STEEL CASTING METALLURGY

Edited by
Dr. John M. Svoboda
Technical & Research Director
and
Raymond W. Monroe
Research Manager

Steel Founders Society of America, 1984

Cast Metals Federation Building
455 State Street, Des Plaines, Illinois 60016
Printed in the United States of America

TABLE OF
CONTENTS
PAGE
Preface
vii
Lecture I-Microstructure and Phase
Relationships in Cast Steels
Dr. Carl R. Loper Jr.
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1

...................................................
....................

Atomic Arrangement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Phases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Equilibrium Diagrams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Principles of the IronCarbon Phase Diagramm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Segregation in Cast Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Closing Remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lecture Il-Microstructures and Transformation in

Cast Steels

..................................

1
5
7

16
30
30
32

Dr. Robert C. Voigt

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Equilibrium Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Non-Equilibrium Structures and Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Austenite Transformation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Continuous Cooling Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Alloy Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hardenability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Practical Aspects of Austenite Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tempering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Supplementary Topics
..............
Embrittlement Phenomena. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SurfaceTreatments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
lntercritical Heat Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Austempering. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Micro-Alloyed Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

33
34
37
40
45
47
49
51
52
55
55
57
59
60
61
62
63

.......

Lecture Ill-Alloying Effects in Cast Steels.

.Raymond W. Monroe
Processing and Composition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
67
Melting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Pouring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Heat Treatment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Welding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Composition Nomenclature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Elemental Compositional Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aluminum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Boron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Calcium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Carbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

iii

67
70

75
86
86
89
91
92
92
93

Cerium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chromium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Cobalt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hydrogen.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lead. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mangnese. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Molybdemium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nickel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nobium or Columbium. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nitrogen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Oxygen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Phosphous. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Silicon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sulfur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tantalum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Titanium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tungsten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vanadium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Zirconium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

93
94
94
95
95
95
96
96
97
97
98
98
99
99
99
100
100
100
100
101
101
101
101

Lecture IV-Melting and Deoxidation of Cast Steels . .Dr. John M. Svoboda

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Acid Melting Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Basic Melting Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deoxidation and Control of Gases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Induction Melting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
AOD Refining. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ladle Desulfurization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix-Metallurgical Chemistry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

103
105
116
121
126
128
131
134
136

Lecture V-Heat Treatment of

Steel Castings
....... R. W Monroe and Dr. G . H . Geiger

...........

Heat Treating Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Normalizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quenching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tempering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Annealing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Intercritical Heat Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Martempering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Austempering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Carburizing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Solution Treating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Stabilizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Heat Treatment Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Heating Rate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

iv

155
156
158
168
171
171
171
171
172
172
172
172
173
173

HoldingTime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Holding Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
174
CoolingRate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Heat Treating Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Documentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Audit Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Lecture VI-Welding of Cast Steels

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Carl D. Lundin

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Historical Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Comparative Weldability of Cast and Wrought Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Consolidated Mechanism of HAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Pragmatic and Practical Aspects of
Welding Cast and Wrought Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Closure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

195
196
201
202

207
214
218

Lecture VII-Cast High Alloy Metallurgy.............. Dr. Martin Prager

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
General Metallurgy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Chromium and Nickel Equivalents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
The Effect of Alloy Additions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
229
Strength and Weldability Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Martensitic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Ferritic Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Austenitic Alloys.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Ferritic-Austenitic Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Corrosion Behavior. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Oxidation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Sulfidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Carburization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
General Corrosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Localized Corrosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Corrosion Fatigue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Stress Corrosion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

This page left blank intentionally.

vi

PREFACE
The seven lectures published in this book were presented at the 39th
Annual Technical and Operating Conference of the Steel FoundersSociety of America on November 12-13, 1984 in Chicago, Illinois. The lecture series was presented in university style format as a comprehensive course covering cast steel metallurgy. In excess of a full day was
devoted to the presentation and discussion of the papers.
Many operating and technical personnel in the steel casting industry
work in operations concerned with the metallurgy of cast steel, be it
carbon, low alloy, or high alloy. However, the fundamental knowledge of
the subject often escapes them since these basic principles are not
generally all covered in a single source. It was the intention of the Technical and Operating Committee to provide a basic textbook of cast steel
metallury that is readily understandable to all. While serving as an excellent guide an introduction to younger men entering the industry,
these lectures also constitute an ideal refresher for metallurgical engineers in general.
The lectures have been prepared and presented by authorities on the
subject cast steel metallurgy. Each lecturer was chosen because of his
full understanding of the subject and his ability to impart his knowledge
to those who are not necessarily too familiar with the technical terminology involved. The Society was indeed fortunate to be able to secure and
present such a fine group of able speakers. A short biographical sketch
of each lecturer is presented.
Technical and Operating Conferences are annual events under the direction of the Technical and Operating Committee, for the benefit of the
technical and operating personnel of the member companies of the
Steel Founders Society of America. The lecture series was initiated at
the 1958 T & 0 Conference and was designed to cover topics of prime
interest in the operation of a steel foundry.
The 1984 Conference was under the direction of Mr. H. J. Emmerichs,
Chairman of the Technical and Operating Committee, and Vice
President-Operations, Pacific Steel Casting Company. Other members
of the Committee are as follows: C. T Brandt, Missouri Steel Casting
vii

Co.; W. Clark, Empire Steel Castings, Inc.; W. P.Donovan, American

Steel Foundries; J. Dziedzic, Pelton Casteel, Inc.; R. MacDonald, Metalloy Steel Foundry, Inc.; D. MacGowan, Atlas Foundry & Machine Co.; J.
Moore, Dofasco, Inc.; G. Nesbitt, Electric Steel Castings Co.; M.
Rauguth, Maynard Steel Casting Co.; J. Larson, Ingersoll-Rand Co.; J. C.
Farlow, ACIPCO Steel Products.

November 1984

Dr. John M. Svoboda

Technical and Research Director
Raymond W. Monroe
Research Manager
Steel Founders Society of America

viii

ABOUT THE AUTHORS.....

Dr. Carl R. Loper; Jr.

Professor of Metallurgy
University of Wisconsin

A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dr. Loper attended the University of

Wisconsin at Madison, receiving Degrees of BS, MS, and PhD in Metallurgical Engineering in 1955, 1958 and 1961 respectively. While studying at the University he was named the Foundry Education Fellow,
Wheelabrator Fellow, and a Ford Foundation Fellow.

His indoctrination into the foundry industry was as a metallurgical engineer for Pelton Steel Casting Company in 1955. In 1956 he returned to
the Campus of the University of Wisconsin serving as an Instructor, Research Project Assistant, Assistant Professor and Professor in Metallurgical Engineering. He is also engaged as a consultant and as a failure
analysis expert in legal claim cases.
Dr. Loper has published more than seventy technical papers and delivered talks to numerous technical organizations including AFS Chapters
and Regional Conferences. He has served as advisor to the Wisconsin
Student Chapter of AFS, as co-author of the textbook "Principles of
Metal Casting", author of several chapters in the Gray and Ductile Iron
Casting Handbooks, plus several other engineering handbooks. He was
recipient of the AFS Howard F: Taylor Best Paper Award in 1967 and has
received AFS Divisional awards. Dr. Loper served as a member of the
AFS Ferrous Group Executive Committee, Chairman of the National
AFS Ductile Iron Division, Past Chairman of the National Related Interests Division and a Chapter Director of the AFS Wisconsin Chapter.
IX

Dr. Robert Voigt

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
University of Kansas

Robert Voigt is currently Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS. He received his B.S. in
Mechanical Engineering, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin. In addition to a university research background in applied superconductivity and cast iron
metallurgy Dr. Voigt has worked for Giddings & Lewis Machine Tool
Company in engineering research, Norsk Hydro (Norway) working in
the development of adaptive control for aluminum reduction cells, and
researched the mechanical metallurgy of nickel-base superalloys at
NASA Lewis Research Labs. Dr. Voigt is currently conducting research
at the University of Kansas in the areas of austempering of cast irons
and cast steels, and intercritical heat treatment of cast steel and cast
irons and has authored 14 technical papers. He is a recipient of the
1983 SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award. Dr. Voigt is a member of
ASM, AFS, ASME, SME, AIME, SAE, and AWS.

Raymond W Monroe
Research Manager
Steel Founders' Society of America

Raymond W. Monroe was named SFSA Research Manager in May of

1982. Prior to this he did contract research in metallurgy, failure analysis and castings processes at the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama for a period of six years.
X

Raymond holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University,

and received his M.S. in Engineering Science from the University of Alabama (Birmingham) in 1980. He is active in the American Society for
Testing and Materials, the American Foundrymen's Society, on several
Metals Properties Council (MPC) committees, and was recently selected to head the U.S.Technical Advisory Group for the ISO/TC 17/SC
11-subcommittee on steel castings. He is presently pursuing his Ph.D
in Metallurgical Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology.
His prior publications include several papers on metal combustion in
oxygen and casting technology. The work in castings has been concerned with mold-metal reactions, quenching, heat treating, gas defects, and cast iron properties. Raymond has authored and co-authored
many technical papers and publications but the best of which are his
comprehensive review of steel casting process called Making Quality
Steel Castings: A Review of 20 Years of SFSA Literature, and his
paper for AFS, "Mold Binder Composition" which was selected as
the outstanding paper in the Molding Methods and Materials Division
in 1981.

Dr.John Svoboda
Technical & Research Director
Steel Founders' Society of America

Prior to joining the SFSA Staff, Dr. Svoboda spent several years as a
technical consultant to the foundry industry with clients in the United
States, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. As a consultant, he specialized in
the area of quality control, including sand control, gating and risering,
melting and metallurgy. Before becoming a consultant, Dr. Svoboda
was Director of Education for the AFS Cast Metals Institute. In that position, he developed a sixty-course educational program, prepared text
and programmed learning courses, and designed and developed laboratory facilities. Earlier, Dr. Svoboda, who held the rank of Captain in the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, served ten years as Project Metallurgist
xi

and Supervisor Foundry Process Evaluation and Control for the Falk
Corporation. He received B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in metallurgical
engineering from the University of Wisconsin, and is an active member
of the American Foundryman's Society, Iron and Steel Society-AIME,
American Society of Association Executives, American Society for
Metals, American Society for Testing and Materials and has been
elected to Membership in the British Iron and Steel Institute. In 1982,
Svoboda presented an exchange lecture to the Steel Castings Research and Trade Association in England. He is also active in the Metals
Properties Council and is a Fellow of the Institution of Diagnostic Engineers.

Dr: Gordon H.Geiger

Director of Technology
North Star Steel Company

Dr. Geiger received his bachelor's degree in metallurgy from Yale University in 1959 and his master's and doctorate degrees from Northwestern University in 1961 and 1964, respectively.
He has done full-time and consulting work for several major steel firms,
manufacturers, and government agencies, including Jones & Laughlin
Steel Corporation, US. Steel Corporation, General Telephone and Electronics, and the US. Environmental Protection Agency.
He taught metallurgical engineering for 15 years at the Universities of
Wisconsin, Illinois, and Arizona. At Arizona, he was a full professor and
Head of the Metallurgical Engineering Department. Over that time, he
published more than 60 technical papers and co-authored several textbooks.
In 1972 Dr. Geiger received the Bradley Stoughton Award for Young
Teachers of Metallurgy from ASM. He was named an ASM Fellow in
1982.

xii

Dr.Carl D. Lundin
Magnavox Professor of Engineering
The University of Tennessee

Dr. Carl D. Lundin is the Magnavox Professor of Engineering in Metallurgical Engineering, College of Engineering of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, and is also Director of the Welding Research
and Engineering Group at UTK. Dr. Lundin came to the University of
Tennessee from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, in
1968.
Dr. Lundin obtained his Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering degree
from RPI in 1957. After receiving his bachelor's degree, Dr. Lundin
served for three years in the U.S. Navy in both engineering and operations capacities.

In 1960 he was appointed as Research Assistant in the Metallurgy Department, and in 1962 he was appointed as an instructor and also became Supervisor of Welding Research. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1966
from RPI. He was appointed as Assistant Professor in the Materials Division in 1966, and continued as Supervisor of Welding Research.
Dr. Lundin is a member of several Pressure Vessel Research committees and Welding Research Council committees. He currently is Project
Director for the Weld Metal and Welding Procedures Subcommittee
and the Significance of Discontinuities Subcommittee.
Dr. Lundin has been active at both the local and national level of the
American Welding Society. He is also active in membership to the
American Society for Metals, Chairman of the Welding Research
Council, a member of the Pressure Vessel Research Committee,
the International Institute of Welding, ASM Academy and the AWS
Academy.
In the research area, Dr. Lundin has authored or co-authored over 26
technical articles and many research reports. Since 1962, Dr. Lundin
xiii

has been a consultant to the industry on welding, failure analysis and

materials behavior problems.
He has been awarded such distinguished awards as the Adams Memorial Membership, the AWS Williams Spraragen Award, the AWS McKayHelm Award, and the AWS District Meritorious Award, and was named
Tennessee Tomorrow Professor by the University of Tennessee in
April 1980.

Dr.Martin Prager
Associate Director
The Metal Properties Council, Inc.

As Associate Director of MPC, Martin Prager is responsible for organizing and managing a range of programs dealing with pressure vessel
steels, weldments, turbine rotors, castings, hydrogen effects, bolting,
stress-rupture testing, fracture toughness and parametric analysis to
name a few. Prior to his affiliation with MPC, he maintained a consulting
practice mainly serving the marine, power and aerospace industries.
He has authored numerous papers on mechanical properties, welding
of high alloys, the performance of large propeller castings and environmental effects. His papers have won awards from IEEE and AWS. He
formerly worked for The Copper Development Association and the
Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell International. He received B. Chem.
Eng. and M. Met. Eng. degrees from Cornell University and a Ph.D from
UCLA. He is an active member of AWS, AIME, ASM, ASTM, NACE.

xiv

Lecture I

Microstructure and Phase

Relationships in Cast Steels
By Dr. Carl R. Loper, Jr.

INTRODUCTION
Perhaps the most significant concept to be addressed in any study of
steel casting metallurgy is that the mechanical properties obtained are
dependant upon the microstructure and macrostructure produced in
the steel casting. By controlling the structure of the casting, the mechanical properties can be controlled. lt is, therefore, necessary to understand those parameters that comprise the structure of cast steels
and to consider the means by which these structural features might be
altered or assured to achieve desired mechanical properties.
The structure of cast steel, like that of other metallic materials, is developed from specific arrangements of the atoms present. This discussion
will briefly review the development of structures in metallic materials,
and consider the formation of cast steel structures under conditions of
equilibrium, or near equilibrium.

ATOMIC ARRANGEMENT
The atomic arrangement present in a given material plays an important
role in determining the microstructure and properties. In metals, some
arrangements permit exceptional strength to be obtained while other
arrangements yield exceptional ductility. In crystalline materials (such
as metals) atoms are arranged in a geometric pattern called a unit cell.
The unit cell may be repeated in space to form a crystal in the same
manner as one might stack building blocks. The individual crystals combine to form polycrystalline aggregates which may be observed in the
microstructure of these materials.
A few examples of these arrangements of atoms in unit cells are pre1

sented in Figure 1. The simple cubic cell consists of an atom located at

each corner of the cell. This arrangement of atoms may be repeated in
three dimensions to generate a crystal of large size, Figure 2. The simple cubic cell, however, is infrequently encountered in metallic systems
where the unit cells are observed to have slightly more complex arrangements.
The body centered cubic cell is typical of that found in iron at room temperature (ferrite) and is also observed, for example, in chromium and
tungsten. In this case an atom is located in the center of the unit cell in
addition to those atoms located at the corners. The body centered cubic cell (B.C.C.) reflects a somewhat more dense packing of the atoms
than is present in the simple cubic cell.

A more common arrangement of atoms in metallic systems is the face

centered cubic cell (F.C.C.). In addition to an atom at each corner of the
cell, there is one present in the center of each face. This packing arrangement is even more dense than that of the B.C.C. pattern, and is
found in iron at elevated temperatures (austenite), copper, aluminum,
lead, silver and nickel.
These cellular arrangements of atoms develop, for example, during the
solidification of a metal. Atoms in the liquid state are randomly distributed, or nearly so, and possess no regular structure. As a result, liquids
flow freely and must be contained. Consider a pure metal cooled to a
temperature corresponding to the freezing point or slightly below, Figure 3a. At this point crystallization has begun at a number of centers (or

nuclei) by the development of unit cells to form space lattices. These

lattices grow by the aggregation of more unit cells at the expense of the
liquid. The lattice structures expand in the directions of the axes of the
lattice until development is stopped by interference through contact
with the vessel containing the liquid or by contact with an adjacent
growing lattice. The resulting structure is made up of grains in which the
size and shape of the grain is determined by the solidification conditions. Each of these grains is an individual single crystal, separated
from each other by grain boundaries where the orientation of the adjacent lattices mismatch, Figures 3f and 4. The interference encountered
at these grain boundaries causes them to be revealed when a piece of
metal is polished and etched. An illustration of these is evident in Figure
5 where the grain structure of iron is shown.

PHASES
In the previous example, the liquid and solid can be considered to be
separate phases of a given metal. A phase is defined as having the following characteristics:

a. A phase has the same structure or atomic arrangement throughout.

b. A phase has essentially the same composition and properties
throughout.

c. A definite interface exists between the phase and its surroundings, or an adjoining phase.
Some examples of phases are illustrated in Figure 6. If a piece of pure

ice were enclosed in a vacuum chamber at a suitable reduced pressure

and temperature, the ice would begin to melt and some of the water
would vaporize. Under these conditions, three phases would coexist:
solid water, liquid water and gaseous water. Each phase would possess
a unique atomic arrangement, have different properties, and a well defined boundary would exist between them. Three phases would be
present within this system even though all phases had the same composition.
A phase, however, does not have to be a pure material (such as water),
and several phases may combine to form a single phase. Consider one
container of water and another of alcohol. These two components are
soluble in each other, and exhibit unlimited solubility. If the water and alcohol are combined only one phase results, regardless of the amount of
water and/or alcohol introduced.
A similar situation may exist in metals. Copper and nickel exhibit unlimited solubility in the liquid state, so that only one liquid phase results
from alloying these two elements, regardless of the relative amounts.
Furthermore, after an alloy of copper and nickel solidifies only one solid
phase results, ie., no interface exists between the nickel and copper
atoms, only one solid phase is formed, and copper and nickel exhibit unlimited solid solubility (often referred to as solid solution).
When a small amount of salt is added to water it also enters into solution
forming a single phase. However, as the amount of salt is increased salt
is observed to collect at the bottom of the container and two phases are
present-brine and excess salt. In this case salt has limited solubility in
water.
Copper and zinc (brass) exhibit unlimited solubility when liquid, but only
a limited amount of zinc can be dissolved in the crystal structure of copper. Excess zinc (over about 40%) is present in the microstructure as a
copper-zinc compound, and two solid phases exist together.
In some cases virtually no solubility may occur, such as with oil and
water. Attempts to mix these two liquids may break up the material
into smaller units, but the two phases remain distinctly separate from
each other. A similar condition is experienced in trying to mix molten
copper and molten lead. In these cases, the components are immiscible.

EQUILIBRIUM DIAGRAMS
The study of the interrelation of phases in an alloy system at different
temperatures and for different alloy compositions is important in understanding the characteristics of alloys. Since it would be difficult and
cumbersome to tabulate the interrelation and composition of coexisting
phases at all temperatures in an alloy, this information is presented in
the form of a diagram. This diagram is a plot designating which phases
are present in a given alloy at a given temperature, and is referred to as
an equilibrium diagram (or phase diagram, or constitution diagram). The
diagram also shows the composition of all phases that are in equilibrium at all temperatures. (Equilibrium may be defined as a condition realized when the total amounts of the various phases remains constant.)

Cooling Curves
One method of determining the temperature at which a phase change
occurs in an alloy system is to follow the temperature as a function of
time as different alloys in the system are cooled very slowly. This procedure results in a cooling curve which exhibits changes in the slope of
the curve as a function of phase changes occurring.
For example, consider using this technique to determine the phase diagram of the antimony-bismuth system. A series of alloys of varying
compositions would be prepared, each alloy would be heated until molten and uniform in composition, and the alloy would then be cooled very
slowly
Pure antimony, Figure 7a, exhibits an arrest in the cooling curve begin-

ning at x and ending at y. Examination of the metal in the crucible would

indicate that solidification begins at the time corresponding to point x
and is completed at the time corresponding to pointy. Solidification occurs at a constant temperature (1 167F) because of the liberation of
the heat of fusion.

An alloy of 25% bismuth and 75% antimony exhibits a cooling curve

shown in Figure 7b. In this case, the cooling continues in a uniform
manner until the temperature reaches 1095F at which a break in the
curve is encountered, where solidification begins. Another break in the
cooling curve is observed at 800F, where solidification is completed.
Examination of the structure developed during solidification reveals
that a single solid phase has formed, a solid solution of bismuth and antimony.
In a similar manner other alloys in this system are evaluated, and the
results obtained from the cooling curves may be plotted in a diagram
called an equilibrium, or phase, diagram (Figure 8). The temperature at
which solidification begins (connecting all points x from the cooling
curves) forms the liquidus curve, and the solidus curve is formed from
the temperature at which solidification is complete (points y).
Actually, the liquidus curve is a plot of the composition of liquid that will
be in equilibrium with solid at any given temperature, and the solidus
curve indicates the composition of solid that will be in equilibrium with
liquid at any given temperature. For example, the phase diagram shows
that for an alloy of 50% bismuth at a temperature of Ti, two phases will
be present. These phases will be liquid and solid. The composition of
the liquid is given by the point n, where the isothermal tie line intersects
the liquidus curve. And the composition of the solid is given by the point
m at the intersection of the solidus curve. Similarly, any antimony-bismuth alloy existing at a temperature such that two phases are present
can be evaluated to determine the composition of those two phases.
During the course of solidification the composition of the liquid and solid
phases formed changes. Note that at a temperature above Tx this 50%
bismuth alloy is completely liquid, i.e., single phase. But when cooled to
just below Tx it enters the two phase (liquid plus solid) region forming
solid of a composition given by the point a. As the temperature drops,
the composition of the solid changes along the solidus curve from point
a, to point m, to point y while the liquid composition changes along the
liquidus curve from point x, to point n and finally to a liquid of the compo8

sition of point c. This change in composition during the course of solidification is typical for most alloys.
,

Lever Arm Principle

The equilibrium diagram indicates the composition of phases that will
be in equilibrium at any particular temperature. The diagram also
makes it possible to determine the amount of the phases present at any
given temperature. This is the lever arm principle and can be applied
anywhere in the phase diagram where two phases coexist.
Consider the alloy containing 50% bismuth at temperature Ti in Figure
8. It has already been noted that this alloy is composed of solid of composition m and liquid of composition n. By considering the concentration of bismuth present in the solid phase, the liquid phase and in the alloy as a whole, it can be shown that the amount of solid solution and the
amount of liquid will be inversely proportional to the distances from the
point representing the composition of the alloy to the point representing
the composition of the phase in question. For example, the fraction of
the total mass that is liquid is given by the relation mi/mn. The fraction of
the total mass that is solid is given by the relation in/mn. The percentages of each phase present can be obtained by multiplying those fractions by 100.

Once again, it should be noted that below the solidus temperature, all
alloys in this system are single phase. The homogeneous solid solution
type of system is also referred to as an isomorphous system.

Components Completely Soluble in the Liquid and Insoluble in

the Solid
A system in which the components are completely soluble in the liquid
state but insoluble in the solid state is illustrated by alloys of bismuth
and cadmium. Cooling curves for alloys in this system are presented in
Figure 9. The solidification of pure bismuth is the same as discussed
previously (Figure 7). An alloy of 20% cadmium exhibits a break in the
cooling curve at point x, where solidification starts. The cooling curve
then continues at a lower rate of cooling until pointy is reached, where
there is an arrest which continues until point z is reached, and solidification is completed. It may be observed that the structure of this alloy consists of large grains of pure bismuth formed during cooling from x to y
and an intimate mixture of bismuth and cadmium formed during the arrest between points y and z.
An alloy of 40% cadmium exhibits a cooling curve which is unique in
that only an arrest is obtained. The structure of this alloy is entirely an
intimate mixture of bismuth and cadmium, referred to as a eutectic. A
fully eutectic structure formed during the solidification of this alloy, so
that the alloy is called an eutectic alloy.
The phase diagram for the bismuth-cadmium system is obtained by

10

plotting the points from the cooling curves, Figure 10. The phase regions of this system are as follows:
Above curve ABC-homogeneous liquid solution (one phase).
Area ABD-solid bismuth plus liquid (two phases).
Area BCE-solid cadmium plus liquid (two phases).
Below DBE-solid bismuth plus solid cadmium (two phases).
At composition B the structure of the alloy is 100% eutectic. Alloys having greater amounts of bismuth (to the left of the eutectic composition)
are called hypoeutectic alloys. Alloys having great amounts of cadmium (to the right of the eutectic composition) are called hypereutectic
alloys.

Components Completely Soluble in the Liquid and Partially

Soluble in the Solid
Actually, there are few alloy systems where there is complete insolubility in the solid state as just discussed. The most common type of alloy
system is that where there is partial solubility in the solid state. Consider
the hypothetical alloy system A-B, the cooling curves for which are presented in Figure 11. A number of alloys have been selected covering
this system, and it may be noted that some of the alloys solidify in a
11

manner identical to the solid solution alloys discussed using Figure 7

(Cooling curves a, b, c, g, h and i).Also several of the alloys solidify in a
manner identical to the eutectic system discussed using Figure 10
(Cooling curves d, e and f).

