effluent Concentrations of Pollutants Found in Cast Iron Subcategory Plants... 

On an industrial scale, diazotization reactions are chiefly carried out in cast iron kettles that are lined with brick or rubber as a protection against acid. Wooden vats also continue to be used. 

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