A plot of the points x, y and z from these cooling curves establishes the
phase diagram for components A and B, Figure 12. Note that this diagram is in reality a combination of features of the two systems previously discussed. The single phase solid to the left of the diagram is referred to as , and is a solid solution of component B in component A (a
maximum solubility of 20% B). The single phase solid to the right of the
diagram is referred to as B, and is a solid solution of component A in
component B (a maximum solubility of 30% A). The phase regions of
this system are as follows:

12

Above DKG-homogeneous liquid solution (one phase).

Region DEK-alpha solid solution plus liquid (two phases).
Region GKF-beta solid solution plus liquid (two phases).
Below DE-alpha solid solution (single phase).
Below GF-beta solid solution (single phase).
Below EKF-alpha solid solution plus beta solid solution (two
phases).
More typically, alloy systems such as the one just described (A and B)
are somewhat more complicated. The system for silver and copper is
presented as an example in Figure 13. While it is similar to the diagram
of Figure 12, the solid phase solubility may be noted to decrease as the
temperature decreases. In this case the solubility of copper in silver decreases from 8.8% to nearly zero as the temperature falls from the
eutectic temperature to 400F: A similar decrease in solubility is seen at
the right side of the diagram. The curves defining this limited solid solubility (bounding the alpha plus beta region) are called the solvus curves.

Other Types of Alloy Systems

A number of other features also occur in phase diagrams, but only a few
of these will be briefly noted here. In many metallic systems, the components form chemical compounds. An example of this is the formation
of Fe C found in alloys of iron and carbon. These compounds may, in
13

some cases, act as the components discussed previously. But in other

cases, the compounds may dissociate during heating before melting
occurs. In addition, the compounds may exhibit solid solubility with
other phases, while some show very limited solid solubility.
Another phase reaction (the first was the eutectic reaction) is the peritectic reaction which is essentially an inverse of the eutectic reaction.
In the eutectic reaction there is a transformation from one phase (liquid)
to two phases (alpha and beta solid phases)on cooling. In the peritectic
reaction there is a transformation from two phases (e.g., liquid plus
solid) to one phase (another solid) on cooling. These reactions are generally quite slow because the formation of the second solid phase rapidly envelopes the first solid phase making it difficult for the reaction to
proceed at equilibrium. An example of the peritectic reaction IS presented in Figure 14 from the iron-carbon system. In this case an alloy
containing 0.18% carbon slowly cools from the liquid state forming a
delta solid solution. At 2715F there is a reaction between the liquid (of
composition 0.50% carbon) and the delta solid solution (of composition
0.10% carbon) to form a second solid phase, a gamma solid solution (of
composition 0.78 % carbon). The relative proportions of the phases
present before and after the peritectic reaction occurs may be determined by the use of the lever arm principle.

In many more complex alloy systems occurring in metals, transformations may result entirely within the solid state. An example of this is presented in the simpfifiediron-carbon diagram of figure 15. (Note that this
14

15

diagram does not present the peritectic reaction shown in Figure 14.)
This system exhibits a eutectic reaction (eutectic at 4.3% carbon) and
a similar reaction in the solid state, called a eutectoid reaction (eutectoid at 0.8% carbon). The transformation in the solid state (from gamma
solid solution to alpha solid solution plus Fe C) occurs just as described
previously for eutectic reactions. Because of its occurrence completely
in the solid state, however, the eutectoid reaction is somewhat more
sluggish than eutectic reactions.

Ternary Phase Diagrams

When alloys are composed of three components the phase diagrams
resulting are substantially more complex than those already discussed.
In the discussion to follow, references made to these systems will be
made using diagrams which reflect modifications to binary systems
caused by the introduction of a third component rather than introducing
the complexities of ternary phase diagrams.

PRINCIPLES OF THE IRON-CARBON PHASE DIAGRAM

To enable an understanding of the microstructure and phase relationships in cast steels, it is necessary that the iron-carbon phase diagram
be considered. This phase diagram is a plot of the phases present at
any temperature for a given iron-carbon alloy. From the phase diagram
the composition of the phases can be determined, and the amount of
phases coexisting can be calculated (lever arm principle). The iron-carbon equilibrium diagram is presented in Figure 16 for compositions up
to 5 % carbon.
It may be noted that this diagram actually represents two different equilibrium systems: iron-graphite (the stable system) and iron-iron carbide
(the metastable system). These two phase equilibrium systems are superimposed to yield the diagram of Figure 16.
There are a number of features of this phase diagram which bear attention. Pure iron exists at room temperature in a solid form referred to as
alpha in which the atomic arrangement is body centered cubic (B.C.C.).
When this pure iron is heated to 910C (1670F) the alpha phase transforms to the gamma phase which is face centered cubic (F.C.C.). Because the F.C.C. atomic structure is more densely packed than the
B.C.C. structure, there is a volumetric decrease (or contraction) when
this reaction occurs (and a corresponding expansion when the reaction
is encountered on cooling). Continued heating of the F.C.C. gamma
16

17

structure results in a transformation back to the B.C.C. structure (the

delta phase) at 1390C (2534F). This delta phase melts when heated
to 1528C (2782F). Thus, pure iron can exist in three solid forms (determined by the temperature), a phenomenon called allotropy.
It may also be noted that there is limited solubility of carbon in these
solid phases. The maximum solubility of carbon in alpha (B.C.C.) iron
occurs at 723C (1333F) and is only 0.025%. This alpha iron is often
referred to as ferrite, or alpha ferrite. (A somewhat lower solubility exists if the carbon is in the form of graphite in the microstructure than
when present as iron carbide.) The higher temperature B.C.C. structure, delta ferrite, can contain about 0.10% carbon. A substantially
greater amount of carbon can be dissolved in gamma iron (also called
austenite). Up to 2.0% carbon is soluble in austenite at a temperature
of 1130C (2066F). Note, however, that the solubility limit decreases to
the eutectoid composition (0.80% carbon) at 723C (1333F).

Three phase reactions occur in this system:

a. Peritectic: delta (0.10% C) + liquid(0.50% C) = gamma(0.18%

C)
b. Eutectic: liquid (4.3% C) = gamma (2.0% C) + iron carbide
(6.67% C)
c. Eutectoid: gamma (0.8%C) = alpha (0.025% C) = iron carbide
(6.67% C)
The above reactions reflect metastable equilibrium, i.e., the presence
of carbon in the form of iron carbide. Note that if carbon is present as
graphite, the eutectic and eutectoid reactions occur at higher temperatures and the solubility of carbon in the solid phases is somewhat lower.
The phase diagram presented in Figure 16 also contains a dashed line
[at 768C (1 41 4F)] across the alpha plus gamma two phase region and
the alpha region. The alpha ferrite phase present in these iron-carbon
alloys is non-magnetic at temperatures above this line, the gamma austenite phase is also non-magnetic. This is referred to as the Curie temperature for iron-carbon alloys.

Transformations of Austenite on Slow Cooling

The most important reactions in steels involve the decomposition of
austenite (the gamma phase) on cooling. Consideration should first be
18

given to those reactions occurring at slow cooling rates (furnace cooling, or annealing) which simulate equilibrium transformations.

Consider a eutectoid steel (0.8% C) initially at some temperature above

723C(1333F) in the region of single phase austenite (F.C.C.). On cooling, at 723C(1333F) the entire alloy transforms from austenite (0.8%
C) to alpha ferrite (0.025% C) plus iron carbide (6.67% C). (The iron carbide phase is also called cementite.) The eutectoid structure which
forms under these conditions is called pearlite because it resembles
mother-of-pearl when observed metallographically. A photomicrograph
of this structure is presented in Figure 17.
Pearlite consists of alternate plates or lamellae of alpha ferrite and cementite which form from the austenite in patches or nodules. The
amount of ferrite and cementite in the pearlite can be calculated using
the lever arm principle:
Fraction ferrite = (6.67-0.80)/(6.67-0.025) = 0.88
Fraction cementite = (0.80-0.025)/(6.67-0.025) = 0.12
Or, there is about seven times as much ferrite as there is cementite, and
the thickness of the ferrite lamellae is about seven times that of the cementite lamellae.

19

Hypoeutectoid steels contain less than 0.80% carbon, and it is noted

from the phase diagram that when these steels are cooled from the
austenite region they encounter the alpha plus gamma two phase region wherein alpha ferrite forms. As an example, consider a steel of
0.30% C heated to a temperature where the structure will be fully austenite. At this temperature, the structure of the steel will consist of
autenite grains, Figure 18. When cooling slowly from the austenite region, primary ferrite begins to form within the austenite grain boundaries at about 800C (1472F). As the temperature drops to just above
the eutectoid temperature, 723C (1333F), the amount of ferrite increases until it consists of primary ferrite (0.025% C) and austenite
(0.08% C). The fraction of phases present can be calculated:
Fraction austenite = (0.80-0.30)/(0.80-0.025) = 0.65
Fraction ferrite = (0.30-0.025)/(0.80-0.025) = 0.35
When cooling to a temperature just below the eutectoid temperature
the austenite transforms to pearlite (ferrite and cementite lamellae) and
the final structure contains 35% primary ferrite and 65% pearlite. An
example of this microstructure is presented in Figure 19. Note the
blocky ferrite (white) and the lamellar pearlite which has formed.
The transformation of a hypereutectoid steel is similar except that the
primary phase forming from austenite is cementite. An example of this
transformation is depicted in Figure 20 for an alloy of 1.7% C. As this
alloy is cooled from a fully austenitic structure, cementite starts to form
at, and within, the austenite grain boundaries and continues to develop
to a temperature just above the eutectoid temperature, 723C

20

(1333F). At this temperature the austenite composition is 0.80% C

and the composition of the cementite is 6.67% C. The amount of these
phases can be calculated:
Fraction austenite = (6.67-1.70)/(6.67-0,025) = 0.75
Fraction cementite = (1.70-0.025)/(6.67-0.025) = 0.25
On cooling below the eutectoid temperature the austenite transforms to
pearlite so that the final structure consists of 25% primary cementite

21

and 75% pearlite. An example of this structure is presented in Figure

21.
The brittle cementite network formed in the prior austenite grain boundaries is often undesirable in hypereutectoid alloys. This network structure can be modified by reheating the alloy into the two phase austenite
plus cementite region and holding for a prolonged period of time. The
result of this treatment is shown in Figure 22 where the amounts of primary cementite and pearlite are the same as calculated previously.
22

Another factor to be considered in discussing the transformation of

austenite on slow cooling concerns the effect of prior reheating on this
transformation. As an example, refer to the sketch of Figure 23 illustrating the changes in grain structure during the heating and cooling of a
0.25% carbon steel.
Initially, at room temperature, this microstructure consists of ferrite and
pearlite. On heating to a temperature above the eutectoid temperature,
723C (1333F), the pearlite transforms to austenite. The actual temperature at which this transformation occurs depends upon the specific
heating rate employed, being somewhat higher as the heating rate is increased. Austenite begins to form at the numerous lamellae boundaries
in the pearlite resulting in a large number of fine austenite grains. On
further heating through the ferrite plus austenite two phase field the
amount of ferrite diminishes until the structure is composed of 100%
austenite. This structure is fine grained, and on further heating into the
austenite region the austenite grains grow in size.

23

Unless certain grain refining agents (such as aluminum, titanium, etc.)

are present the grain growth occurring in the austenite will continue as
the temperature increases or as a sample is held at a given temperature. The presence of aluminum in the structure restricts the growth of
these austenite grains until temperatures in excess of 1850F are attained.
On cooling there is little change in the austenite, and the austenite grain
size established during the heating cycle is retained. Some undercooling occurs before ferrite starts to form at the austenite grain boundaries. The number of sites where ferrite may form is, of course, a function
of the austenite grain size since a finer grain size presents a greater
number of grain boundaries in the structure. This transformation to ferrite continues as discussed previously, with some undercooling occurring prior to the formation of pearlite. Note that the fineness or coarseness of the final structure is directly affected by the grain size of the
austenite prior to the transformation.

Moderate Departures from Equilibrium

As just discussed, moderate departures from equilibrium transformation result in some undercooling prior to the onset of the transformation.
In effect this results in a suppression of the alpha-gamma plus alpha
boundary line and in the eutectoid transformation temperature. For example, cooling faster results in a depression of the temperatures of ferrite precipitation and pearlite formation in hypoeutectoid steels.
The reduction in the amount of proeutectoid constituent with increased
cooling rates is due to the fact that the time permitted for the adjustment of the composition to enable the proeutectoid phase to form has
been reduced. Ferrite formation requires that the carbon content be
greatly reduced (since the maximum solubility of carbon in ferrite is only
0.025%), and a reduction in the time for this composition adjustment
results in a reduction in the amount of ferrite that can form prior to the
time that the structure cools to the start of eutectoid transformation.
The net effect is that with increased cooling rates the amount of proeutectoid constituent formed is decreased, and the resultant structure
approaches that of a eutectoid steel (fully pearlitic).
In addition, regardless of composition, the pearlite laminations become
finer with faster cooling rates. This increased fineness of the pearlite
causes an increase in hardness and tensile strength and a reduction in
elongation.
24

An example of this effect is shown in Figure 24 for a 0.45 % C steel. The

annealed (slow cooled, approaching equilibrium) structure of this steel
is characteristic of the amount of ferrite and pearlite that could be calculated from the phase diagram. Increasing the cooling rate (normalizing) reduces the amount of ferrite present, delineates that ferrite is the
austenite grain boundaries, and refines the pearlite. This effect is even
more evident when the cooling rate is increased further by oil quenching.
Reducing the time for ferrite to form may also result in the formation of a
Widmanstatten structure, Figure 25. In this case, the ferrite has been
forced to develop within the prior austenite grains along preferential
planes within the crystal lattice. The rapid cooling rates associated with
welding also encourage this type of structure.

25

Departures from equilibrium in the transformation, and its effect on the

structures and properties of cast steels, will be considered in a subsequent presentation.

Alloying Effects on the Iron-Carbon Phase Diagram

Metallic elements added in moderately small amounts to medium carbon steels do not generally introduce new phases into the system.
These elements are generally soluble in austenite at elevated temperatures. Below the critical (eutectoid) temperature, they may exist in solution in the ferrite, in the carbide phase or be distributed in both. The distribution of alloying elements in annealed steels is depicted in Table I.

The effect of alloying elements on the critical temperature and eutectoid transformation must be realized. Figure 26 indicates that the carbon content of the eutectoid is reduced by the presence of alloying elements in the steel. This, in turn, results in an increase in the pearlite
content of hypoeutectoid steels of a given carbon content. It is also apparent that alloying elements can raise or lower the eutectoid temperature, an important consideration in austenite formation as well as its
transformation.

As a general rule, alloying elements added to iron have been divided

into two major classes. Some of the elements behave as austenite stabilizers, that is, they cause an expansion of the temperature range over
which austenite exists. The gamma to delta transformation temperature is raised while the gamma to alpha transformation is lowered. With
26

sufficient amounts of these alloying elements the gamma to alpha

transformation temperature can be reduced to below room temperature enabling the austenitic structure to be maintained. Examples of alloysystems of this type are depicted in Figures 27a (Mn, Ni, Co) and 27b
(C, N, Cu, Zn, Au).
Ferrite stabilizers include alloy elements which reduce the temperature
range over which austenite is stable. Examples of this effect are depicted in Figures 27c (Cr, W, Mo,Si, AI, V,Ti, P,Be, Sn, Sb, As) and 27d (S,
B, Ta, Ce, Zr). It must be appreciated that these diagrams represent binary alloys, and that the effects noted are modified by the presence of
carbon.
As an example, refer to the iron-chromium phase diagram in Figure 28.
The effect of chromium is to restrict the austenite phase field. It is also
seen that chromium causes the alpha and delta phase fields to merge
into a single region of the phase diagram. This is reasonable since both
delta and alpha ferrite exhibit a B.C.C. structure.
27

28

When carbon is present, the effect of chromium on the austenite region

of the iron-carbon phase diagram must be considered, Figure 29. As
shown previously, the effect of chromium is to reduce the carbon content of the eutectoid and to increase the eutectoid temperature. However, note that the size of the austenite region is greatly reduced as the
chromium content increases.

A convenient means of reviewing the effect of alloying elements on the

microstructures attained is found in the Schaeffler diagram, an example of which is presented in Figure 30. This diagram illustrates the structures to be expected from various combinations of alloying elements
grouped as nickel equivalent and as chromium equivalent. For example, a steel of the following chemical analysis is located by the point
x on this diagram:
0.07 %
0.57%
2.16%
0.80%

carbon
silicon
molybdenum
columbium

1.55% manganese
18.02% chromium
11.87 % nickel

It is estimated that this steel will exhibit a microstructure which is austenitic with 0-5% ferrite present.

29

SEGREGATION IN CAST STEELS

One of the most problematic aspects of the microstructure of cast
steels concerns the segregation of alloying elements accompanying
the solidification of these alloys. As a general rule steel castings solidify
by the formation of dendrites, Figures 31 and 32. The core of these dendrites is composed of the first solid to form during solidification, i.e., that
having a lower solute content, while the interdendritic regions are rich
in solute, i.e., they contain a perponderance of the alloying elements. In
wrought alloys, this segregation pattern is broken up by subsequent
mechanical deformation, but in cast steels the segregation effects remain and can only be partially reduced by heat treatment.
The degree of segregation developed in a casting is affected by the rate
of cooling from the melt. Usually slow cooling, as in a sand casting or
large section, results in a strong dendritic structure. Rapid cooling of
thin sections or where chills are employed, results in a fine structure
where the dendritic pattern may be microscopic in nature.
Most of the alloying elements used in steel castings segregate positively, i.e., toward the interdendritic regions. This effect results in a nonhomogeneous distribution of alloying elements, causing non-uniform
microstructures to develop, non-uniform response to heat treatment,
and the formation of phases in the interdendritic regions due to a high
concentration of alloying elements.
Increased solidification cooling rates reduce the dendrite arm spacing
so that the extent of alloy segregation is lessened. In this condition heat
treatments can be devised to obtain a more uniform alloy distribution
throughout the casting.

CLOSING REMARKS
The development of microstructures in steels under conditions of equilibrium, or near equilibrium, has been reviewed in an attempt to better
understand the factors affecting the development of mechanical properties in cast steels. It should be apparent that the mechanical properties depend upon the microstructure and macrostructures produced in
steel castings, and that the lack of control of these structures will be reflected in erratic and unreliable mechanical properties.

30

31

REFERENCES
1. D.S. Clark and WR. Varney, Physical Metallurgy for Engineers, VanNostrand Co
Princeton, NJ (1962)
2 J.G. Parr and A. Hanson, An Introduction to Stainless Steel, ASM, Metals Park, OH
(1 965).
3 M.C. Richman, An lntroduction to the Science of Metals, Blaisdell Publishing Co.,
Waltham, MS (1967)
4. A G Guy, Introduction to Materials Science, McGraw-HiII, New York, NY (1972)
5 C.A Keyser, Materials Science in Engineering, Merrill Publishing Co., Columbus,
OH (1 968).
6. C.R. Brooks, Heat Treatment of Ferrous Alloys, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY (1979).
7. D.R. Askeland, The Science and Engineering of Materials, Brooks/Cole, Monterey,
CA (1 984).
B R W. Heine, C.R Loper, Jr, and PC. Rosenthal, Principles of Metal Casting, McGrawHill. New York, NY (1965)
9. R M Brick and A Phillips, Structure and Properties of Alloys, McGrawHill, New
York, NY (1949).
10. L.E. Samuels, Optical Microscopy of Carbon Steels, ASM, Metals Park, OH (1980).
11. Atlas of Microstructures of lndustrial Alloys, ASM Metals Handbook, Vol. 7, Metals
Park, OH (1972).
12. Metallography Structures and Phase Diagrams. ASM Metals Handbook, Vol. 8,
Metals Park, OH (1973)
13. R.M Brick. A W. Pense and R.O Gordon, Structure and Properties of Engineering
Materials, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY (1977).

32

Lecture II

Microstructures and Transformations

in Cast Steels
by Robert C. Voigt

INTRODUCTION
A basic understanding of the phase transformations occurring in cast
steels is essential to understanding the wide variety of microstructures
observed and mechanical properties obtained in these materials. Important solid state transformations occur when cooling a solidified casting and during heat treatment that dramatically affect the microstructure and therefore the properties of steel castings. By controlling both
the chemical composition and the phase transformations that occur
during cooling or heat treatment, specific microstructures with specific
mechanical properties can be assured.
In this brief survey of microstructures and transformations in cast steel,
equilibrium microstructures and transformations governed by the FeFe3C phase diagram will first be discussed followed by a more detailed
description of transformation diagrams needed to understand non equilibrium conditions and microstructures obtained through heat treatment. Because it is impossible to separate these changes in microstructure from changes in mechanical properties, the interrelationship
between structure and properties will be discussed throughout. Structure/property relationships will not be presented in detail but selected
mechanical property data will be included only to highlight the significance of transformation reactions. Even though there are significant
differences between cast and wrought steels in terms of chemical composition, microstructure, and properties, the basic transformation characteristics are the same. Information from both the cast and wrought
steel literature will be used to illustrate important concepts. Transformation characteristics of high alloy cast steels will not be discussed.
Supplementary topics including transformations occurring during in-

33

tercritical heat treatment, austempering, and transformations in microalloyed steels will be briefly introduced.
A number of introductory textbooks on metallurgy (1, 2, 3) and numerous texts on physical metallurgy (4,5,6) and heat treatment (7,8,9)
contain both general and detailed information on microstructures and
phase transformations in cast and wrought steels that may b e useful to
supplement the information in this paper.

EQUILIBRIUM CONDITIONS
A characteristic Fe-Fe 3C phase diagram is shown in Figure 1. The
eutectoid reaction of austenite () transforming to ferrite () and carbide
(Fe3C), which occurs at 727C (1340F) in the lower left corner of the
phase diagram, is the transformation that dictates the final room temperature microstructure of a steel that has been cooled slowly or given
an annealing heat treatment. As shown in Figure 2 for annealed structures, as the carbon content of a steel increases the amount of the car-

34

bon-rich Fe3C phase increases, which results in increasing amounts of

pearlite (a fine mixture of + Fe3C) in the microstructure until the
eutectoid composition of 0.77% C is reached. A distinction should be
made between the phases present, as indicated in the phase diagram,
and equilibrium microstructural constituents observed under the microscope as follows:

These phase relationships have been discussed in more detail in the

previous lecture.
Although alloys other than carbon are present in steels, it is the carbon
that primarily controls the equilibrium microstructure and properties
and shown in Figure 3. Increasing the carbon content of a steel increases its strength and hardness substantially at the expense of decreasing ductility and toughness. Other alloying elements have a much
less significant effect on the equilibrium microstructure and properties.
Although they do strengthen the ferrite somewhat (6) and lower the carbon content of the eutectoid (7) their presence cannot typically be detected in the microstructure. The important function of alloying elements other than carbon, namely to promote hardenability, will be
discussed later.
Unfortunately the effects of carbon content on microstructure and
properties are not that simple. (If it was there would probably be little
need for metallurgists in steel foundries.) For a given steel with a given
carbon and alloy content it is possible to significantly modify the microstructure by controlling the transformation characteristics and thereby
modify and improve the mechanical properties. The phase diagram
provides only limited information about a steel. It indicates only the
amounts of ferrite and carbide that may be present in the equilibrium
microstructure but it does not give any information about the phase distribution for either equilibrium or non-equilibriumcooling conditions. For
example, it is the different segregation patterns in wrought and cast
steels that result in distinctive distributions of ferrite and pearlite that
are characteristic of each of these materials. By varying the thermal
history of the steel the size, shape, and distribution of the carbide
phase c a n be significantly altered to improve mechanical properties.

35

36

NON-EQUILIBRIUMSTRUCTURES AND PROPERTIES

Both the chemical composition of a steel and its thermal history must
be known in order to identify the microstructure and mechanical properties obtainable. It is this great flexibility in controlling the structure and
properties of steels that makes steel such a useful and versatile material. Because the thermal history of different castings may vary and
even the thermal history of differing section sizes within a casting may
vary, different transformations, microstructures, and mechanical prop-

37

erties can be expected for a given alloy. Figure 4 illustrates the effects
of various heat treatments on the mechanical properties of cast steels
with various carbon contents. Microstructure differences are illustrated
in Figure 5 for a 0.23% C cast steel given various heat treatments. In
each case the phases present in the microstructure are the same ( +
Fe3C), but the distribution and shape of the phases are very different resulting in very different mechanical properties.
Heat treatments to produce the different microstructures in Figure 5 all
begin in the austenite region of the phase diagram with all of the carbon
distributed uniformly in solid solution in the austenite phase. A high temperature photomicrograph of a steel heated into the austenite phase region would show featureless grains of austenite with little or no evidence of the prior + Fe3C structure that was present at room
temperature. This steel is now at the "starting line" waiting for phase
transformations to occur upon cooling to transform the single phase
austenite structure to any one of a variety of room temperature microstructures, depending on cooling conditions.
The effects of cooling rates from the austenite phase region on the
phase transformations that occur are shown schematically for the extreme cases of very rapid and very slow cooling in Figure 6. Slow or
equilibrium cooling at the eutectoid transformation temperature results

38

in ferrite and carbide phases forming from austenite as can be calculated from the phase diagram. The microstructure obtained would consist of grains of ferrite () and grains of pearlite (a fine two phase mixture of and Fe3C). However rapid cooling or quenching from the
austenite phase region can prevent the formation of ferrite and carbide
and can result in the formation of a new non-equilibrium phase, not on
the phase diagram, namely martensite. Most are familiar with the mechanical properties of this hard, brittle phase formed when a steel is
quenched rapidly. Much is known about the physical characteristics the
martensite phase and its crystallographic relationship to the other
phases of steel (4,5,6,7) but this discussion is beyond the scope of this
paper. Furthermore, if the martensite phase is given a low temperature
tempering heat treatment (in the + Fe3C region of the phase diagram
at temperatures less than 1340F), it will also transform forming a very
fine uniform distribution of phases and Fe3C commonly known as tempered martensite. In most cases tempered martensite has a superior
combination of strength and toughness for a given steel compared to
other + Fe3C structures such as pearlite. High magnification views of
pearlite formed from slow or equilibrium cooling and tempered martensite formed from quenching and tempering are shown in Figure 7.
These details cannot be seen in conventional optical photomicrographs
as in Figure 5. Although pearlite and tempered martensite have different properties and were formed from different transformation reactions, both are distributions of the phases ferrite and carbide and are
thus very similar. (Bainite is also an intermediate phase mixture of fer.
rite and carbide that can be considered as a transition structure between pearlite and tempered martensite (6, 7). Because bainite is not of
39

much commercial importance to the steel casting industry it will not be

discussed in any detail.)
At this point it is important to clarify terminology to note that not all
quench and temper heat treatments result in the formation of tempered
martensite microstructures. If cooling from the austenite phase region
is not rapid enough upon quenching (for example, at the center of a
thick casting) a fine structure of ferrite and pearlite will form instead of
martensite. Tempering will not substantially change the structure of this
fine ferrite and pearlite. Although the properties of pearlitic structures
obtained from quenching and tempering will not be as desirable as for
tempered martensite structures, the properties will be substantially better than for coarse ferrite and pearlite obtained from slower cooling.
Heat treaters use the terms quench and temper to refer to the physical
processing of the casting which may or may not produce tempered
martensite. Metallurgists are more restrictive and assume by definition
that cooling rates during quenching are rapid enough to form martensite that can subsequently be tempered to form tempered martensite.

It is clear that neither the phase diagram nor the simple diagram in Figure 6 is adequate to completely describe transformation behavior.
Questions such as How slow does slow cooling have to be to get
pearlite? or What cooling rates are required to form martensite?
need to be answered in quantitative ways. To answer these questions
austenite transformation diagrams known as time, temperature transformation diagrams (TTTdiagrams) and continuous cooling transformation diagrams (CCT diagrams) need to be understood. Just as the phase
diagram is the road map for understanding the direction of equilibrium transformations, TTTand CCTdiagrams are the road maps for understanding the time and temperature transformation response under
non-equilibrium conditions that go beyond the phase diagram. These
transformations will first be discussed in a classical way and then discussed in a more practical way as it relates to developing microstructures and mechanical properties upon heat treatment of cast steels.

AUSTENITE TRANSFORMATlON
Most heat treatments begin at high temperatures in the austenite region of the phase diagram. During austenitization the initial structure of
the steel, whether as-cast or already heat treated, is erased and replaced by a uniform austenite solid solution. The details of the transformation of initial structures to austenite are of some interest because
40

this transformation rate dictates the necessary time to fully austenitize

a casting and dissolve all of the carbide phase. Recent SFSA research
has indicated that standard austenitizing heat treatment practice may
be overconservative and that shorter heat treatment cycles than have
been used in the past may be adequate to fully austenitize steel castings (1 1).

However; it is the transformation of austenite upon cooling that must be

studied in detail to understand the wide variety of microstructures and
resultant mechanical properties that can be obtained upon cooling. The
phase diagram indicates that under equilibrium conditions it is not possible to have austenite present at temperatures below 727C (1340F).
But when austenite is cooled to below the transformation temperature it
can take a considerable amount of time before ferrite and carbide form.
It is this time delay that allows austenite to be commonly cooled substantially below 727C (1340F) and to transform at various temperatures even though the phase diagram does not indicate that this is possible. It is the temperature or temperatures at which this transformation
takes place that determines the final microstructure.
Two basic parameters determine the speed of the transformation from
undercooled austenite in steel: the nucleation rate and the growth rate
of the newly forming phase(s). The term nucleation rate refers to the
rate of initiation of a phase transformation at discrete sites in the microstructure. In practical terms, the nucleation rate is determined by the
amount of undercooling (more undercooling favors nucleation) and by
the rate of diffusion of the atoms participating in the transformation.
Substantial diffusion of carbon is required during transformation because austenite typically with 0.2 to 0.6% C must form ferrite (0.02%
C) and carbide (6.7% C). The growth rate of a new phase, once nucleation has occurred, is determined primarily by the transformation temperature which determines the mobility of the atoms. Much more detailed descriptions of nucleation and growth concepts can be found in
numerous physical metallurgy textbooks including reference (4).
Characteristic isothermal transformation from austenite to ferrite and
carbide at a temperature below 727C (1340F) is shown schematically as a function of time in Figure 8a and shown in somewhat more
detail in Figure 8b for the transformation of a eutectoid steel (0.77% C)
at selected transformation temperatures. These transformation curves
can be observed experimentally using a number of techniques includ41

42

ing dilatometry or electrical resistivity measurements (8). The S

shape of these curves is characteristic for all nucleation and growth
type reactions. Note that in Figure 8b, nucleation occurs most rapidly at
the intermediate transformation temperature of 1000 F and more
slowly at 800F or 1300F.
A much more common way of representing austenite transformation
characteristics upon cooling is shown in Figure 9 where the austenite
transformation response of a eutectoid steel is shown as a function of
time and temperature with characteristic Cshaped curves on a temperature vs. log time plot. Nucleation of ferrite and carbide from the
original austenite (transformation start) occurs most rapidly at intermediate transformation temperatures where both high nucleation driving
force and relatively high atom mobility favor rapid transformation.
The distribution of the ferrite and carbide phases formed isothermally
from austenite at the various transformation temperatures is much different even though the phases themselves and their relative amounts
are the same, as shown at very high magnification in Figure 10. As the
transformation temperature decreases the + Fe 3C phase distribution
formed gets finer and finer and a gradual microstructural change from
coarse pearlite to fine pearlite to upper bainite to finally to lower bainite
is observed. (The terminology is complex, but the + Fe3C phases
formed are the same in all cases.) As the + Fe3C structure becomes
finer and finer at lower transformation temperatures the hardness and
strength of the steel increase. Therefore it is not only the amount of the
Fe3C phase present (as determined by a steels carbon content) but the
distribution and fineness of the Fe3C phase (as determined by the transformation conditions) that determines the strength and hardness of a
steel. Figure 10 is not a complete isothermal transformation diagram
(TTT diagram) for this eutectoid steel because the transformation of
austenite to martensite is not shown on the diagram.
The transformation of austenite to form ferrite and carbide can be
avoided if a steel is cooled rapidly enough to suppress the nucleation
and subsequent growth of ferrite and carbide as either pearlite or
bainite. The martensite phase that forms when cooling austenite very
rapidly and the resultant martensitic transformation is substantially different from the + Fe3C nucleation and growth transformations just
described. Martensite forms by a diffusionless shear transformation
from austenite and has the same carbon content as the parent austenite. The intricacies of the martensitic reaction and the properties of
43

this hard, brittle carbon supersaturated phase are complex but are
described elsewhere (4-8). The amount of martensite formed upon
quenching a steel that has been austenitized is a function only of the
quenching temperature. Austenite transforms instantaneously to martensite at any transformation temperature below the martensite start
temperature (Ms temperature).

A complete TTT diagram for a 0.45% carbon steel is shown in Figure 11

along with the corresponding portion of the phase diagram for this
steel. An additional region of transformation from austenite to ferrite is
observed in the upper portion of the diagram. This region occurs only
for hypoeutectoid steels and corresponds to the formation of some ferrite prior to the formation of pearlite at high transformation temperatures. If austenite is quenched rapidly enough to avoid the formation of
+ Fe3C, it will transform to martensite as indicated in the lower portion of the diagram. Quenching to the martensite finish temperature (Mf
temperature) or below will result in the transformation of all of the austenite to martensite. Quenching to temperature between the Ms and Mf
44

temperatures will result in structures with retained austenite present

along with martensite. The amount of retained austenite remaining in
the microstructure after quenching is of practical importance particularly for alloyed high-carbon steels where the Mf temperature may be
considerably below room temperature. In general significant amounts
of retained austenite are not desirable.

It is important to use and understand these transformation diagrams

correctly TTT diagrams indicate only the transformation of austenite to
ferrite, pearlite, bainite, martensite, or combinations of these structures. Non-austenite microstructures that form do not further transform
if cooling passes through another region on the TTTdiagram. For example pearlite, once formed from austenite, cannot transform to bainite or
martensite.
CONTINUOUS COOLING TRANSFORMATION
Of considerably more practical use than TTTdiagrams are continuous
cooling transformation diagrams (CCT diagrams) which describe the
transformation response of austenite under continuous cooling conditions more characteristic of common heat treatment practice. A CCT diagram for a given steel can be directly used to predict the microstruc-

45

ture of a continuously cooled steel part. Compared to a steels TTT

diagram its CCT diagram looks similar but is shifted somewhat to longer
transformation times and lower transformation temperatures. A characteristic CCT diagram for a 0.40% C steel is shown in Figure 12 along
with the corresponding TTT diagram indicated with dashed lines. By superimposing various cooling rate curves on this CCT diagram the effects of cooling rate on microstructure can be predicted.
The austenite cooling rate that is just rapid enough to avoid transformation to any form of ferrite and carbide is known as the critical cooling
rate. This is the minimum cooling rate at which 100% martensitic structures can be formed upon cooling to low temperatures. Since the origin
of the remarkably high hardness and strength of steels lies in the formation of martensite, heat treatments demanding optimum properties rely
on quenching faster than the critical cooling to form martensite as an
initial step in the heat treatment. (This is followed by tempering to transform the martensite to a fine distribution of ferrite + carbide that has an
optimum combination of strength and toughness.)
The effects of cooling rate on the microstructure of a 0.3 %C cast steel
46

are shown schematically in Figure 13 where microstructures, cooling

rates, and the continuous cooling transformation curves are all shown.
More rapid cooling rates result in finer and finer ferrite/pearlite structures until the critical cooling rate is reached and martensite is formed.
Cooling at rates faster than the critical cooling rate has no effect on
the structure martensite formed or on the mechanical properties
developed.

ALLOY EFFECTS
Up to this point nothing has been said about the effects of alloying elements, other than carbon, in cast steel. Indeed other alloying elements
do not significantly affect the structure or properties of low alloy steels
directly but they do dramatically affect the austenite transformation response and therefore are often essential to the development of good
mechanical properties upon heat treatment. The potent effects of alloying elements on the speed of the austenite transformation are illustrated in Figure 14 where CCT diagrams for an alloyed and unalloyed
0.4% C steel are shown. All commonly used alloying elements, includ-

47

ing carbon, delay the transformationofaustenite to + Fe3C as evidenced by a shifting of the CCT curve to the right on the log time axis.
This significant effect can be illustrated by examining the cooling
curves superimposed on the CCT diagrams in Figure 14. Cooling rate
(1) is rapid enough to result in the formation of martensitic structures for
both the 1040and 41 40 steels. If the 1040 steel is cooled at rate (2) it will
have a microstructure consisting of ferrite and pearlite; however, the
4140 cooling at rate (2) will have a fully martensitic structure. If the cooling rate is further decreased to cooling rate (3) both the 1040 and 4140
steels will have structures of ferrite and pearlite although there will be
somewhat more pearlite and finer pearlite in the 4140 steel because it
transformed at somewhat lower temperatures than the 1040 steel.

Alloys play a primary role in heat treated steels by reducing the cooling
rate necessary to produce martensitic structures upon quenching. Another way of saying this is to say that alloying elements effectively delay
the nucleation of ferrite and carbide formed from austenite upon cooling. This allows the engineer to have great flexibility in designing a

48

proper alloy/heat treatment combinations for a given casting configuration. These concepts can be discussed in more practical terms by considering the hardenability characteristics of steels.

HARDENABILITY
Hardenability by definition refers to the relative ability of a steel to form
martensite when quenched from the austenite phase region. A steel
with high hardenability can be easily quenched to form martensite
which means that it will transform to martensite even at low cooling
rates. Conversely, a steel with low hardenability must be cooled extremely rapidly to form martensite and avoid transformation to ferrite
and carbide. Hardenability is therefore directly related to the CCT behavior of a steel. A steel with high hardenability has its CCT diagram
shifted to the right on the time axis allowing martensite to be formed at
lower cooling rates.
The various alloying elements can be classified as to the contribution
that they make to the hardenability of a steel. Certain alloying elements
such as Mo and Cr are very effective in shifting the CCT diagram of a
steel to longer times and are thus potent hardenability agents. Other alloys such as Cu and Ni do shift CCT curves to longer times but not as
dramatically as Mo and Cr. Because the effects of alloying elements on
hardenability and transformation behavior have been well studied and
are well known, the hardenability behavior of a given steel can be accurately predicted from its chemical composition alone. A detailed discussion of the affects of alloying elements on hardenability is contained in
many references (7, 8, 16).
Many factors affect the cooling rate that a particular portion of a casting sees during quenching as well, including the quenchant used, the
section size, and whether or not this portion is in the interior or on the
surface of a given section. Therefore each portion of a casting may experience a different cooling rate and may transform at different temperatures resulting in different microstructures and properties. This can be
illustrated in Figure 14 where the various cooling rates (l), (2), and (3)
could be caused either by different quenchants (with (1) being the most
severe), or could be caused by different casting section sizes (with (1)
being the thinnest section size), or could be caused by depth from surface for a given section size (with (1) being nearest the surface). Clearly
experiments to accurately determine the CCT diagram for even one
particular steel would require many separate cooling rate experiments
49

followed by detailed metallographic examination to determine the

transformed structures at each of the cooling rates of interest.
Fortunately both the cooling efficiencies of various quenchants and the
effect of section size on cooling rate are well known and predictable.
This allows a standard quenchant to be used on a standard size bar to
determine the hardenability of a given steel which can then be used to
predict the transformation behavior of that steel for a wide variety of
cooling conditions. This standard, hardenability test is known as the
Jominy end quench test. As a 1inch diameter, 4 inch long Jominy specimen is rapidly quenched from one end only, each portion of the bar
away from the quenched end experiences its own unique cooling rate
depending on position. The results of a Jominy end quench test are
shown schematically in Figure 15 where hardness is plotted as a function of distance from the quenched end. The drop in hardness that occurs as transformation cooling rate decreases (i.e. as distance from the
quenched end increases) corresponds to the formation of soft non-martensitic structures. The location of this transition from hard martensitic
structures at the quenched end to soft martensitic structures at lower
cooling rates depends critical cooling rate as discussed previously for
CCT diagrams. The practical use of the Jominy end quench test, along
with the selection of a proper quenchant for a given heat treatment application is discussed in many textbooks and handbooks on heat treatment (7, 8,13).

50

Care must be taken when using hardenability information obtained from

wrought steels to predict the hardenability of cast steels. Segregation of
alloying elements in cast steels can dramatically affect their hardenability as can heat treat procedures, Figure 16.

PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF AUSTENITE TRANSFORMATION

Although the transformation reactions that occur during the heat treatment of steel are complex, a basic understanding is sufficient to understand the resultant microstructures and mechanical properties that can
be typically obtained in steel castings. The Appendix contains a series
of photomicrographs along with accompanying descriptions that illustrate many of the important effects of alloying, section size, and heat
treatment on the microstructure of cast steels.
In summary, from a practical standpoint it is important to separate the
effects of carbon content and alloy content as it relates to the development of hardness (strength) and hardenability.The hardness of strength
potential of a steel is determined solely by its carbon content; to increase the strength potential of a steel increases its carbon content.
However, sufficient hardenability is necessary to allow a given steel to
be cooled rapidly enough to form martensite so that its strength potential can be achieved. This hardenability is determined by a steels alloy
content. Hardness and hardenability are separate but complimentary.

51

For a given heat treatment application both the necessary hardness

and the necessary hardenability must be chosen (by selecting carbon
content and alloy content) to get the desired heat treatment response
and mechanical properties after heat treatment.
TEMPERING
Tempering is a heat treatment performed in the + Fe3C region of the
phase diagram which follows quenching and sometimes follows normalizing. Tempering of quenched structures transforms the martensite
phase to the + Fe3C structure of tempered martensite, while tempering of normalized + Fe3C structures softens the structure without
any phase change occurring. Practically speaking, the choice of the
proper tempering time and temperature allows the heat treater to accurately adjust the strength, hardness, and other mechanical properties
to specified levels. Although the transformations that occur during the
tempering of martensite are complex (especially during the initial
stages of tempering) from a practical standpoint tempering can be
thought of as a simple growth of Fe3C upon continued time at temperature.
Details of the tempering of martensite are shown in Figure 17. At low
tempering temperatures very distinct microstructural changes can be
52

observed including the formation of transition carbides, decomposition

of retained austenite, and finally the formation of Fe3C (5, 6, 7, 17). At
higher, more typical tempering temperatures these early stages of tempering occur very early and the entire tempering process can be
thought of as the diffusian-controlled growth of spheres of Fe3C. It is the
size and spacing between the Fe3C particles that essentially changes
during tempering and controls properties, Figure 18. The effects of tempering time and temperature on the hardness of a high carbon content
quenched steel is shown in Figure 19. Simple carbon diffusion models
can be used to explain this predictable and characteristic hardness response upon tempering (4, 5).

53

Alloys, whose primary affect is to impart hardenability, also affect the

tempering response of steels by slowing down the rate of softening (7,
8). Several mathematical relationships have been developed to predict
the hardness change during the tempering of wrought steels as a function of tempering time and temperature based on the chemical composition of the steel and its grain size. The Jaffe and Gordon correlation
(19) has been developed for predicting the hardness change during
tempering of martensite only, while the Crafts and Lamont correlation
(20) can be used to predict hardness changes during tempering of any
starting microstructure. Care must be taken during tempering to avoid
tempered martensite embrittlement or temper embrittlement, as will be
described in the next section.

54

SUPPLEMENTARY TOPICS
Transformations occurring during heat treatment of cast steel have
been discussed including the important topics of austenite transformation and tempering. Various other related transformation reactions, and
variations of the transformation reactions already discussed, will now
be briefly described to give a more complete picture of the relationship
between transformations, microstructure and properties. These topics
include a discussion of embrittlement phenomena, surface treatments,
intercritical heat treatment, austempering, and micro-alloyed steels. In
addition selected photographs from other microstructural analysis
tools such as the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the transmission electron microscope (TEM) will be presented to illustrate their
use and capabilities. Because these supplementary topics will be only
briefly discussed, selected references are indicated which contain
more detailed descriptions of each topic.

Embrittlement Phenomena
Both cast and wrought steels are susceptible to a number of different
types of embrittlement. They are all characterized by significant reductions in toughness and a brittle, intergranular fracture mode easily identified by the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Figure 20 illustrates
the most common fracture modes that can be observed for cast steel
and other metals at high magnification. Dimpled rupture, Figure 20a, is
a high energy fracture mode characterized by localized ductility and
tearing on the microscopic scale. Cleavage fracture, Figure 20b, is a
brittle, low energy, transgranular fracture mode which is common when
fracture occurs at temperatures below the ductile-to-brittle transition
temperature. Brittle intergranular fracture, Figure 2C, is characterized
by brittle fracture at the grain boundaries that can occur even at high
temperatures.
The various embrittlement phenomena observed in cast steel are also
the result of phase transformations; submicroscopic precipitation of
phases typically at grain boundaries. Optical microscopy generally
gives no indication whether or not the material is embrittled. Four basic
types of embrittlement will be briefly described: tempered martensite
embrittlement, temper embrittlement, aluminum nitride embrittlement,
and hydrogen embrittlement. Although heat treatment and processing
guidelines for avoiding these various types of embrittlement have been
developed for many years, the mechanisms causing these phenomena
have only been recently understood and must be studied using sophisticated analytical tools such as auger electron spectroscopy.
55

Tempered martensite embrittlement, commonly known as "blue brittleness," "500F embrittlement," or "350C embrittlement" occurs when
tempering is in the temperature range of 500-700F (260-370C). It is
caused by the formation of submicroscopic carbides at prior austenite
grain boundaries (5, 6, 7) and is enhanced by the presence of phosphorous and other tramp elements such as Sn, Sb, and As.
Temper embrittlement is a long-standing metallurgical problem that has
only recently begun to be understood. This type of embrittlement occurs when tempering alloy steels at temperatures are heated in or
cooled through a temperature range of approximately 700-1100F
(370-590C). Temper embrittlement can be avoided by rapid cooling
from high temperature tempering. The interaction and co-segregation
among the alloying elements Ni, Mn. and Cr and the impurity atoms P,
Sb, Sn and As result in easy grain boundary decohesion resulting in brittle fracture (5, 6, 7, 21). Mo is particularly effective in delaying the onset
of embrittlement during long time elevated temperature service in the
temper embrittlement temperature range.
Another type of intergranular embrittlement sometimes encountered in
cast steels is aluminum nitride embrittlement. The coarse "rock-candy"
fracture that occurs, particularly for heavy section quenched and tempered cast steels, is caused by the formation of sheet-like aluminum nitrides, and sometimes borides or borocarbides, at prior austenite grain
boundaries and sub-boundaries (7, 22). Preventing aluminum nitride
56

embrittlement involves keeping the nitrogen content of the steel low by

using good melting practice or by denitriding with Zr and Ti, and limiting
the AI and B addition levels (22). Figure 21 illustrates a TEM photomicrograph of extracted aluminum nitride particles at very high magnification.
The presence of hydrogen in steels, particularly for high strength steels,
often leads to brittle intergranular fracture that can act in conjunction
with temper embrittlement. While much hydrogen escapes from steel
during solidification and heat treatment, some can remain and precipitate at carbide-matrix interfaces or other internal surfaces and form microcracks (6). Hydrogen embrittlement is not sensitive to composition
as is observed for the other embrittlement phenomena but is sensitive
to the strength level of the steel. Hydrogen absorption must be
minimized during melting, welding, heat treatment, or service to avoid
hydrogen induced brittle fracture at low stress levels.

Surface Treatments
For many cast steel applications such as gearing both a wear-resistant
surface and tough ductile core properties are desired. A number of
processes can be used to impart wear-resistance to the surface either
by transformation hardening (quench hardening) or by diffusing hardening elements such as carbon or nitrogen into the surface which can be
followed by transformation hardening. Table I briefly categorizes selected surface treatments.

57

The transformations that can occur during surface hardening are identical to the transformations that occur during through-section heat treatment. By locally heating just the surface of a casting into the austenite
temperature region, surface transformation to austenite will occur.
Rapid quenching, either with water or by self quenching (as in laser heat
treatment) results in transformation to martensite at the surface. Similarly by introducing carbon into the surface of a low carbon steel casting from a carbon-rich atmosphere during an austenitizing heat treatment, the surface can be carbon enriched and strengthened and then
subsequently transformed to high carbon content martensite while the
center transforms to tough low-carbon content martensite or remains
ferrite + pearlite, Figure 22. In the nitriding process, nitrogen is introduced into the surface of a casting at approximately 950F (510C)
forming a thin, hard, brittle iron nitride layer at the surface. Carbonitriding introduces both carbon and nitrogen into the surface of a steel casting to enhance surface properties. Detailed discussions of the various
surface hardening techniques can be found in a number of references
(5,7,21).

58

Intercritical Heat Treatment

A new approach to developing good combinations of strength, ductility,
and toughness in steels consists of intercritically annealing steels
rather than fully annealing prior to quenching. By heating between the
upper and lower critical temperatures in the + region of the phase
diagram, Figure 23, fine structures of ferrite and martensite can be developed upon quenching. These heat treatments have made great inroads in the automotive industry, where intercritically heat treated,
dual-phase wrought steel sheet products exhibit both high strength
and excellent formability (7,23). Initial studies on intercritical heat treatment of cast steel have indicated that these heat treatments, when applied after full austenization and quenching but before the final tempering step can improve toughness, reduce the ductile to brittle impact
transition temperature, and possibly eliminate temper embrittlement
(24).
At the intercritical temperature the microstructure is transformed to a
two phase mixture of ferrite and austenite. Properties are controlled by
the amount and carbon content of the austenite phase which are a
strong function of the intercritical temperature chosen as can be dem-

59

onstrated with simple phase diagram lever law calculations. The distribution of the ferrite and austenite phases formed at the intercritical temperature also controls final properties and is a strong function of the
microstructure formed prior to intercritical heat treatment. It is primarily
the grain refinement associated with intercritical heat treatment that
improves the toughness of the material. Upon quenching the ferrite portion of the microstructure remains unchanged but the austenite transforms to pearlite, bainite, or martensite just as for any fully austenitized
steels. A typical microstructure for a 0.3% cast steel given an intercritical heat treatment followed by tempering is shown in Figure 24. The potential benefits of intercritical heat treatments on the properties of steel
castings have yet to be fully explored.

Austempering
Austempering heat treatments traditionally result in the formation of
bainitic structures of ferrite + carbide. Because similar properties can
be achieved upon quenching and tempering (a less costly heat treatment) austempering is rarely performed on cast steels. However, laboratory results have shown that if high-carbon, silicon-alloyed cast steels
are austempered, unique carbide-free structures of ferrite and stable
austenite are formed with exceptional combinations of strength, toughness, and wear resistance (25). Work is continuing at the University of
Kansas in conjunction with AMAX Laboratories to investigate the microstructure, transformation kinetics, and properties of this new family of
materials. Ten years of research on austempered ductile cast iron has
resulted in the development of ductile irons with vastly superior
strength, toughness and wear resistance (26). Because of the chemical
60

composition similarities of high-carbon, silicon-alloyed cast steel to

ductile iron it is expected that similar high strength, high toughness cast
steels can be developed upon austempering. Initial results by Sandvik
and Nevalainen (25) in Finland have shown that the following properties
can be obtained
steel composition:
austempering temperature:

0.8% C, 2.4% Si, 0.5% Mn, 0.8% Cr

320C (610F)

tensile strength:

250,000 psi

yield strength:

200,000 psi

tensile elongation:
room temperature charpy
impact toughness:

23%
32 ft-lbs

Micro-alloyedSteels
Micro-alloyed or high strength low alloy (HSLA) cast steels are beginning to receive more attention in the United States because of the combination of high strength and toughness along with good weldability and
low alloy cost of these alloys. Substantial work in the last 15 years on
wrought HSLA steels and some European work on cast HSLA steels
(27) has demonstrated the properties obtainable and the complexity of
the metallurgical reactions taking place. Conventional cast steels use
carbon as the primary strengthening agent. However, micro-alloyed
steels with low carbon contents ( - 0.1 % C) take advantage of ferrite
strengthening, ferrite grain refinement, and precipitation hardening
schemes enhanced by small amounts of the alloying elements N,V, and
Nb in addition to strengthening from carbon. A recent review by Bechet
and Rohrig has summarized structure/property/processing relationships for HSLA cast steels (27).
In brief, exceptional mechanical properties are the result of a number of
transformation reactions going on simultaneously during the heat treatment of HSLA steels. The austenitizing treatment normally used as a
first step in the heat treatment of steels also acts as a solution heat
treatment* for putting niobium and vanadium carbonitrides into solid
* A solution heat treatment is a common first step in the heat treatment
of age-hardenable non-ferrous metals.
61

solution in the austenite. Quenching transforms the austenite to martensite and prevents the carbonitrides from forming initially.The subsequent tempering process not only transforms the martensite to ferrite
and carbide (a softening reaction) but also causes a precipitation reaction resulting in an increase in hardness caused by the formation of a
distribution of fine, submicroscopic, carbonitride precipitates that effectively strengthen the steel as it tempers, Figure 25.

REFERENCES
1. R.A. Flinn and PK. Trojan, Engineering Materials and Their Applications, 2nd ed.,
Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston (1981)
2. R.M. Brick, A.W. Pense, and R.B. Gordon, Structure and Properties of Engineering
Materials, 4th ed., McGraw-Hill, New York (1977).
3. L.H. Van Vlack, Materials for Engineering: Concepts and Applications, AddisonWesley, Reading, MA (1982).

62

4. R.E. Reed-Hill, Physical Metallurgy Principles, 2nd ed., Brooks/Cole (1973).

5. W.C. Leslie, The Physical Metallurgy of Steels, McGraw-Hill (1981).
6. R.W.K. Honeycombe, Steels, Microstructure and Properties, Edward Arnold Ltd.
(1981).
7. G. Krauss, Principles of Heat Treatment of steel, ASM (1980).
8. C.R. Brooks, Heat Treatment of Ferrous Alloys, McGraw-Hill(l979).
9. L.E. Sarnuels, Optical Microscopy of Carbon Steels, ASM (1980).
10. A.R. Rosenfield, G.T Hahn, and J.D. Embury, "Fracture of Steels Containing
Pearlite," Met Trans 248, 2797 (1972).
1 1. Steel Casting Handbook, 5th ed., SFSA, (1980).
12. R.W.Heine, C.R. Loper Jr., and F.C.Rosenthal, Principlesof Metal Casting, McGrawHill (1967).
13. The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel, 9th ed., U.S. Steel (1971).
14. L.H. Van Vlack, Elements of Materials Science, 2nd ed., Addison Wesley (1964).
15. A.G. Guy, Elements of Physical Metallurgy, 2nd ed., Addison-Wesley (1959).
16. C.A. Siebert, D.V. Doane, and D.H. Breen, The Hardenability of Steels-Concepts,
Metallurgical Influences, and Industrial Applications, ASM (1977).
17. Speich, Met Trans 245, 2553 (1969).
18. J. Gurland, "Stereology and Quantitative Metallography," ASTM, Philadelphia
(1 972).
19. L.D. Jaffe and E. Gordon, ASM Transactions 49, 359 (1957).
20. W. Crafts and J.L. Lamont, AlME Transactions 172, 222 (1947).
21. K.E. Thelning, Steel and lts Heat Treatment, Butterworths, London (1975).
22. R.W. Monroe and J.M. Svoboda, "Making Quality Steel Castings: A Review of 20
Years of SFSA Literature," SFSA.
23. Davis and Magee, "Journal of Metals 31," 17 (November, 1979).
24. P.F. Wieser, "A Literature Survey of lntercritical Heat Treatment," SFSA Special Report No. 19(March, 1982).
25. B.F.J. Sandvik and H.P Nevalainen, "Structure-Property Relationships in Commercial Low Alloy Bainitic-Austenitic Steel with High Strength, Ductility, and Toughness," Metals Technology 8, 213 (June, 1981).
26. R.C. Voigt and C.R. Loper, Jr., "Austempered Ductile Cast Iron-Process Control
and Quality Assurance," 1st Intl. Conf. on Austernpered Ductile Iron, Chicago (April
2-4, 1984).
27. S. Bechet and K. Rohrig, "Weldable High Strength Cast Steels," Climax Molybdenum Report No. M-554E (1982).
28. Metals Handbook, vol. 7 , 8th ed., "Atlas of Microstructures, ASM (1972).

APPENDIX
The concepts of transformation reactions in cast steel have been briefly
presented in a theoretical way using CCT diagrams. An understanding
of these diagrams and a knowledge of the cooling conditions of a particular steel casting provides a direct link to the resultant microstructure
and mechanical properties of that casting. In this appendix, a series of
representative photomicrographs are shown that illustrate the effects
of heat treatment cooling rate, casting section size, and alloy content
63

on the development of room temperature microstructures, Figures A I

through A6 (28). Additional photomicrographs further illustrating these
same concepts can be found in references (1 1) and (28).

64

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66

Lecture III

Alloying Effects in Cast Steels

by Raymond W. Monroe

Steel castings are made of atoms of various elements arranged in more

or less regular orders. The way the atoms group together to form crystals determines the microstructure and properties of the steel casting.
The composition of the casting is the elements or kinds of atoms that
make up the casting and is controlled by the charge make up, melting
practice, alloy additions and deoxidation. The microstructure is the arrangement of atoms and is controlled by solidification conditions and
subsequent heat treatments. The interaction between composition and
processing is of fundamental importance in the production of steel
castings. The understanding of these interactions allows appropriate
selection and control of the composition and processing.

PROCESSING AND COMPOSITION

Processing in a steel foundry includes melting, pouring, heat treatment
and welding. Each processing step interacts with the steel casting to
change the composition or structure. The process and composition
should work together to achieve the appropriate structure and properties for the service and design of the casting produced.

Melting
The single most determinative factor in the composition of steel castings is the charge make up. Atoms are not destroyed in an electric furnace. What is put into the furnace, is what comes out. In melting, some
composition modification of the charge is possible by use of metal-slag
interactions. What goes in, comes out; either in the metal composition
or as slag.
After charging, including any furnace heel as part of the charge, metal/
slag interactions, metallgas interactions, late or ladle alloying additions,
and deoxidation are the only composition modifications.

67

The most influential melting practice that modifies the composition

combines metal/slag and metal/gas interactions and is the oxygen
blow. In earlier melting practices, oxygen was added to the heat as mill
scale or iron ore and the reaction between oxygen and carbon to form
carbon monoxide caused a bubbling reaction that was known as a car-

68

bon boil. Now oxygen is injected into the melted heat to cause a much
more vigorous stirring action. This oxidation period lowers the gas content of the heat and oxidizes into the slag elements which are more oxidizable than carbon. The gas contents of hydrogen and nitrogen, are reduced by combining with an existing bubble and floating out of the heat.
The bubbles that are formed are primarily carbon monoxide. Any element in the heat that likes oxygen more than carbon reacts with the
bubble to form an oxide and floats into the slag.
How much an element likes oxygen is measured by the thermodynamic
stability of the oxide which is illustrated in Figure 1. The higher negative
numbers show a greater oxide stability. Any element below another element likes oxygen better and will take it from the element above. At molten steel temperatures, about 2900F (1600C) any element below the
2C +O2 = 2CO line will be completely oxidized out, including calcium,
aluminum, magnesium and titanium. Elements which at 2900F
(1600C) that are between the 2C + O2 = 2CO line and the 2Fe +O2
= 2FeO line will be partially oxidized during the oxidizing period. The
closer to the 2C + O2 = 2CO line the element is, the more oxidized it
becomes. Silicon is essentially removed while chromium and manganese are only partially oxidized. Elements above the 2Fe + O2 = 2FeO
line at 2900F (1600C) do not oxidize and ride through the melting
process unchanged. Elements that are not reduced include nickel, copper, cobalt, and tin. A summary of the effect of refining on composition
is given in Table I.

Lead and zinc are not oxidized out but have a low vapor pressure and
are reduced in the heat by boiling them off. This is not particularly desir-

69

able from an overall viewpoint since the lead and zinc end up as oxides
in the baghouse dust. Lead fumes can create a health problem in the
foundry work environment especially around the furnace and also render the baghouse dust a toxic waste. Lead and zinc can be eliminated
during melting but should be avoided in the charge.
Sulfur and phosphorus can be reduced in the heat through the metal/
slag interactions. Melting practice can be basic, acid or neutral depending on the melting slag with:
Basic Slag CaO + MgO
SiO2

> 1.2

an Acid Slag CaO + MgO

SiO2
a Neutral Slag 1.2 > CaO

< 0.8and

+ MgO
SiO2

> 0.8

Therefore, basic melting implies a slag with CaO greater than 50% normally with:
CaO + MgO = 2
SiO

to

3.

Basic practice is more expensive than acid but does allow removal of
some sulfur and phosphorus. Double slag basic practice allows better
removal, especially phosphorus, but increases the heat time and refining period and is prone to gas pick up. Inverse basic slag practice allows the reduction of gas content by having an oxidizing period after refining, but this increases heat time even more.
When the slag is reduced, i.e. low in oxygen, then the oxidized elements
in the slag tend to return to the metal, e.g. chromium, manganese and
phosphorous.

Pouring
Pouring includes deoxidation, late alloy additions, and solidification.
The composition and cooling rate affect the as-cast structure that is the
composition distribution that must be subsequently processed.
The role of deoxidation is to prevent pinholes due to carbon monoxide
formation during solidification. Oxygen content should be less than 100
ppm to prevent porosity. Silicon and manganese are mild deoxidizers
70

and are added to stop the carbon boil and adjust the chemistry Manganese and silicon additions are limited by other alloy effects and are normally inadequate to prevent pinholes.
Aluminum is the most used supplemental deoxidizer to prevent pinholes. As little as 0.01% aluminum will prevent pinholes. This is normally supplemented at the pour ladle with additional deoxidation, which
could be more aluminum or calcium, barium, silicon, manganese, rare
earths, titanium or zirconium as alloycombinations. More than the minimum amount of deoxidizer than is needed to prevent porosity, is needed
to maintain sulfide shape control-but excessive amounts can cause
intergranular failures or dirty metal. Nonmetallic inclusions that form
during solidification depend on the oxygen and sulfur content of the
casting. Deoxidation decreases the amount of nonmetallic inclusions
by reducing the oxides and affects the type of sulfide inclusions. High
levels of oxygen, greater than 0.012 % in the metal, form FeO which decreases the solubility of FeMn-sulfides and the sulfides freeze early in
solidification as globules. The use of silicon deoxidation alone normally
causes the formation of globular sulfides, Type I as shown in Figure 2c.
Decreasing the oxygen, between 0.008% and 0.012% in the metal,
through the use of aluminum, titanium or zirconium, increases the solubility of the FeMn-sulfide so that they solidify last as grain boundary
films as shown in Figure 2a. These grain boundary sulfide films, also

71

known as Type II, have a very detrimental effect on the ductility and
toughness of the steel. If the oxygen is very low, less than 0.008% in
the metal, then the deoxidizer forms a complex sulfide that is crystalline
and forms early in solidification. This crystallized sulfide, Type Ill, is less
harmful than Type I I but more harmful than Type I.

72

If a high level of rare earth metals (Re/S> 1.5)are added, then galaxies
of sulfides form, Type IV but these are only for rare earth additions.
The relative stability of sulfides is shown in Figure 3. Manganese is
added to all steels to form manganese sulfides or oxysulfides. Therefore, all the elements above the 2Mn + S2 = 2MnS do not affect the
sulfides formed. Aluminum would rather form an oxide and is close to
manganese in desire for sulfur at room temperature and probably is
above manganese at 2900F (1600C). Calcium is insoluble in iron and
is strongly attracted to sulfur and therefore forms Type I sulfides, rare
earths, like cerium, also form Type I.
Aluminum, titanium, boron and zirconium affect the sulfide form by their
action on the oxygen content of the melt. As can be seen in Figure 4, the
actual sulfide shape depends on the type and amount of deoxidizer.
There are complex interactions, so care must be taken to avoid porosity
and Type I I sulfides.
Intergranular fracture, also known as chonchoidal or rock candy fracture, is normally caused by grain boundary films of aluminum nitride.
Boron can also form grain boundary boronitrides or borocarbonitrides
that can induce this type of fracture. Boron should probably not exceed
0.003% to avoid boron related intergranular fracture. Aluminum content should probably not exceed 0.06% to avoid aluminum nitride intergranular fracture.

73

Aluminum nitride formation is most affected by the aluminum and nitrogen contents of the melt and by the cooling rate of the section as shown
in Figure 5. Therefore, the problem becomes more significant the larger
the casting section becomes. Heavy section casting deoxidation practice avoids the use of aluminum.

The stability of various nitrides is shown in Figure 6. Zirconium and titanium are used in conjunction with aluminum because they like nitrogen
better and can prevent aluminum nitride formation.
Therefore, deoxidation can be seen to substantially influence precipitation in the as-cast microstructures of oxides, sulfides and nitrides.
These phases are not particularly affected by subsequent heat treatment so that care must be taken in melting and pouring to minimize
their effect.
Other elements segregate such as carbon, manganese and phosphorus during solidification and the segregation is worse in larger castings. The largest concentrations of the segregated species are in the
cast metal to solidify. This is hopefully in the riser but in a closely risered
casting the segregation can occur at the riser contact and will greatly
aggravate underriser cracking problems.

74

Heat Treatment
The as-cast steel casting may be the proper shape and composition but
the coarse and segregated microstructure is unsuitable for most service conditions. The as-cast properties are relatively soft, low in ductility
and toughness. Heat treatment can dramatically increase strength,

75

ductility and toughness. Heat treatment of steel castings consists primarily of either normalizing or quenching followed by tempering. The
composition chosen for the particular casting is generally chosen to
give the properties desired based on the heat treatment and casting
shape. Composition is then tied to properties obtainable by heat treatment in particular, strength and toughness.
Normalizing is intended to overcome the wide variety of microstructures resulting from mold and shakeout cooling. It is the most basic
treatment and serves to bring the casting to a more constant condition.
In plain carbon and low alloy steels, the predominant normalized structure is pearlite with variable amounts of ferrite. Fine pearlite sometimes
provides the strength and ductility required for general duty and therefore, many castings are used in the normalized condition. The elevated

76

temperature properties of castings are also maximized by normalizing

rather than quenching and tempering.

Normalizing is often seen as a homogenizing treatment. The diffusivities of various elements in austenite and ferrite are shown in Table II. As
can be seen in Figures 7, and 8, very little diffusion or homogenization
actually takes place at normalizing times and temperatures. Carbon
and nitrogen diffuse 6 or 7 orders of magnitude faster than chromium or
nickel so that relatively short times can homogenize the carbon and nitrogen content while impractically long times would be necessary to relieve any segregation of the chromium or nickel.
Longer normalizing times can benefit the toughness of heavy section
castings. This does not occur by homogenization but through subtle
modifications of second phase particles ie., carbides, nitrides, sulfides
and oxides. During long normalizing cycles small second phase parti-

cles are incorporated into the larger particles and the radius of any
sharp edges on second phase particles is increased causing increases
in toughness and ductility.

77

The strength of a normalized steel is based on the amount of carbides,

the fineness of the carbides, the grain size and the solid solutioning
strengthening of any alloying elements. Increasing the carbon content
increases the amount of the carbides and is the single biggest contributor to strength of carbon and low alloy steels as seen in the hardness
plot in Figure 9. This increase in strength is accompanied by an equally
dramatic fall in ductility, toughness and weldability. Toughness and
weldability are often more important properties than strength. The decrease in toughness with increasing carbon content is shown in Figure
10.

78

Quenching is used to develop higher mechanical properties than attainable with normalizing, say above 140,000 psi tensile strength. Quenching also improves the toughness of low alloy steels at any strength level,
and benefits even plain carbon steels not amenable to martensitic hardening, by producing finer pearlite.
Quenched and tempered materials provide a very useful mixture of
toughness and strength. Alloying elements are primarily used to render
alloys susceptible to heat treatment to form martensite or bainite.
The determination of composition is generally done in three steps. First,
thestrength and hardness requirements are used to pick a suitable carbon content based on the maximum hardness possible from Figure 9
less the amount of hardness to be lost tempering. Secondly, section
size and quenching practice is decided which gives the hardenability
needed in the steel. Finally, alloy elements are selected based on hardenability, cost, toughness, etc.
79

The influence of carbon on strength and toughness can be seen in Figure 11. As the strength and carbon increases, the toughness and
weldability decreases. The heat treating effectiveness of the element is
measured by its DI factor-the higher the factor is, the more effective
the element is at preventing ferrite/pearlite and promoting bainite/martensite. In Table Ill, and Figure 12 are the alloy DI factors. Carbon is the
80

81

most effective element. Manganese, molybdenum, and chromium are

especially effective in increasing hardenability. Copper and nickel do
not provide very effective hardenability increases. Small additions of nitrogen, niobium and vanadium greatly increase the hardenability as
shown in Figure 13. These small additions form the basis of microalloys.

Tempering follows hardening and involves the decomposition of martensite into microstructures of fine carbide dispersions. Tempering heat
treatments are commonly conducted to improve toughness. However,
tempering in the range 500-1050F generally does not benefit toughness even though strength is decreased. Tempering is also done after
normalizing to improve toughness. Both the time and temperature of
the temper is important to the properties developed.
The effect of tempering temperature is shown in Figure 14. Below
400F (200C) has little effect on the hardness or properties. Between
400-600F (200-310C),some softening begins to occur. Above 1100F
(600C), softening occurs very rapidly. Carbon content, temperature
and time are the main influences on the tempering response. Some elements inhibit the uniform softening response, like chromium or molybdenum shown in Figures 15 and 16.
82

83

Tempering, especially for maximum toughness, should avoid two forms

of embrittlement, one associated with 500F also known as blue brittleness or temper martensite embrittlement (TME) and the other associated with 900F also known as temper embrittlement (TE). TME is
caused by the precipitation of carbides and is avoided by having
enough alloy and carbon to avoid tempering in the 400-600F range.
TME is irreversible and only affects martensite structures.
TE is reversible and happens in the range of 800-1 100F. TE is caused

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by a segregation of solute atoms to grain boundaries. Antimony, phosphorus, arsenic, tin and manganese all increase the susceptibility of an
alloy to TE. Molybdenum decreases the susceptibility to TE. The effect
of elements on TE is given in Table IV: TE is worst in martensite but can
occur with bainite or even pearlite-ferrite materials. Tempering above
1100F reverses the TE.

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Welding
Weld cracks are a result of the interaction of microstructure, hydrogen
and stress. Preheat is used to reduce shrinkage stresses, slow cooling
rate to form a softer microstructure and to slow cooling to allow the hydrogen a chance to escape from the weld area. The need to preheat is
generally expressed as a function of metal chemistry such as:
CE = C + Mn/6 + Ni/15 + Mo/4 + Cr/4 + Cu/l3
If CE is less than .45% then no preheat is required. If CE is between
.45% and .60% then 200-400F preheat is required. If CE exceeds
.60% then 400 to 700F preheat is required. Section size and geometry
are also important.

COMPOSITION NOMENCLATURE
AlSl/SAE has designations for major alloy groups for carbon and alloy
steels. These steels have been identified in the AISIclassification by a
numerical index system that is partially descriptive of the composition.
The first digit indicates the type to which the steel belongs; thus 1 indicates a carbon steel; 2 indicates a nickel steel; 3 indicates a nickelchromium steel. In the case of the simple alloy steels, the second number usually indicates the percentage of the predominating alloying
element. Usually the last two or three digits indicate the average carbon content in points, or hundredths of a per cent. Thus, 2340 indicates a nickel steel of approximately 3 per cent nickel (3.25 to 3.75) and
0.40 per cent carbon (0.35 to 0.45).

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Many people order steel castings using these wrought designations.

Most steel castings specifications allow the foundry to choose composition but many customers desire a specific steel that they have had
good experiencewith. A real need exists for a comparable cast specification nomenclature to allow this freedom to order a cast composition
equivalence with appropriate silicon and manganese.
A number of cast compositions are frequently used for specific service
conditions. Some of these materials are listed in Table V For general
use, carbon steels or carbon manganese steels are weldable, reasonably tough and ductile. Increasing alloy elements allows quenching to
form martensite which increases strength and toughness. As the section size increases, the alloy content must increase to assure throughhardening and good properties. Generally chromium, nickel and molybdenum are added to maintain hardenability, toughness and resistance
toTE.

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88

For low temperature service, nickel is added to increase the toughness

as seen in Figure 17. Carbon, phosphorus and sulfur, content must be
kept at a minimum. Quench and tempering produces the toughest material. If alloy steels are inadequate then the austenitic steels, high alloy,
are used.

For elevated temperature service, chromium and molybdenum are

added to resist creep and to provide oxidation resistance as seen in Figures 18 and 19. Normalizing and tempering is used to provide optimum
creep resistance. If alloy steels are inadequate then the austenitic
steels, high alloy, are used.

ELEMENTAL COMPOSITIONAL EFFECTS

In order to understand the effects of each element on the final steel
casting it is necessary to know its effects on each of the areas of interest including melting, pouring, heat treatment and welding. The element
interacts physically with the iron structure based on its own crystal
structure and atomic radius summarized in Table VI. If the crystal structure is different and the radius is more than 15 %different then the element will have only limited solubility in the iron. Also included is the normal range to be expected in cast steels.
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90

Aluminum
Melting-Residual aluminum is essentially eliminated during the
oxidation stage of melting.
Pouring-Aluminum is widely used to prevent the porosity that would
be a result of only silicon-manganese deoxidation practice. Aluminum
must only be greater than 0.01% to prevent porosity, but also must be
over 0.02% to prevent Type II sulfides and under 0.06% (or lower in
larger section sizes) to prevent rock candy fracture. Aluminum
recovery ranges from 30-50% and about 2 Ibs./ton at tap is normally
added. Final deoxidation at the pouring ladle can be 1--1-1/2 Ibs/ton of
aluminum but some other element is often used. Excessive aluminum
deoxidation also decreases the fluidity of the metal, causes difficult to
machine alumina particles (optimum content 0.02 % ) to form just below
the cope surface, and causes the formation of mixtures of Type I and II
inclusions. The optimum range appears to be 0.02-0.05% aluminum.
Heat Treatment-Aluminum as aluminum oxides or nitrides are used to
prevent grain growth during austenitization in wrought steels. In cast
steels, the absence of cold work prevents the breakup of the aluminum
nitride network formed on solidification that causes embrittlement.
Higher aluminum contents do cause grain refinement in cast steels but
care must be taken to avoid excess. Aluminum contributes very little to
the hardenability of an alloy. Higher aluminum contents degrade creep
resistance.
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Aluminum is also added to form wrought steels susceptible to surface

nitriding. The high aluminum requirements, 0.4-1.5%,prevent this kind
of material from being cast.

Boron
Melting-Boron is eliminated by oxidation during melting.
Pouring-Boron reacts strongly with oxygen or nitrogen and must be
protected to insure appropriate addition. Boron additions are made in
conjunction with other deoxidizers to try to maintain consistent results.
Inconsistent recovery and difficulty of analysis along with unacceptable
brittleness at high boron levels, prevents more utilization of boron as an
alloying element. External refining techniques may renew interest in
boron.
Heat Treatment-Boron is added to steels because of the large increase in hardenability for a small amount. Boron must be in excess of
.0003% for an effect on hardenability but should be less than .005% to
avoid intergranular fracture from borocarbides or borocarbon nitrides.
The effect of boron on hardenability depends on the composition and
base hardenability of the alloy. Low-carbon, low-hardenability steels
show the most effect with high carbon, high hardenability steels can
show almost no effect. Heat treatment conditions also has an effect on
the boron influence. The optimum boron range for hardenability is
0.0003 to 0.0030%. Boron does not retard tempering.

Calcium
Melting-Calcium is eliminated by oxidation during melting.
Pouring-Calcium is used to desulfurize in external processes and to
control sulfide shape. Calcium is insoluble in steel and has a low boiling
point which makes it somewhat difficult to add and control in pouring
practices. Addition of .05 to .1 % calcium tends to control sulfide shape
to Type I. Addition of calcium is also reported to improve the machinability of cast steel by softening the cope side nonmetallic inclusions.
High levels of calcium tend to cause formation of a granular nonmetallic in the nozzle of bottom pour ladles which reduces pouring rates and
can lead to leaking ladles.
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Heat Treatment-Calcium is insoluble in iron and does not affect the

heat treated properties. Calcium does improve doctility and toughness
but only because of the sulfide shape control.

Carbon
Melting-Carbon combines with oxygen to form carbon monoxide
which provides the boiling action during the oxygen blow. Carbon
should be .30 to .50% higher than the desired final composition at melt
in to provide sufficient carbon to boil. Boil should reduce carbon content to the desired final compositional level.
Pouring-Final adjustment of carbon can be accomplished through a
ladle addition. Carbon level does affect the oxygen level and therefore
the effectiveness of other deoxidizers.
Heat Treatment-Carbon is the single biggest determinator of steel
properties.Carbon level sets the hardness and tensile strength that can
be achieved as well as the ductility and toughness. Carbon increases
susceptibility to weld cracks and quench cracks particularly above
0.30%. For this reason steel castings are generally made at or below
this level. High toughness materials require even lower carbon levels of
.15% or less. Higher carbon levels than 0.30% are common but suffer
from increased cracking and decreased ductility and toughness. H o w
ever, higher carbon levels do increase strength and hardness which
may be the dominant factor in some applications such as wear.
Other alloys are always studied in conjunction with carbon content.
Carbon content does not retard tempering.

Cerium
Melting-Cerium is eliminated by oxidation during melting.
Pouring-Cerium and rare earth (RE) mixture have many technical
merits to recommend their use as deoxidizers and sulfide shape controllers. RE combines with sulfur to form Type I sulfides except at high
RE levels, RE/S> 5, where Type IV galaxies are formed. Cerium and RE
are very expensive and must be protected from oxygen to be effective.
RE has not been used very much in the steel foundry industry.
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Heat Treatment-Like calcium, RE metals do not affect heat treat response but do improve toughness and ductility through sulfide shape
control.

Chromium
Melting-Chromium is partially lost from oxidation in melting. Deoxidation of the furnace slag in basic or AOD practice can recover a great
deal of the chromium that was lost to the slag.
Pouring-Chromium containing steels are more susceptible to gas
pickup so that the time from the oxidationlboil till pouring should be
minimized and exposure to humidity or air should also be minimized.
Chromium as an alloy addition can be made effectively to the ladle after
deoxidation with little loss.
Heat Treatment-Chromiumenhances the properties of steel in a number of ways. Chromium is not an effective solid solution strengthener
but does refine the pearlite structure and retard pearlitelferrite formation allowing increased through-hardening. Chromium is primarily
added to increase the hardenability. Chromium increases corrosion resistance markedly and also improves heat and creep resistance. Chromium does not generally reduce ductility or toughness any more than
the increase in strength would indicate. Improved toughness is generally gained by the use of nickel with chromium.
Chromium does retard tempering and increased chromium increases
tempering resistance. Chromium also increases susceptibility to temper embrittlement so that molybdenum is often used with chromium to
prevent this.

Cobalt
Melting-Cobalt level is relatively unaffected by the melting process.
Cobalt is not reduced in melting or refining.
Pouring-Cobalt is not added to cast steels.
Heat Treatment-Cobalt is not used as an alloy in cast steels but may
be permitted up to 0.20%. It increases tensile strength but decreases
hardenability and hardness during tempering. It does improve corrosion and wear resistance.
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Copper
Melting-Copper does not oxidize during melting.
Pouring-Copper has no effect on pouring. Copper along with nickel
has been implicated in surface craze cracks especially in mold systems
catalyzed with sulfur containing acids. It has also been implicated as
contributing to hot tear formation.
Heat Treating-Copper has a relatively small effect of increasing hardenability. Precipitation hardening is possible in copper containing steels
with copper contents more than 0.6%. This requires a solution treatment that can be normalizing or quenching with a subsequent aging
treatment at 850F (450C). Copper is commonly added to improve
corrosion resistance in the atmosphere especially from .15 to .75%.
With more than 8% copper, the steel is brittle forming a grain boundary
copper rich phase.

Hydrogen
Melting-Hydrogen can be introduced during melting from the charge,
water of hydration in the refractories or exposure to humid air. The hydrogen level is reduced during the oxidationlboil period but begins to increase immediately afterwards.
Pouring-External refining techniques that employ bubbling with inert
gas can reduce hydrogen. Gas that has a high dew point used to bubble
and agitation cause excessive exposure of metal to the atmosphere,
can increase hydrogen pickup. Hydrogen in the metal plus that picked
up in the pouring and from the mold can result in pinholes if the local
hydrogen exceeds .0008%. No element forms a stable compound with
hydrogen so that no deoxidation practice can eliminate its effects.
Heat Treatment-Excessive hydrogen, above .0004% can cause poor
ductility, although it will have little effect on toughness. Hydrogen can be
reduced by thermal treatment, for example, 12 hours at 400F with
moderate section sizes. Increased section sizes require more time,
higher temperatures or both.

Lead
Melting-Lead can be eliminated from the heat.
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Pouring-Lead is insoluble and was added to some steel for machinability but is toxic and is no longer used.
Heat Treatment-Lead has the effect of slightly decreasing hardenability.

Manganese
Melting-Manganese is eliminated by oxidation during melting. Some
manganese is recovered from the slag in basic practice after deoxidation. Manganese, along with silicon, is added to stop or block the carbon boil.
Pouring-Manganese is a weak deoxidizer. Its main function in solidification is to combine with sulfur to prevent grain boundary iron sulfide.
The manganese should be at least 20 times the sulfur content. Manganese above 2% causes segregation to increase significantly.
Heat Treatment-Manganese is a strong solid solutioner strengthener,
a carbide former and a strong factor in increasing hardenability. Manganese and carbon are balanced to obtain the tensile strength, ductility
and toughness required in carbon or carbon-manganese steels. Maximum toughness occurs when the ratio of manganese to carbon is 6 to 8
but more commonly used around 3 to 4. Manganese above 2 % causes
increased brittleness, grain growth, quench cracking, and decreases
weldability.
Manganese increases susceptibility to temper embrittlement. To avoid
this, molybdenum is added forming the manganese-molybdenum steel
grades.

Molybdenum
Melting-Molybdenumdoes not oxidize during melting.
Pouring-Molybdenum does not affect pouring. It can be added to the
ladle.
Heat Treatment-Molybdenum has a marked effect on the heat treatment response of steels. Molybdenum is very powerful in increasing the
hardenability of an alloy, even stronger than chromium and like chro96

mium it retards the tempering of steels. Chromium and molybdenum

are used together to produce alloys with good elevated temperature
properties including creep strength.
Molybdenum is also used to retard temper embrittlement, e.g., manga
nese-molybdenumor chromium-nickel-molybdenumsteels.

Nickel
Melting-Nickel does not oxidize during the melting.
Pouring-Nickel has no effect on pouring. It has been implicated in
shallow surface cracks especially in mold systems catalyzed with sulfur containing acids.
Heat Treatment-Nickel is primarily used to increase the toughness of
steels especially for low temperature service. It does not increase the
hardenability of steel markedly, but does act as a solid solution
strengthener increasing strength and hardness without decreasing
ductility or toughness. Above 5 % nickel, steel becomes too brittle for
normal usage. Low carbon steels containing nickel, .1 %C, 3%Ni, has a
charpy v-notch value of 40-50 ft/lbs. at - 75C while without nickel the
value would be about 10 ft/lbs.
Nickel does increase the atmospheric corrosion resistance of a steel.
More than 1% nickel decreases the stress corrosion cracking resistance of low alloy steels in hydrogen sulfide and is therefore, excluded
from use in sour gas service.

Niobium or Columbium
Melting-Niobium is eliminated by oxidation during melting.
Pouring-Niobium is not generally added during pouring, but if desired
should be added after deoxidation.
Heat Treatment-Niobium is used with vanadium and nitrogen to create microalloyed steels. Niobium is used up to 0.10% but more typically
about 0.05% to precipitate as a complex niobium carbonitride and
strengthens the steel by precipitation hardening. Niobium increases the
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creep resistance of steels. Niobium has the effect of slightly decreasing

the hardenability of steels.

Nitrogen
Melting-Nitrogen can come from the charge but also from the disassociated nitrogen from the arc. Molecular nitrogen in the air must disassociate to dissolve in molten steel. It is removed from the heat during
the oxidation stage.
Pouring-Nitrogen content must be kept below 0.01 % to avoid gas
holes in casting. Some sand binders contain nitrogen that can dissolve
in the metal and also form gas holes. Nitrogen generally precipitates
during solidification. Aluminum nitride can form a continuous brittle network at grain boundaries leading to "rock candy" or intergranular failure. Titanium or zirconium will react with dissolved nitrogen to form particles and are used alone or with aluminum to avoid gas holes or
intergranular failure from nitrogen.
Heat Treatment-Nitrogen is used with niobium and vanadium to
strengthen microalloyed steels. The precipitation strengthening of
these alloys depends on niobium and vanadium carbonitrides. Aluminum nitrides help avoid grain growth during heat treatment.

Oxygen
Melting-Oxygen is added to the molten steel bath during the carbon
boil to rapidly accomplish the reduction of carbon to the desired level,
reduce other soluble gases to acceptable levels, and eliminate undesirable oxidizable elements.
Pouring-To avoid gas holes and poor sulfide shape the oxygen content
must be reduced before pouring the steel casting. This is accomplished
by the addition of a deoxidizer such as aluminum, silicon, manganese,
titanium, vanadium, calcium or complex mixtures of these and other elements. The oxygen content should be reduced below 0.01%.
Heat Treatment-Oxygen apparently has no effect on heat treatment
but proper nonmetallic shape along with low levels insures the optimum
ductility and toughness.

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Phosphorus
Melting-Phosphorus can be reduced by basic practice especially
using the double slag practice.
Pouring-Phosphorus segregates during solidification and can contribute to underriser cracking.
Heat Treatment-Phosphorus increases strength and hardenability of
steels. It is avoided in steel production since it reduces toughness and
ductility of steels. Phosphorus has been identified as a major contributor to temper embrittlement.

Silicon
Melting-Silicon is oxidized during the melting procedures. Silicon
along with manganese is used to block the heat, i.e., to stop the carbon
boil.
Pouring-Silicon helps deoxidation. It is primarily used to enhance
fluidity and generally is used at about 0.50%.
Heat Treatment-Silicon increases hardenability and strength but decreases ductility and toughness. Silicon increases the susceptibility to
temper embrittlement.
Silicon increases resistance to corrosion especially in oxidizing hot environments.

Sulfur
Melting-Sulfur can be removed by basic practice or during external
refining such as AOD or ladle desulfurization.
Pouring-Deoxidization practice determines sulfide shape and care
must be exercised to avoid grain boundary films which have a detrimental effect on toughness and ductility. Manganese is added to ensure
better sulfide shapes.
Heat Treatment-Sulfur is detrimental to the toughness and ductility of
the steel and is generally kept as low as possible.
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Tantalum
Melting-Tantalum is eliminated by oxidation during melting.
Pouring-Tantalum would have to be added with deoxidation to ensure
recovery.
Heat Treatment-Tantalum is similar to niobium in increasing creep resistance, decreasing grain size and increasing strength.

Tin
Melting-Tin is not oxidized or reduced during melting.
Pouring-Tin has no effect on pouring or solidification.
Heat Treatment-Tin increases strength and hardenability but is not
used due to the loss of ductility. Temper embrittlement is greatly increased by tin and molybdenum does not counteract it in this case.
Therefore, tin is very undesirable.

Titanium
Melting-Titanium is eliminated by oxidation during melting.
Pouring-Titaniumis used to deoxidize steel and is effective at combining with nitrogen. It must be used less than 0.02% to avoid intergranular sulfides.
Heat Treatment-Titanium helps control grain size and can be used
with aluminum. It can contribute to hardenability if dissolved into the
steel but the steel must be heated above 1800F: Below this temperature the titanium carbide is not dissolved and decreases hardenability.
The amount of titanium allowed in steel castings is low and does not appreciably affect heat treated properties.

Tungsten
Melting-Tungsten is partially oxidized during melting and is not generally present in the charge.
Pouring-Tungsten has no effect on pouring or solidification.

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Heat Treatment-Tungsten forms strong stable carbides that require

a long time at high temperatures to dissolve. If dissolved, tungsten increases the hardenability but if not dissolved, tungsten carbides decrease the hardenability. Tungsten is not generally used in cast steels
due to cost. Tungsten retards tempering.

Vanadium
Melting-Vanadium is eliminated by oxidation during the melting.
Pouring-Vanadium can be added with or after deoxidation as an alloy
element.
Heat Treatment-Vanadium significantly increases hardenabjljty at relatively low levels of addition. Vanadium retards tempering. Vanadium is
used to give additional creep resistance to chromium and chromiummolybdenum steels.

Zirconium
Melting-Zirconium is lost by oxidation during melting.

Pouring-Zirconium can be added after aluminum to prevent "rock

candy" or by itself as a deoxidizer.
Heat Treatment-Zirconium promotes grain refinement and hardenability. Zirconium can help creep resistance in conjunction with nitrogen.

CONCLUSION
In Creation, God commanded Adam to subdue the earth and have dominion over it. When we use our knowledge and labor to control the
composition, shape, and processing to make high quality steel castings
that are suitable in service, we are subduing and exercising dominion
over the earth.

REFERENCES
1. Honeycombe, R. W. K., Steels: Microstructures and Properties, ASM, 1981.
2. The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel, U.S.S. 1971

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3. Constituent Nements in Steel and Cast Iron, Northend Limited, 1961,

4. Making Quality Steel Castings: A Review of20 Years of SFSA Literature, SFSA Special Report #23, March 1984.
5. S. Bechet and K. Rohrig, "Weldable High Strength Cast Steels," Climax Molybdenum
Co., 1982.
6. Phase Equilibria Among Oxides in Steelmaking, Muan and Osborn, Addison Wesley,
1965.

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Lecture IV

Melting and Deoxidation of

Cast Steels
by Dr. John M. Svoboda*

INTRODUCTION
The steel melting process as performed by the foundry is basically a remelt process and consists of two separate operations. First is the conversion of raw materials to molten metal, while the second is the refining of the molten metal to meet certain chemical analysis and other
quality specifications. The aim of any steelmelting process is to
produce a heat of material with the desired engineering properties at
the lowest cost. These properties depend on the control of many parameters, among the more important being:
1. Carbon

2. Silicon
3. Manganese
4. Sulfur & Phosphorus
5. Other Alloying Elements

6. Temperature

Let us begin with a review of the main steps in the process of producing
a heat of steel.
The first step in the process is to introduce the charge materials into the
furnace. This usually consists of purchased scrap and foundry returns,
since few foundries have a source of hot metal from a blast furnace.

*Technical and Research Director, Steel Founders Society of America

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The main types of furnaces used in foundries are either the direct arc
(acid and basic) and coreless induction. In addition, alloy additions are
introduced in some cases and flux and slag forming materials are also
introduced.
Next the charge is melted and various oxidizing reactions occur during
this period. Gases may be absorbed by the molten metal, and various
reactions occur between the metal and the slag which is forming during
this period.
Following melt-down, we go into the refining period. It is during this
stage that the carbon content is reduced by reaction with oxygen . . .
usually in gaseous form. Hydrogen and nitrogen are removed (to a degree) by this carbon-oxygen reaction called the carbon boil. Other reactions occur between the metal and slag which may remove sulfur and
phosphorus in basic practice. At the end of the refining period, final
alloy additions may be made and chemical analysis and temperature
adjusted to the desired level.
The heat is tapped and deoxidation additions introduced. Since cast
steel receives no mechanical work following solidification, it is essential
that the metal be dead killed. This is a basic difference from steel production for ingot use, and will be discussed in more detail in the body of
this lecture.
The principal reactions which take place during these stages of the
steelmaking operation are as follows:

C + 1/2 O2 (g) = CO(g)

Fe + 1/2 O2(g) = FeO(1)
Si + O2 (g) = SiO2 (s)

Mn + 1/2 O2 (g) = MnO(1)

2AI + 3/2 O2 = AI2O3(s)
In addition, it is becoming popular to employ an external refining
process such as AOD (argon/oxygen/decarburization) or ladle refining
to improve properties. These techniques also will be discussed further.
This lecture has been divided into two parts for convenience. The body
of the paper will discuss the step-by-step procedures important to the
production of quality cast steel. Appendix A covers the metallurgical

104

chemistry involved and is included for the reader who wishes to pursue
the topic in more depth. Each of the major processes will now be considered.

ACID MELTING PRACTICE

The purpose of this section is to consider the acid practice for steel
melting with regard to the operations involved and controls required.
The term acid practice implies that the bath is contained by acid refractories (silica) and that the slag developed is acid in chemical behavior.
As stated previously, sulfur and phosphorus cannot be removed to any
significant degree in the acid practice, and this results in the need for
careful control of the sulfur and phosphorus levels in the charge and
slag making materials.

The Charge
The acid electric furnace charge usually consists of foundry returns,
such as gates; risers, and scrapped castings, and purchased scrap.
The purchased scrap may be forgings, springs, rails, stampings, and
other such materials.
It is essential that the scrap be low in sulfur and phosphorus content,
and should be purchased on this basis. Basic electric and BOF steels
are excellent charge materials.

The amount of foundry returns charged is usually 30-40% 1 of the

charge. Up to 100% foundry returns may be used if the chemical analysis is carefully controlled.
The scrap should be below 0.05% for both sulfur and phosphorus because many steel specifications set maximum limits of 0.05 % and oxidation losses tend to concentrate the sulfur and phosphorus to a slight
degree. In addition, other residual elements should be controlled in
order to prevent complications during heat treating or welding. The principal residuals and their sources are in Table I.
The residuals which are contained in the charge may be picked up by
the slag, absorbed by both metal and slag, picked up by the metal, or
vaporized. The various residuals exhibit the behavior shown in Table II.
Since most steel foundries produce a large number of alloy types and
grades, a good identification system is required for foundry returns.

105

Many scrapped heats have been produced because the wrong type of
foundry returns were charged.

106

The size and physical condition of the scrap should also be carefully
controlled. Popp2 makes the following comments concerning visual
scrap inspection. (1) Oversize scrap can cause furnace damage and
delays, (2) Excessive rust can cause low metallic yield and a low meltdown carbon, (3) Excessive oil is a source of hydrogen and creates air
pollution, (4) Sealed containers are a potential explosive hazard, possibly resulting in equipment damage and/or personal injuries, (5) Suspicious scrap should be unhesitatingly put aside since it can be the cause
of contaminated heats, broken electrodes, and refractory problems,
and (6) Siliceous material will increase slag volume.
Some foundries add 2 or 3 percent pig iron to the charge to insure a vigorous carbon boil after meltdown. This is usually done when the charge
averages only 0.25-0.30% carbon. A low phosphorus grade of pig iron
is available for this purpose.
The placement of the charge materials in the bucket also has an effect
on furnace operations. A recommended makeup is illustrated in Figure
1. The bottom of the charge is made up of borings, turnings, and light
scrap which acts as a cushion when the charge is dropped into the furnace. Next heavy scrap is placed in the electrode triangle which prevents the heavy scrap from falling against the electrodes. Above this
are placed bundles and medium scrap which absorb heat and protect
the sidewall. The top of the charge consists of borings, turnings, and
light scrap which allow easy and fast electrode penetration which protects the roof and sidewalls from arc flare. A typical charge consists of

107

35% heavy scrap (270-300 lb/cu ft), 40% medium scrap (100-150 lb/cu
ft), and 25% light scrap (20-50 lb/cu ft).
Usually the entire charge is introduced at one time. However, if the
available scrap is not dense enough, it may be necessary to add the
second bucket (backcharge) after 60-70% of the first charge is melted.
It is common to aim for a melt down carbon 0.25-0.35 above the finish
carbon level. Many foundries add carbon containing materials to the
charge in order to obtain the carbon content after meltdown. Some carbon sources are pig iron, Sorel metal, coke, cast iron, broken electrodes, and commercial carbon raisers. The carbon content of any ferro
alloy additions must also be considered.

Melting and Refining

While other melting processes have been used over the years, the complete oxidation process is almost universally used at the present time,
and will be the process discussed in this section. The complete oxidation process involves a vigorous carbon boil to remove hydrogen and nitrogen in order to meet metal specifications.
After the charge is introduced, melting begins at high voltages (tap settings). Some operators prefer to start melting at a moderate tap setting
until the electrodes have bored into the charge, and then switch to a
higher tap setting. The purpose of this procedure is to minimize sidewall
exposure to arc flare. Slag-forming materials, other than sand adhering
to gates and risers, are generally not added to the charge. After the
charge is melted, the voltage is reduced and the refining period begins.
The melt-down carbon will range from 0.18-0.40 percent depending on
the carbon in the charge. A recommended melt-down carbon is 0.300.35 percent greater than the desired finish carbon level, which is the
carbon specification for the grade involved less the amount of carbon
contained in deoxidizing and final alloy additions. The manganese content at melt-down will be 0.25-0.35 percent, and the silicon content will
be 0.13-0.20 percent. If iron ore is added with the charge, the manganese and silicon contents will belower depending on the degree of oxidation. They also will be more variable and difficult to control.
The carbon boil is next produced by introducing oxygen into the bath.
The generally accepted practice is the injection of gaseous oxygen
through a submerged lance inserted through the furnace door. The prin-

108

cipal reaction during the carbon boil is the oxidation of carbon to carbon
monoxide:

C + 1/2 O (g) CO (g)

The CO bubbles rising through the bath produce a vigorous bubbling action, which is called the carbon boil. As the bubbles rise through the
bath, hydrogen and nitrogen dissolved in the bath diffuse into the CO
bubbles and are removed. This is the only practical method of reducing
dissolved hydrogen and nitrogen other than vacuum or AOD processing. The vigorous bubbling also provides a stirring action which helps
produce a more uniform chemical composition and temperature distribution in the bath. Hydrogen and nitrogen will be discussed in detail
later in the paper.
During the carbon boil, manganese and silicon will also be removed
from the bath. Silicon content after the carbon boil will vary from about
0.02 to 0.10 percent, and manganese from 0.07 to 0.15 percent. Recommended aims at this stage are 0.08 percent silicon and 0.15 percent
manganese. Manganese contents greater than 0.15 percent tend to inhibit gas removal because the manganese causes the boil to be less
vigorous.
Normal practice is to reduce the carbon content 0.30-0.35 percent. For
efficient hydrogen and nitrogen removal, the boil must be vigorous. This
is a function of both temperature and blowing rate. Oxygen is blown
through a mild steel pipe that is inserted through the furnace door and
submerged below the slag-metal interface. It is important to control
pressure and use the proper size pipe to insure standardized operation.
Some of the factors which are important for a good oxygen blowing
practice are:
1. Adequate pressure at the end of the hose for the heat size.

2. Proper size pipe.

3. Adequate oxygen supply system.

4. Continuous blowing.

5. Lance held at about 45 angle.

6. Lance tip in metal or at slag-metal interface.

7. Determination of volume of oxygen required.
109

Benefits obtained from a good oxygen blowing practice include?

1. Vigorous boil.

2. Optimum decarburization rate.

3. Optimum oxygen efficiency.
4. Increased metallic yield.
5. Increased refractory life.

6. Lower hydrogen and nitrogen content.

Many studies have been conducted on the optimum blowing rate.
Barnsley and Thornton3 have derived an empirical formula for the optimum rate as follows:

Max Blowing Rate (cu. ft./min.) = 50 x Lance I.D. (in.)

x [6 + bath wt. (tons)]
The amount of oxygen required to remove various elements is given in
Table III.

As the carbon content drops, the efficiency of the oxygen blow also
drops. Above a carbon content of 0.25 percent, oxygen efficiency is assumedto be 100 percent. As the bath carbon drops below this level, the
oxygen blow efficiency drops as shown in Table IV

During the oxidation period (oxygen blow) silicon and manganese are
oxidized as well as carbon. The oxidation of silicon occurs first, followed
by manganese and then carbon as the temperature increases. The silica (SiO2) and MnO rise to the top of the bath and join the slag. At this
point, additional slag forming materials may be added, and the slag adjusted for composition. There is a wide variation in slag materials used

110

by different foundries. Some add no slag-forming materials at all. It is

generally felt that slag volume should be no more than about 6 % of the
bath volume. Sand additions may vary between 0.2 and 2.0 percent. If
limestone is used, the amount should produce a CaO content of the
slag of about 6-8 percent. In some cases fluorspar is added to increase
the fluidity of the slag.

Slag Control
Slag materials in the acid electric process are silicon dioxide, iron oxide
and manganese oxide plus oxides of calcium and aluminum. The silicon
dioxide (SiO2) content of the slag comes from the erosion of the bottom,
silica sand shoveled into the furnace and a small amount from the reaction of iron oxide and silicon to form SiO2.
Thecalcium oxide (CaO) comes from the addition of lime or limestone.
The manganese oxide (MnO) content of the slag is the product of the reaction of manganese and iron oxide. The percentage of MnO will depend on the percentage of manganese in the charge. The iron oxide
content of the slag comes from the rust on the scrap and the oxidation
while the steel is being melted. There are other elements in the slag
such as aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and magnesium oxide (MgO). The latter
elements are usually in small percentages, and are therefore of no concern to the makers of acid electric steel.
The use of the Herty viscosimeter is a practical way to measure slag
fluidity. At the melt down, when the iron oxide content is approximately
40 to 45%, a slag test poured into the viscosimeter will run its full
length.

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During the boil, the FeO of the slag enters the metal to oxidize silicon,
manganese and carbon. As these reactions occur, the percentage of
iron oxide in the slag will decrease. The iron oxide will be reduced and
left in the steel as iron, and the oxygen will combine with the silicon,
manganese and carbon to form the corresponding oxides. The amount
of FeO loss in the slag will depend largely on the amount of oxidation
required to bring these elements down to the required chemical analysis. The slag begins to thicken as the SiO2 content increases and the
iron oxide content decreases. The addition of lime (CaO) to the slag
results in the lime replacing some of the iron oxide without a loss of
f Iuidity.
In summing up the effects of the constituents on slag fluidity, it can be
stated that the higher the total percentage of basic materials in the slag,
the higher the fluidity will be, and the higher the percentage of SiO2 in
the slag, the more viscous the slag.

It is very important in making steel in the acid electric furnace that the
furnace operator knows the approximate analysis of the slag. If the heat
melts down with a high SiO2 content, it becomes very sluggish and instead of oxidizing a small part of the silicon, manganese and carbon on
the meltdown, the melt will actually pick up silicon from the reduction of
SiO2 to Si.
In a heat of this type, it is very hard to get a vigorous boil. On the other
hand, if the heat melts with an extremely high FeO content in the slag,
over oxidation has taken place during the meltdown.
Some melters attempt to estimate the FeO content of the slag by pouring a slag cake test and observing the color of the skin and the fracture
after breaking.
Slags containing more than 40% FeO exhibit a dull black color on both
the surface skin and in the fracture. As the FeO content decreases to
30% the fracture has a grayish black color with a dull black surface.
Slag with-20 to 30% FeO has a dark green fracture and a dull black surface. As the iron oxide content falls under 20%, the fracture becomes a
light green or a gray-green with the surface changing to a shiny black or
a: shiny dark chocolate brown. Slag colors change considerably depending on the MnO and the CaO content of the slag. The density of the
slag-cake fracture is considered a better way to estimate the FeO content of the slag.

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Additions
At this point, the alloy additions are made and allowed to dissolve in the
bath. A block, or partial deoxidation addition is usually added to stop
the boil and prepare the heat for tapping.
The following procedure may be used to calculate the amount of alloy
additions. The following information must be known in order to calculate the additions.

A. Percent of alloy in ferro-alloy.

B. Percent recovery expected.

C. Amount of alloy (%) addition required.

D. Weight of melted metal in furnace.

An example will be given for a chromium addition to a 10,000 Ib. charge
of Ni - Cr - Mo steel with a desired chromium aim of 0 . 7 0 %The analysis
of the ferrochrome is 70% Cr. A recovery of 85% has been observed. If
we assume a melting loss in the furnace of 3 % , then the amount of molten metal in the furnace at the time of addition is 97% of 10,000 Ib. or
9700 Ib.
Then:

DxC
Weight of addition = - x100
AxB
9700 x 0.70 X 100 = 114 Ib.
70 X 85
By similar calculations, the weights of the other additions would be as
follows:
Carbon as pig iron

263 Ibs.

Manganese as 50% Ferrosilicon

107 Ibs.
69 Ibs.

Silicon as 50% Ferrosilicon

133 Ibs.

Nickel as 100% Nickel

Molybdenum as Ferro-Molybdenum (62 %)

40 Ibs.

The total additions amount to 612 Ibs. giving a total bath weight of 9700
+ 612 = 10,312 Ibs. Since this is significantly more than the 9700 Ibs.

113

used for the original calculation, the additions must be recalculated on

the new weight. For chromium, the calculation would be as follows:
Weight of chromium addition =

10,312 x 0.70
70 x 85

x 100 = 122Ib.

Deoxidizing and Tapping

After the addition of deoxidizers (block) and other additions the heat is
ready for tapping. Final slag and temperature adjustments are made at
this time. After the block is dissolved, the heat should be tapped as soon
as possible as a deoxidized heat will pick up hydrogen and nitrogen. The
elapsed time from the silicon addition to tapping should be a maximum
of eight minutes, and preferably 5-6 minutes. Tapping is accomplished
by rapidly tilting the furnace which allows the steel to be poured into the
ladle. Rapid tilting allows the slag to be held back and the steel flows
into the ladle first.
Alloys and final deoxidizers are added to the base of the metal stream in
the ladle. Good tapping practice insures a compact metal stream, uniform tapping times, and slag-metal separation. This results in minimum
re-oxidation of the metal, minimum nitrogen pickup, more uniform and
higher alloy recoveries, simplified alloy addition practice, and agitation
of metal in the ladle.
In order to obtain uniform alloy recovery, temperature control and
chemical control, Popp2 recommends:
1. Add ferroalloys in stream or base of stream.

2. Make proper sequence of additions:

A. Carbon.
B. Manganese and Silicon.
C. Calcium alloys.
3. Add all additions by the time the ladle is 7 5 % full.
4. Minimize ladle additions.

5. Weigh additions accurately.

6. Use proper alloy sizing for heat size.

Control
Throughout the production of a heat various control tests are required.
Slag is normally controlled by use of a Herty viscosimeter and/or slag
pancake test. Chemistry is controlled with wet chemical analyses, air

114

and vacuum spectrometers, or direct reading instruments for carbon,

silicon, sulfur, hydrogen, nitrogen, and total oxygen. Temperature is
preferably measured with immersion thermocouples (Pt-Pt l0% Rh or
Pt-Pt l3% Rh).

Summary
To summarize the process of producing a heat, a heat log of a Cr-Ni-Mo
steel is illustrated in Figure 2. Although many variations to the procedures discussed do exist, they represent a normal practice as used by
the majority of steel foundries.

115

BASIC MELTING PRACTICE

The basic electric melting process will be discussed in terms of operating practices and controls. Since many aspects of the basic practice
are the same as those in the acid practice, only the differences will be
pointed out and discussed. The term "basic practice" implies that the
bath is contained in a basic refractory hearth, and that the slags used
are generally basic in chemical characteristics. The principal reason
for the use of the basic practice, rather than the acid practice, is that
sulfur and phosphorus may be removed from the steel. This is required
for the production of steels to specifications requiring low sulfur and
phosphorus for improved impact properties. In some cases, the basic
practice can be more economical for plain carbon grades where lower
quality scrap may be upgraded. The basic practice is almost universally
used for high alloy and stainless steels as well as manganese steel.

The Charge
The comments concerning charging practices in the acid furnace given
previously also pertain to the basic operation. The charge generally
consists of 20 to 50 percent foundry returns. The charge is generally
limited to 0.10 percent phosphorus and 0.08 percent sulfur; and frequently will run at lower levels. If the charge is low in carbon, pig iron
may be added to give a sufficient melt down carbon. Limestone or lime
may be added to assist in the formation of a basic slag. A typical charge
may consist of:
Foundry return scrap

30-50 %

Purchased scrap

30-50 %

Basic pig iron

5-15%

6%

Limestone

The choice of the use of limestone or lime is subject to many considerations. Popp2 describes the advantages and disadvantages of the two
materials as follows:

Lime
1. Accurate CaO content
2. Low SiO2 content

3. Absorbs water
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4. Tends to build up bottom

5. Tends to float in slag

6. Does not have to be calcined

7. Not considered source of oxygen

Limestone
1. CaO content varies
2. High, variable SiO2 content

3. Does not absorb water

4. Does not build up bottom

5. Not likely to float in slag

6. Power needed for calcination

7. Source of oxygen with oxidizing power 2/3 of iron ore
The foundry returns (gates, risers, rejected castings) should be free of
excess sand, since adhering sand will lower the slag basicity and reduce the dephosphorizing ability of the slag. All materials in the charge,
and all additions, should be free from moisture to prevent hydrogen absorption by the melt. Some operators preheat all these materials before
placing them in the furnace.

Melting & Oxidation

Meltdown is accomplished in the same manner as with the acid practice. The voltage is systematically reduced as the meltdown nears completion, and the lime or limestone added to give a CaO content equal to
about 2.5 percent of the charge. If the meltdown carbon is too low, carbon Should be added to insure a minimum of 0.30 percent above the finish carbon, or perhaps even 0.40 percent for high grade alloy steels.
The oxygen blow and resulting carbon boil occur in the same manner as
in acid practice. Plain carbon steels are usually blown in one increment,
while alloy steels are blown in two increments, thus allowing time for an
interim chemical analysis. Often fluorspar additions are made during
the blow to control the foaming of the slag and to provide slag fluidity.
Addition of burnt lime is usually found necessary toward the end of the
oxidizing period to maintain a highly basic slag. Popp2 lists the function

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of a basic slag as follows:

1. Removes phosphorus and sulfur

2. Prevents surface oxidation of the liquid metal

3. Protects refractories
4. Removes oxidizable elements

5. Assists in maintaining a stable arc

The oxidizing slag which develops during the carbon boil will usually be
high in manganese and iron oxides. It will appear black and brittle when
cold, and will be reasonably fluid. A slag which appears to be excessively fluid usually contains excessive amounts of silicates and insufficient calcium oxide. Burnt lime should be added to control the slag viscosity.

Refining -Single Slag Practice

Two common methods are used in the refining operation . . , the single
slag practice, and the double slag practice. The double slag practice allows substantial sulfur removal, white the single slag practice allows
only minor sulfur removal. However, the single slag practice produces
steel with better fluidity and takes less time.
In the single slag practice the oxidizing slag developed during the boil is
allowed to remain on the bath and powdered limestone or calcined lime
are added to adjust the lime-silica ratio (V-ratio) in the slag. The amount
to add is best determined through practice with the desired aim being a
CaO content of 55-60 percent or a lime-silica ratio of approximately 3:1.
The phosphorous is oxidized and is transferred to the oxidizing slag.
Factors which effect phosphorus removal are2 (1) Low metal temperature, which is promoted by maintaining temperature control, (2) Highly
basic slag with a minimum 3:1 lime/silica ratio, (3) High FeO in the slag
attained by addition of mill scale or iron ore, (4) Low SiO2 in slag attained
by slagging off and adding lime, (5) An active bath caused by a good
carbon boil, (6) A fluid slag and (7) Lime in solution, both promoted by
increasing slag temperature and the addition of fluorspar.
It is good practice to bring the heat to finishing temperature gradually
rather than have the temperature fall at the end of the refining period.
This permits a light carbon boil to exist throughout the heat which prevents gas pickup at the end of the heat.

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After the heat has reached the proper carbon level, and the temperature and chemistry are adjusted, the heat is ready for partial deoxidation or block. Most heats are blockedwith 0.10% silicon added as ferrosilicon or silicomanganese. Chromium and nickel additions are made
shortly after the block. There is usually some slight reversion of phosphorus at the end of the heat, but the final phosphorus content should
be less than 50 percent of the phosphorus content of the charge.
Ferromanganese is added and the heat tapped within 1.5-2 minutes.
Final additions are made to the ladle, and the heat deoxidized with aluminum, calcium-silicon alloys, or other deoxidizers. Frequently, limestone is added to the slag in the ladle to chill the slag, and inhibit phosphorus reversion.

Refining-Double Slag Practice

The double slag process, as the name implies, utilizes two slags, one to
remove phosphorus and the second to remove sulfur. The first oxidizing
slag is completely removed after dephosphorization to prevent reversion of phosphorus during the reducing conditions present during desulfurizing.
The carbon boil proceeds in the same manner as in the single slag practice. As soon as the carbon content has reached the desired level, and
the boil has begun to slow down, the oxidizing slag is completely removed from the bath. The electrodes are raised for this operation and
rakes used to remove all traces of the slag. The slag removal may be
facilitated by adding burnt lime to thicken and agglomerate fluid slag
near the banks.
After slag-off, the oxygen content of the bath should be substantially reduced before applying the reducing slag. This reduction of the oxygen
content (Initial blocking) is accomplished by adding lump ferrosilicon,
ferromanganese, or both to the bath. The usual practice is to add about
one-half of the total ferrosilicon and ferromanganese required for the
heat at this stage.
The reducing slag is generally premixed and consists of lime, fluorspar,
and powdered carbon. The ratio of lime to spar is two or three to one,
and the carbon amount is 15-20 percent of the lime addition. An amount
of slag making materials equal to about three percent of the bath weight
is added to the furnace. If these materials are not premixed, the lime
and spar are added first, and the slag dusted with the powdered carbon.

119

The slag should be stirred (rabbled) to insure good slag-metal content.

The voltage should be reduced when the reducing slag is in place to
prevent overheating of the metal and undue fluxing of the roof and lining. The slag, when cooled to room temperature, will be black during the
first part of the reducing period. As this refining period progresses, the
color will change to dark brown, then through light brown, brownish
white, to white or gray which indicates the formation of excess stable
calcium carbide.
The continual addition of powdered carbon to the slag allows the reactions to proceed and refining to continue. The factors which effect sulfur removal are:2 (1) Low SiO2 in the slag which is attained by slaggingoff and adding lime, (2) A hot fluid slag and (3) Lime in solution, both of
which are promoted by increasing slag temperature and adding fluorspar, (4) A highly basic slag obtained by adding lime, (5) Low FeO in the
slag from dusting with powdered carbon, and (6) Good slag-metal contact obtained by rabbling the slag.
Once the slag reaches the white or gray stage, final deoxidizers and
alloy additions should be made and the heat tapped.
The final additions of manganese, silicon, and chromium may be made
through the white slag. Recarburizing, if necessary, is best done by adding low phosphorus, low sulfur pig iron, or by carbon injection with an
inert carrier gas. About ten minutes after the alloys are added, the heat
is ready for tapping. Bath temperature is adjusted for tapping, usually in
the 2950-3050F range. Tapping and final deoxidation are carried out
as with the single slag practice.

Alloy Steel
The melting practice for low-alloy steels is essentially the same as for
plain-carbon steels. In the case of alloys containing nickel, copper, and
molybdenum, these are generally added with the charge as they are not
readily oxidized. Alloys such as chromium and manganese are not
added until a carbide slag is obtained since they are readily oxidized.
In cases of large alloy additions, care should be taken not to chill the
bath too abruptly and time allowed to insure complete melting. Thorough rabbling will insure complete mixing.
Stainless steel is seldom, if ever, melted with a carbide slag. Instead,
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powdered ferrosilicon is added to the slag to produce reducing conditions, or an alumina slag is employed. If stainless steel scrap is used,
the single slag practice is generally employed.
High-manganese steel (12-14 percent) is always produced with the
basic practice using a sintered magnesite furnace bottom. The single
slag practice is used with lime being added during the melting period.
The analysis aim after meltdown is approximately 1.0 percent carbon,
11.0 percent manganese, and 0.3 percent silicon. A good basic slag is
maintained with a composition of approximately 50 percent CaO; 20
percent SiO2; 3 percent FeO; and 10-15 percent MnO.
After meltdown, the slag is deoxidized with pulverized coke and fluorspar added to adjust slag viscosity. The heat is blocked with ferrosilicon.
Adesirable finishing slag will contain approximately 59 percent CaO; 24
percent SiO2; 9 percent FeO; and 1 percent MnO.

DEOXIDATION AND CONTROL OF GASES

Oxygen
The deoxidation process is of vital importance to the production of steel
castings free from defects, and consequently has been the topic of
numerous books and technical papers. The basic principles of
deoxidation will be discussed here, and references will be provided.
Steel produced for castings must be "dead-killed," that is, completely
deoxidized. The reason for this is, that the carbon-oxygen reaction
equilibrium value drops with temperature and the "boil reaction" will
start again with the formation of CO bubbles. This leads to blow holes,
porosity, and pin holes. Castings poured in green sand molds are more
prone to this problem than castings poured in dry sand molds.
The reaction of concern is as follows:

C + O = CO(g)
The G value for this reaction is given by:
G = - 5.35 - 9.48T

For a CO partial pressure of one atmosphere we find the following

values:

Temperature C
[%C] [ %0]

1500
1600
.00186 .00200
121

1700
1800
1900
.00218 .00232 .00245

If the external CO pressure is reduced, the equilibrium value of [%C]

[%O] decreases in direct proportion to the CO pressure. As an example, if the pressure is reduced to 0.01 atmosphere, then [ %C] [ %O] at
1600C becomes 0.00002, which gives a value of %0 of 0.00001 at a
0.2% carbon level. This is the reason that carbon is an effective deoxidizer in vacuum degassing operations.
The usual method of reducing the oxygen content is to add an element
which has a greater affinity for oxygen than carbon, and which forms a
solid or liquid oxide product. Common elements which are suitable for
this purpose are aluminum, manganese, silicon, calcium, zirconium,
and titanium. The relative deoxidizing power of these elements is
illustrated in Figure 3. These elements are often used in combination,
and the deoxidizing power of these combinations is also shown in
Figure 3.
In the steel castings industry, aluminum is almost universally used as
the final deoxidizer. The deoxidation products are alumina (Al2O3) and
hercynite (FeO-AI2O3), both of which are solid at steelmaking
temperatures. As can be seen from Figure 3, the deoxidation effect of
aluminum in combination with silicon and manganese is much more

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powerful than when used alone. The amount of the aluminum addition
has been shown to be critical22 because of its effect on physical
properties due to its effect on the type of inclusions formed. In melts
with no aluminum, a globular Type I inclusion was formed due to the
presence of oxygen. A small aluminum addition, 0.04 to 0.05 percent
resulted in eutectic MnS films in the grain boundaries.

These steels were characterized by low ductility. A larger aluminum

addition, 0.10 percent or more, resulted in larger, more scattered and
irregularly shaped Type Ill inclusions with restored ductility. It was felt
that this improvement was due to the excess aluminum, forming
aluminum sulfide AI2S3 which is less soluble than MnS and FeS, and is
precipitated at a higher temperature, causing the inclusions to be large
and scattered.6 The strong deoxidizers, silicon, manganese, and vanadium gave Type I inclusions.
Castings produced in green sand require extra deoxidation protection
because of the water vapor formed at the interface which results in
oxygen and hydrogen being dissolved into the steel. This is particularly
true for high carbon steels because the C x O equilibrium is easily exceeded.23
The effect of rate of cooling on inclusion type has also been studied24
and it was found that Type II inclusions could be eliminated from rapidly
cooled sections by the addition of 3 Ib. per ton of
calcium/silicon/manganese along with the aluminum. Considerable
additional work has been done on the effect of calcium and barium on
inclusion formation and is discussed in references 25-26.

Nitrogen
Nitrogen may be absorbed in the steel from the slag making materials
or from reaction of CaO in the slag with the carbon of the electrodes.
Nitrogen is also absorbed directly from the furnace atmosphere, particularly in the high temperature area around the arcs. The solubility of nitrogen is related to the partial pressure of nitrogen in the atmosphere as
follows:

wt. %N = 0.045

Under a partial pressure of one atmosphere nitrogen, the solubility in

pure iron is 0.045%. At the freezing point, however, the solubility drops
to 0.013 % . If these values are exceeded gas is evolved forming poros-

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ity. Fortunately these values are seldom reached and porosity due to nitrogen alone is uncommon. Due to the flushing action of the carbon
boil, nitrogen values usually run about 0.002 percent.
Another problem is that of rock candy fracture. This brittle type of failure is due to the formation of aluminum nitride in critical concentrations. Critical nitrogen levels above which rock candy fracture can
occur appear to be 0.004 percent for plain carbon steel, and 0.002 percent for low alloy steel. The nitrogen can be fixed by the addition of zirconium or titanium. With the use of titanium, however, aluminum must
still be added to prevent Type I I inclusions. Cooling rate also has a pronounced effect on formation of aluminum nitrides.

Hydrogen
Hydrogen is generally present to some extent but is always unwanted in
commercial steels. It can cause porosity and hair line cracks, particularly in large steel castings. Prolonged heat treatment over several
weeks could be required to decrease the hydrogen by solid state diffusion to an acceptable level. This is expensive and thus where steel is
required with low hydrogen contents, every attempt should be made to
minimize hydrogen absorption during processing of liquid steel.
The solubility limit of hydrogen in solid iron at its melting point is about
0.001 percent (i.e. 10 ppm). The abbreviation ppm means parts-per-million, If the hydrogen content of the liquid exceeds this amount, it will be
rejected during freezing and this leads to pin-hole formation and
porosity.

The reaction between H2 and liquid iron can be written:

1/2H2 = [H]
and, [wt % H] = K (pH2)1/2
The effect of temperature on the equilibrium constant is given by:
logK = -1670/T - 1.68
For a partial pressure of one atmosphere equation, the above equations give the solubility of hydrogen in pure iron at 2912F (1873K) as
0.0027 wt. percent (27 ppm). If the pressure is reduced to 10-3 atmospheres as in vacuum degassing, the equilibrium content would be
about one ppm.

As in the case of nitrogen, interaction parameters are available which

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describe the effect of various alloying elements on the solubility of hydrogen in alloy steels.
Absorption of hydrogen by molten steel can take place from moisture or
hydrocarbons in the furnace atmosphere, from limestone, ore, millscale, scrap or alloy additions during refining, from the atmosphere during tapping and pouring, from damp refractories in the ladle, or from hydrocarbons contained in mold coatings or binders.
The dissolution of hydrogen in molten steel from water vapor may be expressed as:

H2O = 2[H] + [O]

K = [aH]2[ao]/pH2O
and log K = -10390/T + 7.81
Expanding this equation

log [aH] = 1/2 log K + 1/2 log pH2O - 1/2 log ao

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This relationship between hydrogen and oxygen in liquid iron at 2912F

is shown in Figure 4 for a range of water vapor pressures from that typical for an arc furnace (0.015) to that for an open hearth (0.3). From this
diagram it can be seen that the hydrogen content increases as the oxygen content decreases. At low oxygen levels typical of killed steels, or
at the higher water vapor pressures, the equilibrium hydrogen content
actually exceeds that which would be in equilibrium with pure hydrogen
at one atmosphere pressure. Fortunately these equilibrium values are
well in excess of those normally encountered in practice (i.e. about 2-6
ppm), due mainly to the continuous removal of hydrogen during refining
by the rinsing action of carbon monoxide bubbles. Further removal of
hydrogen can be accomplished by argon rinsing in the ladle or vacuum
processing to give hydrogen levels below 2-3 ppm.
In summary, hydrogen absorption can be decreased by:
(a) Preheating scrap and other furnace additives.
(b) Maintaining a good carbon boil.
(c) Minimizing the time deoxidized metal is exposed to the atmosphere.
(d) Ensuring the ladle refractories are properly dried.
Further information on hydrogen and nitrogen are given in the references.

INDUCTION MELTlNG
Induction furnaces are used to melt all of the common grades and alloys encountered in the steel foundry industry The size and type of furnace is dictated by the economics of the specific application; refractories are a limiting factor in many cases. The requirement for air pollution
abatement equipment is also a governing factor.
One of the main advantages claimed for induction furnaces is the small
amount of alloy material that is lost in the melting operation. For all
practical purposes, what goes in-goes out. This allows for good composition control through careful weighing of alloy additions. If the composition of the charge materials is accurately known, precise metallurgical control is rather easily realized. This is quite important where
expensive alloying additions are used.

126

On the other hand, refining is rather limited such as is used in arc melting operations. Lower grade scrap cannot be used because it cannot be
refined in the conventional manner. No distinct slag layer is developed
due to the stirring action in an induction furnace, and the slag volume/
metal volume ratio is not high enough to permit normal refining.
One of the advantages of induction melting is the strong stirring action
which is developed. This gives the metal bath exceptional uniformity of
both chemical composition and temperature, and allows more predictable results.
The conventional steel meltinghefining process employing a carbon
boil is not used in the induction furnace. This is principally due to the differences in the slag volume and mterface area relationshjps between
induction furnaces and direct arc furnaces. However, a limited amount
of melting/refining operations are being carried out, and will be discussed later in this section.

Most induction melted steel is melted in medium to high frequency

coreless furnaces. This is an excellent processing method for high alloy
steels. The process is essentially a "dead-melting" operation, that is,
theoxidation level of the bath is intentionally kept as low as possible and
no carbon boil is induced. The process consists of charging the furnace, melting the charge, making the required alloy additions to adjust
chemistry, adjusting the temperature, and tapping the heat.
Because the scrap used is generally clean, and melting is rapid, the oxidation losses are low and accurately predictable. Alloy additions may
be made as ferroalloys or commercially pure metallic additions. The following formula is used to calculate the amount of addition required:4

weight of ferroalloy

= (final analysis-charge analysis) x (bath weight)

(%recovery) x (%alloy in addition)

Recoveries average approximately 95% but do vary somewhat and

should be determined for each operation.
As mentioned previously, usually no attempt is made to refine the steel.
Sulfur and phosphorous levels should be maintained by careful charge
material selection.

The pronounced stirring action of the coreless furnace is an jmportant

127

advantage, particularly with highly alloyed steels, insuring homogeneity

of the melt. Since the heat is generated within the charge itself by the
electromagnetic field, there is no possibility of carbon pickup from electrodes as in a direct arc furnace, or from combustion gases in an open
hearth furnace.
It is, however, possible to do limited refining in the coreless furnace. If a
carbon boil is desired, it may be initiated by introducing iron ore, nickel
oxide, or gaseous oxygen to the bath. Taconite pellets are frequently
used. Temperature must be carefully controlled in order to control the
rate of carbon boil.

It is also possible to desulfurize and dephosphorize by using slags composed of lime, alumina, silica, and fluorspar. This type of refining slag,
however, is destructive to MgO-AI2O3 linings.
Steel melting in the line frequency coreless induction furnace is not as
common as the higher frequency operations. This is primarily due to the
traditional use of silica linings in these furnaces. The silica lining is not
as refractory as some of the other materials used for linings, and erosion of the lining occurs faster. Also, active aluminum, calcium, magnesium, carbon, and titanium attack the silica lining if added in large quantities or early in the melt cycle.35
The replacement of the silica lining with other refractories allows oxidation of silicon and manganese at lower temperatures and carbon at
higher temperatures.36 Providing that adequate provisions are made for
slag handling, the refining reactions are the same as with other steel
making processes. The ease of control of temperature, and the good
mixing action, favor this process.

AOD REFINING
In 1967 at Joslyn Steel the first commercial heat of steel was produced
by using the Linde AOD process. By the end of 1977, just ten years later,
approximately 75 to 80% of U.S. stainless production will be made
using this process. Most of this production will be wrought products, of
course, but it has been found that the AOD method can be economically successful in the foundry as well.
Before going too deeply into the use of the vessel, AOD should be
described. AOD stands for argon/oxygen/decarburization which basi-

128

cally describes the process. It is the decarburization of metal through

the use of oxygen with argon or some other inert gas. The refining
process is carried out in vessels similar to Bessemer converters by
blowing the oxygen-inert gas mixture into the molten bath through submerged tuyeres located in the lower sides of the vessel. While the main
charge that goes into the vessel must be melted in some other furnace
before processing in the AOD up to 30% cold charge can be added to
the vessel without significantly changing the refining efficiency.
The process is based upon the thermodynamic equation for the oxidation of carbon in the presence of chromium:

Cr3O4

+ 4C = 3Cr + 4CO(g)
(aCr)3 (PCO)4
K=
(aCr3O4) (aC)4

This formula shows that for any given temperature, the partial pressure
of CO must be reduced in order to maximize the Cr to C ratio. Lowering
the PCO can b e done by mixing a gas that is preferably inert with the
CO. This is what is done in the AOD. In the arc furnace this injection of
an inert gas to lower the partial pressure of CO is not possible due to the
shape of the bath and the economics of injection through a submerged
tuyere which is necessary. Therefore, in the arc furnace in order to reduce carbon to very low levels, it is necessary to have low levels of
chromium. After decarburization the chromium must be built up using
low carbon chromium at a premium price.
The following procedure is used by many AOD operators.
The heat is melted down in an electric furnace and the chemistry is adjusted somewhat. The heat is tapped into a ladle, sampled, slagged,
and then transferred into the vessel. A slag is built in the vessel and a
temperature is taken. Oxygen is then injected along with argon to get
the temperature to about 3100 F. A temperature and sample are taken
at the end of this cycle. Oxygen and argon are then injected at a lower
oxygen to argon ratio for a length of time determined by the carbon of
the sample taken at the end of the first period. A still lower oxygen to
argon blowing cycle is often used at the end to reach the final aim carbon, The last cycle is sometimes not used when high tap temperatures
are needed because of the temperature loss during this blow. The reduction mix is calculated from the beginning analysis and the total
amount of oxygen injected and added at the end of the last oxygen injection period. A temperature is taken and is adjusted by blowing argon

129

to cool or oxidizing silicon to heat up if it is needed. When the final

chemistry adjustments have been made and the temperature is correct
then the heat is tapped. Generally, it is a pretty simple operation, and
control is so good that often it is not necessary to wait for a final analysis. Figure 5 gives a summary of the basic stainless AOD process.

Casting quality often is improved by virtue of some of the inherent properties produced by the AOD process. One of the items is the way sulfur
is reduced without special steps. (Sulfurs commonly run between 0.001
and 0.007).
The AOD also naturally reduces other interstitials and traps elements.
Lead and bismuth are reduced to less than 0.001. Union Carbide claims
that most vessels run with 60 to 90 ppm finishing oxygens.

130

Summary of Advantages of AOD

1. Can use lower cost chromium

2. Improved chromium recovery

3. Reduces use of silicon
4. Improves total metal yield compared to an arc furnace

5. Produces lower sulfurs

6. Lowers gas contents in final product
7. Simplifies production of ELC grades of stainless steel

8. Increases production capacity

9. Improved metal quality

Summary of Disadvantages of AOD

1. High refractory cost somewhat offset by reduced arc furnace
cost
2. Cost of argon

The above summary shows that AOD can be a useful tool in the foundry
industry. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. With some
work even the high cost of refractory may be reduced.

LADLE DESULFURIZATION
Ladle processes can be utilized to desulfurize acid melted steels. However before ladle desulfurization can be utilized in the steel foundry, several limitations related to foundry melting must be overcome.
First, because of the relatively small ladle size in the foundry, heat-temperature losses during ladle desulfurization processes will be high relative to large steel mill size ladles. Measures such as added super heat
and better ladle preheat must be exercised to produce the proper pouring temperatures after the completion of the desulfurization operation.
Second, for acid melting, efficient means must be developed to prevent
furnace slag from entering the ladle. If this is not accomplished, efficient desulfurization will not occur.

131

Aluminum losses and altered recovery rates of other oxidizable elements must be established as a function of the desulfurization variables
employed for foundry-size heats.

Ladle Slag Processes

The thermodynamic principles of ladle slag processes are the same as
those for furnace slag processes. The ladle slag technique consists of
pouring deoxidized liquid steel into a ladle in which a high basicity slag
has been added. Some of the ladle slag processes require premelting of
the slag-this is not common. In most processes, dry slag additions are
made to the ladle while the liquid metal is being tapped into the ladle.
The energy of the liquid metal stream entering the ladle serves as the
mixing force. The dry slag mixtures normally employed for this process
generally consist of lime, spar, silica, alumina, deoxidizers such as aluminum and silicon, and fluidizers such as sodium and potassium compounds. Fig. 6 shows results for such a ladle slag operation. The actual
results obtained in the foundry will depend on the energy of the tap
stream as well as the ladle refractory. Extremely low levels of sulfur can
be obtained by the ladle slag technique if the steel and slag are mixed
by external forces such as gas bubbling or magnetic stirring. If such
forces are applied, the sulfur reduction obtained will approach the Lime
Theoretical line shown in Figure 6.
The ladle slag process can be used to desulfurize acid melted steel.
Care must be taken to exclude the acid furnace slag from the ladle.
Acid or basic lined ladles can be used for the ladle slag process. Wear
of the lining will be greater for acid lined ladles however. Also, the efficiency of sulfur removal will be less for acid lined ladles.
Because ladle slag desulfurization processes can be used for treating
acid melted steels, they have great interest to the steel founder.

Powder Injection/Wire Injection

injection of reactive metals (Ca, Mg, or rare earths) into liquid steel for
desulfurization has come to the forefront of technology in the past decade. Ultra low levels of sulfur can be obtained by this technique (less
than 0.005%).
The basis of reactive metal injection desulfurization is the chemical
combination of the reactive metal with sulfur dissolved in the liquid

132

steel. Because the reactive metals are strong deoxidizers, it is necessary to have a low oxygen level in the liquid steel before the start of the
injection process. Otherwise, the reactive metal would combine with
the dissolved oxygen and not the dissolved sulfur. Aluminum is used as
the deoxidizer to obtain the necessary low oxygen levels. Figure 7
shows the aluminum oxygen relationship in liquid steel.

133

It is also necessary to have a slag present which will hold the sulfur removed by the reactive metal. I f such a slag is not present, the metal s u l fide will be oxidized and the sulfur will return to the liquid metal.

SFSA Project
The Steel Founders' Society has recently completed Research Project
No. 123 which examined the use of the various ladle desulfurization
techniques for acid melted steel. A process has been developed which
allows simple and economical desulfurization approaching AOD levels.
Details are contained in Research Report No. 97.

REF E R E N C E S
1. C. W. Briggs, The Metallurgyof SteelCastings, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New
York, 1946.
2. V. T Popp. Technical Control of Steel Melting, AFS-CMI Course Notes, 1972.
3. A. G. E. Robiette, Electric Melting Practice, Halsted Press Division, John Wiley &
Sons, New York, 1972.
4. C. E Sims, Ed., Electric Furnace Steelmaking, Vol. 1, Interscience Publishers,
New York, 1962.
5. C. Bodsworth, Physical Chemistry of lron and Steel Manufacture, Longmans,
London, 1963.
6. T. A. Cosh, and R . J. Sarjant, "Basic Principles Applicable to Steelmaking in
Founding Practice", Foundry Trade Journal, Sept. 6, 1956.
7. K. J. Filar, J. P Bartos, and G. H.Geiger, "Chromium Recovery During the Manufacturing of Stainless Steel", Journal Of Metals, Vol. 20, May, 1968.
8. K. Knaggs, "Oxygen Injection in Foundry Steelmaking Practice", Journal Of
Steel Castings Research, No. 12, Sept. 1958.
9. R. E. Gray and G. D. Crockett, "Carbon and Manganese Control-Basic Melting", Electric Furnace Proceedings, Vol. 27, 1969.
10. J. K. Pargeter and D. K. Faurschou, "Direct Oxygen Determination in Commercial Steelmaking Practice", Electric Furnace Proceedings, Vol. 26, 1968.
11. M. C. Stephens and D J. Genung, "The Relationship of Melting Practice to Mechanical Properties", Electric Furnace Proceedings, Vol. 24, 1966.
12. W. J. Downey, "Temperature Control Throughout Melting and Pouring", Electric
Furnace Proceedings, Vol. 24, 1966.
13. C. W. Sundberg, "Ladle Additions of Alloys", Electric Furnace Proceedings, Vol.
24, 1966.
14. C. W. Briggs, "Desulfurization Prior to the Boil". Electric Furnace Proceedings,
Vol. 24, 7966.
15. V. J. Obrig and G. R. McDaniel, "Alloy Additions in the Furnace vs. The Ladle",
Electric Furnace Proceedings, Vol. 23, 1965.
16. A. L. Ascik, "ASecond Look at Oxygen Blow in Melting Stainless Steel", Electric
Furnace Proceedings, Vol. 23, 1965.
17. S. W. House, R. E. Gray, and G. D. Crockett, "Basic Electric-Furnace Melting of
Stainless Steel", Electric Furnace Proceedings, Vol. 23, 1965.

134

18. I. W. Sharp, "Some Quality Aspects of Steel for Castings", Electric Furnace Proceedings, Vol. 22, 1964.
19. R. Carlson, "Melting Modified 4330 Steel", Electric Furnace Proceedings, Vol.
22, 1964.
20. B. P.Barnsley and D.S.Thornton, J.I.S.I., Vol. 202, Part 9, Sept. 1964.
21. A. Jackson, Oxygen Steelmaking for Steelmakers, George Newnes Ltd., London,
1964.
22. C. E. Sims and F. B. Dable, Transactions of the American Foundrymen's Association, 1938.
23. H. M. Kuhn, "Electric-arc Furnace Steelmaking Practice with regard to Special
Steelfoundry Problems", Foundry Trade Journal, Jan. 20, 1972.
24. G. A. Lillieqvist, Electric Furnace Proceedings, 1948.
25. D. C. Hilty and V. T. Popp, "Improving the Influence of Calcium on Inclusion Control", Electric Furnace Proceedings, 1967.
26. T. Ototani and Y. Kataura, "Deoxidation and Desulfurization of Liquid Steel with
Calcium Complex Alloys", AFS Transactions, 1973.
27. R. A. Flinn and L. H. Van Vlack, "Deoxidation Defects in Steel Castings", AFS
Transactions, 1959.
28. E. J. Dunn, Jr., "Cast Steel Deoxidation toVacuum Melted Levelswithout Vacuum
Processing", Modern Casting, December, 1962.
29. A. McLean, "Nitrogen in Steel", AlME Course Notes, 1972.
30. N. M. Chuiko, et al, "Behavior of Hydrogen and Nitrogen in Steels During Smelting in Acid and Alkaline Electric Furnaces", Gases in Cast Metals, B. B. Gulyaev,
Ed., Consultants Bureau, New York, 1965.
31. B. B. Gulyaev and Yu. P. Solntsev, "Hydrogen in Liquid Steel", Gases in Cast
Metals, B. B. Gulyaev, Ed., Consultants Bureau, New York, 1965.
32. F. Chen and J. Keverian, "Effect of Nitrogen on Subsurface Pinholes in Steel Castings", AFS Transactions, 1966.
33. Yu. A. Evstratov and M.F. Galkin, "Gases in Low-Carbon Casting Steels", Gases
in Cast Metals, B. B.Gulyaev, Ed., Consultants Bureau, New York, 1965.
34. V. Kuhn and P. Detrez, "Nitrogen in Cast Steel", AFS Transactions, 1962.
35. L. W. Berens and H. G. Feldhus, "Influence of Charge and Slag on Life of Refractory Lining in the Induction Furnace for Melting lron and Steel", AFS Cast Metals
Research Journal, American Foundrymen's Society, Des Plaines, Illinois, 1968.
36. T. J. Steffora, "Metallurgical Aspects of Ferrous Induction Melting", Proceedings
of the Brown Boveri 1967 Furnace Conference, Toronto, 1967.
37. L. J. Venne and C. Oldfather, "Stainless Steel Castings Produced in an AOD",
Steel Foundry Facts, No. 318, Jan. 1977, p. 9.
38. G. T. Campbell, "Review of Sulfur Removal Principles-Foundry Application of
Ladle Desulfurization", Steel Foundry Facts, No. 345, March 1981-1, p. 35.
39. W G. Wilson and A. McLean, Desulfurization of lron and Steel and Sulfide Shape
Control, The lron and Steel Society of AIME, 1980.
40. J. M. Svoboda, "Ladle Desulfurization of Acid Melted Steel", Proceedings 39th
Annual T & O Conference, Steel Founders' Society of America, Des Plaines,
1983.
41. J. M. Svoboda, Physical Chemistry of Ferrous Melting, AFS/CMI, Des Plaines,
1975.
42. J. M. Svoboda, Electric Melting Technology-Vol. 1 Induction Melting, AFS/CMI,
Des Plaines, 1973.
43. J. M. Svoboda, Electric Melting Technology-Vol. 3 Arc Melting of Cast Steel,
AFS/CMI, Des Plaines, 1973.

135

44. W. J. Jackson and M. W. Hubbard, Steelmaking for Steel Founders, SCRATA,

Sheffield, 1979.
45. R. W. Zillman and E. M. Gall, Eds., Steel Foundry Melting Practice, Steel
Founders' Society of America, Rocky River, OH, 1973.

APPENDIX-METALLURGICAL CHEMISTRY
The purpose of this appendix is to provide the interested reader with a
basic understanding of the metallurgical chemistry involved in the production of steel for foundry applications. The step-by-step procedures
of steel production have been covered in the body of the paper, and
while an understanding of metallurgical chemistry is not essential for
production purposes, the author feels strongly that understanding what
is happening in the furnace is useful in diagnosing the causes when
problems occur.
For purposes of this discussion, the term metallurgical chemistry encompasses the disciplines of thermodynamics, kinetics, and transport
phenomena.

Introduction
All matter possesses a certain amount of energy which is divided between bond energies between the atoms or molecules, and atomic or
molecular vibrations. We have no way to measure the absolute amount
of energy in the material, however, we can determine the change in energy from one state to another. The units of energy can be either calories, or British Thermal Units (BTU's).All chemical reactions either absorb or liberate heat. If they liberate heat, they are called exothermic. If,
on the other hand, they absorb heat, they are called endothermic. The
energy change. . . written AE , . is positive if heat must be added, and
negative if heat is given off.
For example:
,

CH4 (g) + 2O2 (g) = CO2 (g) + 2H2O (1)

E298 = -21 1,600 cal/mole

This means that 21 1,600 calories are given off when one molecular
weight of methane reacts with oxygen at 298K to form carbon dioxide
and water.
136

This also implies the consumption of the following amounts of materials:

16.04 Ibs. of Methane (one Ib. molecular weight)

64.00 Ibs. of Oxygen (two Ibs. molecular weight)
and the formation of:

44.01 Ibs. of carbon dioxide (one Ib. molecular weight)

36.03 Ibs. of water (two Ibs. molecular weight)

Heat and Enthalpy

Heat is a measurement of the energy in the system. The symbol used is
H and the relationship with the pressure and volume of the system is:
H=E+pv
Again-since we cannot measure absolute quantities of H,we use
values of H relative to some reference temperature such as 25C
(298K) which are known and tabulated in the literature. Examples are
given in Table A-I. Thus H = E + (pv)

For example:
for iron (H,,,.,

- H,.)

13,910 cal. for solid

17,610 cal. for liquid
This is the quantity of heat required to raise one mole (55.85 grams)
from 298K to 1800K. The difference (17,610 - 13,910 = 3700 cal.)
is the amount of heat required to melt the iron at its melting temperature
at constant temperature . . . i.e., the latent heat of fusion. In other
words, it takes 13,910 cal. to raise the iron to its melting temperature,
and another 3700 cal. to melt it.

Heat Capacity
The amount of heat required to raise one gram mole of the material one
degree C is called the heat capacity, Cp. Heat Capacity usually in137

creases with increasing temperature so that, for example, it requires

more heat to go from 500 to 510 than from 100to 110 A convenient method to record this information is in the form:

Cp = a + bT-CT-2
where T = absolute temperature
a, b, c, = constants for a given material
Therefore, to raise an amount of material from a temperature of T1, to a
temperature of T2, a quantity of heat (Q) is required as follows:

Q = H2 - H1 = Cp(T2- T1)

This holds true only if Cp is constant between T1 and T2. If Cp is not constant, it becomes necessary to integrate the expression between T1 and
T2:
T2
b
1 1
Q = H2 - H1 = Cp dT = a (T2 - T1) + ---- (T22 - T2 ) + C( ---- - ----- )
1
2
T2 T1
T1

Generally it is easier to use tabulated data, such as presented in Table

A-11.

Heat of Reaction
It was stated earlier that the energy (heat) representing the state of the
material may be stated as follows:

H = E + (pv)

For most metallurgical processes, the change in the pressure-volume

term, (pv) is negligibly small and may be disregarded. This is not true,
of course, for reactions involving gases where:
(pv) = nRT
where n = number of moles of gas
R = Universal Gas Constant
T = Absolute Temperature
The "Heat of Formation" (H) is the heat absorbed or evolved in the formation of one mole of the substance from its elements. If heat is
evolved, H is negative.
139

For example:

H = - 94,052 cal/mole

C+O2 = CO2

Heats of reaction may be easily calculated from the heats of formation

140

of the products and reactants.

HRxN = HProducts - HReactants

Example:
CH4 (g)

- 17,890

2 O2 (g)
0

CO 2(g)

- 94,052

2H2O(1)
2(-68,318)

H = {( - 94,052) + 2( - 68,318)) - { (- 17,890) + (O)}

= - 212,798 calories

Often we wish to know the heat of reaction at some high temperature

when we know it at some lower temperature. We can correct for the
temperature difference by applying the correction factor of Cp T
Thus:
H2 = H1 + Cp (T2 - T1)

Entropy
Remember that as the temperature of a material increases, more energy is tied up in molecular motion and is not available for doing useful
work. This thermal or bound energy is determined by two quantities . . .
temperature (T) and Entropy (S). The bound energy = TS or TS. The
units are cal/deg/mole. S quantities are also tabulated in the literature. (Table A-1)
For phase transformations (not chemical reactions) such as melting-

S = Qrev
____ where Q = heat of fusion, etc.
T

Free Energy
When the "bound" energy discussed above is subtracted from the total
energy, the balance is called the "free energy." Again . . . only energy
changes are known, so:

G= H -T S

( G is sometimes written as F)
The free energy is the driving force for the reaction to occur in the direction it is written. When G is negative the tendency is for the reaction to

141

occur, and the larger the numerical value of G, the greater the tendency to occur.
For example:

Ca CO3(s) CaO(s) + CO2(g)

at 77F G = +31,260 cal. at 1 atm CO2
The reaction does not occur. However at 1830F; G = - 4,000 cal.,
and the reaction does occur.

Equilibrium
Equilibrium is defined as the condition where G = O and there is no
tendency to go either way with the reaction. Stated another way, when
the free energies of the reactants equal the free energies of the products, we are at a state of equilibrium.
For example:

FeO (in slag) + Mn = MnO (in slag) + Fe

G = (GMnO+ GFe - (GFeO + GMn) = O at equilibrium

Rate of Reaction
The rate of reaction depends on the amounts of materials on both sides.

k1 { (FeO) x (Mn) } = k2 { (MnO) x (Fe) }

(FeO)(Mn)=___
k2
= K (equilibrium constant)
(MnO)(Fe) k1
The amount of material shown is the chemical activity of the material.
Essentially pure materials have an activity of unity. When the chemical
activity is equal to its percentage or mole fraction or pressure, then
these values can be substituted for activity.
Thus:
K=

(AMnO x (AFe1)
AFeO x AMN

K=

(% MnO)
(% FeO x (% Mn)
142

Temperature effects the free energy change as follows:

G= -RT In K
Where: R = Universal Gas Constant
T = Absolute Temperature
K = Equilibrium Constant

Up to this point we have been talking about the free energy change at
equilibrium, the "standard free energy change" G. When we apply
a correction for temperature, we get:

G = G + RT In Q
where G = "actual free energy change."
Q has the same form as K, but describes actual conditions. Thus, at
equilibrium Q = K and G= G = O.

Data for calculating G are given in Table A-III and Figure A-1.

Oxidizing Reactions
As discussed in previous sections, we find that the oxidation of the silicon, manganese, and carbon is governed by the free energy at the temperature of interest.
Silicon is oxidized first at lower temperatures and is essentially completely removed. Manganese is also removed and levels off at low
value. As temperature increases, the carbon oxidation reaction is favored and carbon is removed as carbon monoxide.

Carbon Boil
The carbon boil is essential to the proper control of carbon content and
removal of hydrogen and nitrogen in the direct arc processes. We intentionally supply oxygen to produce the reaction:

C+O CO(g)
The carbon monoxide bubbles out of the bath, and hydrogen and nitrogen diffuse to the CO bubbles and are removed.

Oxygen is introduced as gaseous oxygen, usually through a submerged

lance.

143

There are two types of bubble nucleation . . . homogeneous and heterogeneous. Homogeneous nucleation, or spontaneous nucleation, re.
quires that the partial pressure of CO2 be equal to the atmospheric pressure plus the ferrostatic pressure plus the energy of formation of the
bubble. Usually this value is too high to overcome and we do not get homogeneous nucleation.
Heterogeneous nucleation refers to nucleation at a small crack in the
refractory. These conditions favor bubble formation due to the lower energy which must be overcome.

A classic experiment illustrates this point. When iron was melted in a

completely glazed crucible, and was supersaturated with carbon and
oxygen, no carbon boil occurred. However, when the side of the crucible was scratched to give a site for bubble nucleation, a violent boil occurred.

Mn & Si Reactions
As discussed previously, both manganese and silicon are lost during the
oxygen blow with a subsequent evolution of heat. Silicon is preferentially oxidized in the early stages of refining when temperature is lower
and carbon content higher. This reaction may be written as follows:

Si + 2O = SiO2(s)
G = -129,400 + 48.44 cal/mole
K=

Q O
-----Si-----2
(Si)(O)2

at 1600C- K = 30,000
thus - if (O)= 0.015% (0.40%C)
then (Si) = 0.15%
Manganese also oxidizes and distributes between metal and slag in a
ratio approximately proportional to:

(%MnO)(Slag)
( %FeO) (Slag)

(When slag V ratio is above 2.2)

Thus, an increase in (FeO)causes an increase in (MnO) in the slag, and

a subsequent reduction of residual manganese in the bath. As the tem-

144

perature increases, the equilibrium shifts to cause some reversion of

manganese back into the metal toward the end of the heat
We are principally concerned with manganese and silicon as deoxidizing materials This will be covered later in the text

Chromium Reactions

Chromium is oxidized according to the reaction

2Cr + 3/2O2 = Cr2O3
During the blow, we observe the reactions

3CO + 2Cr =Cr2O3 +3C

Equilibrium (G = O) occurs at 1220C (2228F)
and K =

Q C r 2 O 3 x Q C3
2
QCr

x Pc3 O

=1

To conserve chrome (that I S to avoid oxidation) we must operate under

conditions such that K is much less than 1 We do this by operating at
temperatures much greater than 1220C (2228F) We also wish to use
a high blow rate to minimize chromium loss The rise in temperature depends on the rate of oxidation and the rate of heat loss

Other Elements
Many other elements are found in the bath occurring because of either
intentional addition or as tramp elements in the scrap Some of these
are detrimental to engineering properties and scrap must be carefully
controlled Some are very difficult to remove because they are not
readily oxidized Examples are nickel, cobalt, molybdenum and copper
Copper for example
at 1600C

G = +3000

Cu + 1/2 O2 = CuO
while at 1600C,

G = -34,781

Fe + 1/2 O2 = FeO
thus the oxidation of iron occurs

145

Carbon is removed in accordance with the carbon-oxygen equilibrium

relationship. At 1600C:

C x O 2.0 x 10-3
In actual practice, we only approach equilibrium, and the observed oxygen values are somewhat higher. The limiting factor is a mass transport
process. For the reaction to proceed, a bubble must be nucleated and
then grow.

146

BEHAVIOR OF PHOSPHORUS
Phosphorus in general is undesirable in steel but its removal is complicated because of the similarity in affinity of P and Fe for oxygen (Figure
A-2). P transfer from the metal to the slag during refining can be considered as follows:

2[P] + 5[O]+ 3(CaO) = (3CaO P2O5)

To prevent excessive iron loss by oxidation a highly basic slag is required. During refining with a basic slag, the P2O5 line in Figure A-2 shifts
downwards to a more stable location below the FeO line, thus favoring
the oxidation of P rather than Fe. It can also be seen from Figure A-2
that the oxide stability increases with decreasing temperature and thus
lower temperatures will favor dephosphorization.
The equilibrium constant for reaction is given by

K= (a3CaO P2O5)
[ap]2[ao]5[aCaO]3
i.e.

(a3CaO P2O5)
[ap]2

148

=K [ao]5 (aCaO)3

Consideration of this expression indicates that dephosphorization is favored by:

(i) An increase in K, i.e. lower temperatures
(ii) An increase in activity of the oxygen in the metal, i.e. more oxidizing
conditions and this is related to the FeO content of the slag.
(iii) An increase in (aCaO) i.e. greater slag basicity, and this is related to
high CaO/SiO2 ratios.
Factors (ii) and (iii) are inter-related and this is illustrated by Figures A-3
and A-4. For a given slag bulk there is a limitation to the total amount of
(FeO + CaO) which the slag can contain. Thus when the % FeO is
high, the % CaO is low and when the % CaO is high, the % FeO is low.
Expressing the slag basicity in terms of the CaO/SiO2 ratio, and plotting
the slag/metal P ratio as a function of wt % FeO in the slag, it can be
seen that there is an optimum FeO content of about 15%.
For FeO contents below 15%, conditions are not sufficiently reducing,
i.e.the activity of the oxygen in the metal is too low.
149

For FeO contents above 15%, the amount of lime present becomes too
small for effective dephosphorization.
In refining, high P charges, (above about 0.2% P), may require the use
of two or more slags involving lime injection, the addition of fluorspar
(CaF2), bauxite (Al2O3), or other fluxes to promote early slag formation.
Under these conditions the first slag formed will be rich in CaO and P2O5
but low in FeO, (about 5%). The final slag, however, will be high in FeO
and this may be retained in the furnace to form the basis for the first
slag during the next heat.

Rephosphorization or Phosphorus Reversion

Consideration of the expressions shown previously indicate that P may
return to the metal from the slag under two conditions:

(i) When the activity of the oxygen in the metal is reduced by deoxidation, and

(ii) When the activity of the CaO in the ladle slag is reduced by
pick-up of SiO2 from the refractories (Figure A-4).
150

In such instances the P content of the metal in the ladle can increase
during the casting process and the P concentration in the last metal to
be poured could exceed specification. For this reason there should be
sufficient free lime present in the ladle slag to counteract the increase
in SiO2. It has been found that P reversion does not occur when ladles
are lined with basic refractories.

The Sulfur Problem

With a few exceptions sulfur is considered undesirable in steel and
there is an increasing demand for steels with lower and lower sulfur
levels. Problems associated with sulfur are due mainly to the harmful effect of sulfide inclusions. For many steel grades the maximum sulfur
level is now 0.02 or even 0.01 %.
Sulfur transfer from the metal to the slag may be represented by the reaction:

[S] + (CaO) (Cas) + [O]

for which,
k =
i.e.
i.e.

(aCaS)
---------------[aS]
(a
[aS)

[aO ]
--------------------(aCaO)
K(a )
[aCaO]

CaO
CaS)
= -

(NCaS)
K(CaO)(NCaO)
=
[wt %S]
(CaS)(wt %O)

Consideration of expression (S-2) indicates that desulfurization is favored by:

(i) An increase in ycaO
and/or NCao,
i.e. an increased basicity.

(ii) An increase in as, (Figure A-5). In hot metal containing about 4%C
and 1 %Si, as is about 5. During refining as C and Si are gradually
removed, as decreases to about unity. This means that sulfur is
about five times more active in hot metal than it would be in steel at
the end of refining.
(iii) A decrease in yeas. This is achieved with a basic slag which has a
greater capacity for sulfur absorption than an acid slag.

151

(iv) A decrease in a. In hot metal a is less than 0.01 whereas at the

end of refining when the steel is highly oxidized, a is close to unity.

(v) A decrease in [wt % 0] in contrast to P,S transter to the slag is favored by a low (FeO)content. It is for this reason that low S levels
are obtained with steels made under reducing conditions in the
electric arc furnace.
The effects of slag basicity and the strong influence of iron oxide on the
S distribution ratio are shown in Figure A-6. From this diagram it is clear
that desulfurization is most readily accomplished either in the blast furnace or between the blast furnace and the steelmaking unit, (external
desulfurization), while the C and Si are still high and the FeO content of
the slag is still low. In the arc furnaces S transfer is favored during the
early stages of refining by a fluid. basic slag, low in FeO

Sulfur Reversion
Consideration of reaction (S-1) indicates that S may transfer back to the
metal phase towards the end of a heat when the oxygen content of the

152

metal, and also the slag, is increasing. Where particularly low sulfurs
are required, less than 0.01, a two-slag practice may be necessary in
the steelmaking unit.

Summary
This brief introduction has presented some of the basic concepts of
metallurgical chemistry. The practical applications of these concepts
will be presented in the following chapters.

REFERENCES
1. C. Bodsworth, Physical Chemistry of lron and Steel Manufacture, Longrnans,
Green and Co. Ltd., London, 1963.
2. John D. Sharp, Elements of Steelmaking Practice, Pergamon Press Ltd., London,
1964.
3. A. Jackson, Oxygen Steelmaking for Steelmakers, George Newnes Ltd., London,
1964.
4. R. A. Flinn, Fundamentals of MetalCasting, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company
Inc.. Reading, Massachusetts, 1963.

153

5. C. W. Briggs, The Metallurgy of Steel Castings, McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc., 1946.
6. R. W. Heine, C. R. Loper, Jr. and P. C. Rosenthal, Principles of Metal Casting, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.,New York, 1967.
7. B. B.Gulyaev, Ed., Gases in Cast Metals, Consultants Bureau, New York, 1965.
8. Physical Chemistry of Process Metallurgy: Parts I & II, lnterscience (AIME), New
York, 1961.
9. J. F. Elliott, Ed., Steelmaking: The Chipman Conference, M.I.T Press, Cambridge,
Massachusetts, 1965.
10. W.J.B. Chater and J.L. Harrison, Eds., Recent Advances with Oxygen in lron and
Steelmaking, Butterworth, Inc., Washington, 1964.
11. L. S. Darken and R. W. Gurry, Physical Chemistry of Metals, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, 1953.
12. R. B. Bird, W. E. Stewart and E. N. Lightfoot. Transport Phenomena, John Wiley, New
York, 1960.
13. J. Mackowiak, Physical Chemistry for Metallurgists, American Elsevier Publishing
Company, Inc., New York, 1966.
14. G. Derge, Ed., Basic Open Hearth Steelmaking, AIME, New York, 1964.
15. Electric Furnace Steelmaking, Vol. 1 & 2, AIME, New York, 1963.
16. The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel, U.S.Steel Corporation, Pittsburgh, 1964.
17. R. G. Ward, An lntroduction to the Physical Chemistry of lron and Steelmaking,
Edward Arnold Publishers, Ltd., London, 1962.
18. A. I. Veinik, Thermodynamics for the Foundryman, Maclaren &Sons Ltd., London,
1968 (From Russian).

154

LECTURE V

Heat Treatment of Steel Castings

Written by Raymond W. Monroe
Research Manager
Steel Founders Society of America
Des Plaines, Illinois
Presented by Dr. Gordon Geiger
Director of Technology
North Star Steel Company
Minneapolis, Minnesota

ABSTRACT
The properties of steel castings are attained by the interaction of casting shape, composition and heat treatment. Heat treatment can be effectively used to obtain a wide variation of desired properties using approximately the same composition. The flexibility available in heat
treatment can also lead to unacceptably wide variations. Therefore,
process control is very necessary to give reproducibly good properties.
Heat treatment, when used effectively and marketed correctly, can be
used to give castings excellent properties. Foundries should see heat
treatment as an opportunity to meet customer and service demands by
uniform good properties. Quality Assurance could make this area a
place for serious improvement in the foundry process.

HEAT TREATING PROCESSES

A number of heat treating processes are used in the treatment of steel
castings including some recently developed methods. Normally applied
to carbon and low alloy steels are normalizing, quenching, and tempering. Also used in special situations are annealing, intercritical heat
treatment, martempering, austempering, aging or carburizing. Nitriding
is not generally applied to cast steel parts. Stainless alloys have special
155

heat treatment cycles, primarily solution treating. Also used are aging
and stabilization treatments.

Normalizing consists of austenitizing followed by air cooling and is intended to overcome the wide variety of microstructures affected by
mold and shakeout cooling. In plain carbon and low alloy steels, the predominant normalized structure is pearlite with variable amounts of ferrite. Fine pearlite provides the strength and ductility required for many
applications and therefore, many castings are used in the normalized
condition. A normalize followed by tempering is used to give good elevated temperature properties, ie., creep resistance and is used for the
Cr-Mo steel types. Normalizing is also used as a term for heat treating
martensitic stainless steels such as CA15 or CA6NM even though a
martensitic structure is obtained.
The important factors influencing strength in the cast ferritic-pearlitic
steels that are normalized are grain size, carbon content, i.e. pearlite
amount, pearlite spacing and solid solution strengthening, i.e. alloy content. Figure 1 shows the relative contributions of carbon content, grain
size, and solid solution strengthening in a carbon steel. Increasing the
carbon increases the amount of pearlite, approximately .01 % carbon
increases pearlite 1 % . Manganese increases the strength of C-Mn
steels by solid solution strengthening. Toughness in normalized and
tempered materials is attained by low carbon steels strengthened by
fine grain size and solid solution strengthening. As the strength of the

156

normalized or normalized and tempered steels increase the ductility

and toughness decrease, as shown in Figure 2. Each 1 % pearlite increase, increases the transition temperature 3.5F:
Normalizing at high temperatures or for long times does not seem to increase or improve properties. Normalizing prior to quench and temper
does not seem to improve properties but may improve toughness, especially in heavy sections. Long time normalizing has also been called
homogenizing but carbon and nitrogen are the only elements that are
substantially redistributed during the procedure.
Alloy elements do effect the temperature required for normalizing
which is usually done 100 to 150F over the Ac3 temperature. Table I
lists Ac1 and Ac3 for various cast carbon and low alloy steels. They can
also be estimated from the chemistry with the regression equations:
Ac3(C) = 910
Mo + 13.1 W

203-

- 15.2 Ni + 44.7 Si + 104 V + 31.5

(1)

Ac1(C) = 723 - 20.7 Mn - 16.9 Ni + 29.1 Si + 16.9 Cr + 290

As + 6.38 W
(2)

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The temperature of 1650 to 1750F is generally used for normalizing

cast steel materials. If the normalizing temperature is low, close to the
Ac3, then it takes a long time to dissolve carbides and allow diffusion to
minimize carbon segregation. If the normalizing temperature is too
high, then the grain size of the austenite will grow which will decrease
strength, toughness and ductility. Aluminum deoxidation prevents grain
growth so that temperatures above 1850F are needed to cause excessive grain growth in aluminum deoxidized steels.
Normalizing is completed by air cooling the parts to form a fine grain
size with a fine pearlite spacing for good strength and ductility Sometimes forced air cooling is supplied in order to attain the properties
required.

Quenching is used to develop higher mechanical properties than attainable with normalizing, above 100,000 psi tensile strength. Quenching
also improves the toughness of low alloy steels at any strength level,
and benefits even plain carbon steels by producing finer pearlite. Severe quenching of nonhardenable alloys is used to produce a surface
compressive layer and is used by some industrial equipment manufacturers to increase the fatigue life of components. However, tempered
martensite is the microstructure generally sought for combined
strength and toughness, and it is attained with various combinations of
158

alloy content and cooling rate. Quenching consists of austenitizing followed by a rapid cooling to form martensite. Through-hardening is a
function of section size, quenching and composition. Understanding
the relationships between these three factors is essential to the proper
heat treatment of cast steels.
Hardenability is a measure of the effectiveness of a steel composition
to avoid forming pearlite, ferrite, or bainite and form martensite instead.
Hardness is the resistance to penetration, and is measured by a Brinell
or Rockwell test. Carbon content is the single most determining factor
limiting the hardness of a carbon or low alloy steel. Carbon content of
an alloy must be adequate to allow sufficient strength and hardness
after tempering as shown in Figures 3 and 4 and Table II.

159

All of the other alloy elements make it easier to form martensite, especially in heavier sections. The largest section bar that can be throughhardened by the fastest theoretical cooling rate is given by:
DI = (Carbon-grain size) * F M N * F,, * F N, * F, *

FMo

...

The factors for the various alloying elements are given in Table Ill. Increasing the hardenability will allow heavier sections to be throughhardened or a slower cooling rate to be used.
The Jominy test is used to measure the hardenability of a given steel
and is a standard test ASTM A255. In this test, a one inch bar is austenitizedand then one end is quenched. This results in a wide variety of

160

quench rates from the high rate at the quenched end to a slow cooling
rate at the other end. After quenching, a flat is carefully ground on one
side and the hardness measured in 1/16" intervals. Typical results are
shown in Figure 5. Any particular hardness is associated with a cooling
rate. The further from the quenched end the steel retains the high hardness, the higher is the hardenability. Hardness refers to the actual hardness measurement, but hardenability is the ability to attain the high
hardness at slower cooling rates. The Jominy curve can be estimated
from the equations in Table IV.
The hardness at J = 1 is equal to the maximum hardness for the carbon content of interest. This hardness is divided by DF to obtain the remainder of the estimated Jominy curve. The Jominy test is only valid for
D I less than 6.6 inches. If the DI is greater than that, the one inch bar
will air harden and no meaningful Jorniny curve will be found.
Very hardenable alloys must use something other than DI or Jominy
curves to express their transformation characteristics. A continuous
cooling transformation, (CCT) diagram allows the prediction of hardenability of large pieces made with high hardenability materials. A CCT

161

diagram for a material similar to CA15 is shown in Figure 6. Cooling

rates for the formation of various microstructures can also be estimated from:
Log (Cooling rate @700C in C/h) _
>
9.81 - (4.62C + 1.05 Mn
+ .5 Cr + .66 Mo + .54 Ni) for martensite
Log (Cooling Rate) 2 10.17 - (3.80 C + 1.07 Mn + .57 Cr +
1.58 Mo + 0.70 Ni) for bainite
Log (Cooling Rate) 5 6.36 - (.43 C + .49 Mn + .26 Cr + .38 Mo
+ 2 d-%
+ .78 Ni) for pearlite
Cooling time from the Ac3 to 500C to form various microstructures can
be estimated from:
Log (CT; seconds) 5 3.274 C + .046 Si + .626 Mn + .706 Cr +
.520 Mo + .026 Ni + .675 Cu - 1.818 for martensite
Log (CT) 5 3.288 C - ,168 Si + 1.068 Mn + 1.266 Cr + 2.087
Mo + .300 Ni + .626Cu - 1.931 for bainite
Log (CT) 2 .597 C .100 Si 1.395 Mo 1.295Cr 3.730 Mo
.395 Ni .398 Cu .869 for pearlite

162

163

164-165

Alloy compositions are selected to minimize cost while still meeting

properties and higher alloy contents are needed as the cooling rate in a
part decreases.
The cooling rate depends on the type of quenchant, quenchant temperature, and quenchant agitation interacting with part shape. In furnace
cooling the quenchant is hot air, which forms coarse pearlite and is
called annealing. Cooling in air forms fine pearlite and is called normalizing. Liquid cooling, using water; oil, etc., can form martensite and is
known as quenching.
The section size and cooling media are the determining factors in the
cooling rate achieved. The quenchant and section size of a quenched
part are expressed as an equivalent Jominy Distance in Table V: The
Quench Severity "H" is a measure of the quench bath performance.
The information from this table can be extended to other shapes using
Figure 7.
For a given part, the type of quenchant is the single biggest determining
factor for cooling rate. Quenchants include saltwater; water, polymerwater, and oil, ranked from the fastest to the slowest. Salt-water is corrosive and is not generally used. Water is the fastest commonly used
quenchant. Polymer-water solutions have become increasingly popular
because they are slower than water, avoiding cracks and warpage, and
faster than oil, allowing greater hardening without smoke or the possibility of fire. Polymer-water solutions require the greatest process control to operate properly.Oil quenching gives slow uniform rates with little
problem from cracking. However, the slow cooling rate when quenching in oil requires more alloy in the steel to get through-hardening. Oil
also smokes and can catch fire.

The quenchant bath temperature is another important variable in

quenching performance. In water, but especially in polymer-water, the
bath must be maintained below 110F or the cooling rate will become
much slower-even slower than oil in some cases. With oil the bath
temperature does not affect the cooling rate much but the bath must be
kept at least 150F below the flash point to avoid a fire.
The quenchant bath agitation also has an effect on cooling rate. All
quenchants should be agitated to get the best performance. Agitation
also helps to get uniformity in the hardness profiles of all the parts. This
uniformity also reduces the tendency to warp or crack parts.

166

167

Tempering follows quenching and involves the decomposition of martensite into subtle microstructures of fine carbide dispersions. Tempering heat treatments are commonly conducted to improve toughness. However, tempering in the range 500-1050F generally does not
benefit toughness even though strength is decreased. Tempering is
also done after normalizing to improve toughness.
Both the time and temperature of the temper is important to the properties developed. Short tempering times (15-30 minutes) can generally
give the same properties at the same hardness as longer times at lower
tempering temperatures. Tempering is done at 400F to give the maximum hardness and strength and above 1050F to give the maximum
toughness and ductility. The effect of tempering on hardness is illustrated in Figure 8. Chromium and molybdenum retard the tempering of
cast steels and require longer times or higher temperatures. The effect
of alloying elements on final tempering hardness is shown in Figure 9
and 10.

168

Tempering, especially for maximum toughness, should avoid two forms

of embrittlement, one associated with 500F also known as blue brittleness or temper martensite embrittlement (TME) and the other associated with 900F also known as temper embrittlement (TE). TME is
caused by the precipitation of carbides and is avoided by having
enough alloy and carbon to avoid tempering in the 400-600F range.
TME is irreversible and only affects martensite structures.

169

TE is reversible and happens in the range of 800-1100F: TE is caused

by a segregation of solute atoms to grain boundaries. Antimony, phosphorus, arsenic, tin and manganese all increase the susceptibility of an
alloy to TE. Molybdenum decreases the susceptibility to TE. TE is worst
in martensite but can occur with bainite or even pearlite-ferrite mater-

170

ials. Tempering above 100F reverses the TE. TE is commonly known

as 885 embrittlement and causes problems in any steel with a ferritic
or martensitic structure exposed in the susceptible range including the
martensitic or ferritic stainless steels or the ferrite of the duplex austentic-ferritic stainless steels. Heavy section parts tempered above 885F
should be quenched from the temper or forced air cooled to avoid embrittlement.

Annealing is intended to soften steel for machining or cold working. Various cycles are used from slow cooling from above the Ac3 (full annealing) to prolonged tempering just below the Ac1, (sub-critical annealing).
Structurally, one seeks a relatively coarse dispersion of carbides in a
ferrite matrix. This structure produces minimum hardness and maximum ductility, but does not necessarily lead to best toughness.
It should be noted that whereas alloying elements are beneficial to
hardening, they are a decided handicap in annealing.

lntercritical Heat Treatment (ICHT) is used to improve the toughness of

low alloy steels made in large section sizes. The ICHT is performed
after quenching to achieve the most benefit. The part is heated to between the Ac1 and Ac3. This causes about half the microstructure to
convert back from martensite to austenite. This treatment is followed
by a quench and a final temper. ICHT is reported to refine the grain size
and reduce TE.
Martempering is to avoid warping and quench cracking often associated with standard heat treating practices. In martempering, the steel
is quenched to avoid forming pearlite or ferrite but is held above the Ms
temperature to allow the part to regain a uniform temperature. Then the
steel is slowly cooled to form martensite and immediately tempered.
This procedure is not often used on steel castings.
Austempering is a term used for quenching a steel to avoid ferrite and
pearlite and then isothermally transforming to produce bainite. Bainite
has good strength, better ductility and poorer toughness than martensite. This procedure is not often used.
Renewed interest in austempering has been generated by the ductile
iron industry. A high silicon, high carbon steel, when austempered,
forms bainitic ferrite, then metastable austenite which finally decomposes to ferrite and carbides. If cooled during the stage when ferrite
and austenite are present, then a unique combination of properties in-

171

cluding good strength, toughness and ductility have resulted. This

process could be applied to steel castings and might have potential for
toughness or wear resistant parts.

Aging is a treatment to cause a fine precipitate to form. It is similar to a

temper cycle. Copper containing steel can be aged to achieve maximum strength. CD-4MCu and CB-7Cu both can be aged as well as copper bearing alloy steels. Cracking and welding problems have discouraged the wide spread use of the copper bearing alloy steels. The high
alloy copper bearing steels are generally supplied in the unaged condition.
Carburizing is the addition of carbon to the surface of a part to increase
the hardness and strength of the surface while leaving the center tough
and ductile. The carbon is added by adjustment of the furnace atmosphere using methane, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. This operation is not often applied to castings by the foundry.

Solution Treating is used in stainless steels to dissolve the carbides and

allow the chromium to give the maximum corrosion resistance. The formation of chrome carbides with the loss of chromium at the grain
boundaries is called sensitization and occurs at 950-1450F: The high
alloy steels are heat treated for corrosion resistance, not to attain the
necessary mechanical properties. It is also used to eliminate molybdenum segregation especially in the nickel based materials. In general,
solution treating is done by heating the cast material above 1900F followed by quenching. If molybdenum is present then the treatment temperature must be higher to minimize segregation, about 2050 or
higher.
Stabilizing is used with the columbium containing stainless alloys. The
columbium forms a stable carbide that denies the carbon to the chromium. It is used to maintain corrosion resistance in alloys that are used
at elevated temperatures in the sensitizing area. The stabilizing treatment is applied after solution treating and is done at about 1600F to
ensure corrosion resistance. This does not eliminate the need for post
weld heat treatment since part of the heat affected zone loses its corrosion resistance during welding.
The ultimate choice of heat treatment must be selected for the properties required, service conditions considered, composition appropriate
and shape known. This will allow good engineering procedures to give

172

the highest quality product. To heat treat requires procedures that have
been certified to give the desired results.

HEAT TREATMENT PROCEDURES

Heat treatment of any material for any purpose has several elements in
common. Each cycle has a heating rate, holding time, holding temperature and cooling rate. The selection of these variables determines the
effectiveness at heat treatment.
Heating Rate is normally rapid to maximize production, minimize heating costs. The heating rate is limited by the equipment capabilities but
generally rapid heating does not cause problems. Warpage and cracking have been attributed to rapid heating. However, most warpage and
cracking occur during cooling not during heating. Additionally warpage
and cracking normally happen due to nonuniformity not actual rate.
Heating a long casting on one side can lead to warpage. Castings must
also be supported during heating in order not to warp. Indiscriminate
stacking up large heavy castings can lead to substantial warpage in the
bottom castings. Fixturing and tray loading are important in the prevention of distortion. Cracking during heat up is rare but extremely brittle
materials are an exception and may require a reduced rate of heating
or a more uniform heating to prevent cracking. The problems of distortion and cracking must be attributed to heating or cooling rates or else
long uneconomical heat up cycles can evolve which do not prevent the
problem but cost money long after the problem has been solved in
other ways.

Holding Time depends on the operation. The historical rule of thumb

was 1 hr/inch of cross section for normalizing or quenching and 2 hr/
inch for tempering once the furnace was at temperature. These rules
are old and were used when furnaces were not uniform in heating and it
was difficult to know when the whole furnace load was at temperature.
If the furnace is well designed giving uniformity of temperature, and the
temperature of the castings is monitored, then shorter times are
sufficient.
Holding times are designed to insure that all the castings are at temperature, including those in the center of the stack and that sufficient time
is allowed for dissolving the carbides.
Knowing the furnace load is at temperature requires that the furnace be

173

checked with thermocouples inbedded in castings throughout the load.

This is a direct test which assures uniformity and gives a measurement
of lag time between the furnace temperature and the casting temperature. The lag time in austenitizing or normalizing tends to be small as
shown in Figure 11 and the lag between the surface and center of the
casting is small as shown in Figure 12. Lower temperature operations,
such as tempering, have longer lag times and require longer holding
times. After the castings are at temperature in normalizing and quenching, the part should be austenitizedfor 1 hour for sections up to 2 inches
thick plus 15 min/in of cross section over 2 inches. Tempering should be
done for 2 hours for sections up to 2 inches thick plus 15 min/in. of cross
section over 2 inches.
Once a tray loading-furnace combination has been documented then
subsequent holding times can be based on experiences with additional
time added. Each heat treatment load should be evaluated by hardness
testing to insure adequate treatment. Critical items should always have
attached thermo-couples.

Holding Temperature is varied according to the type of heat treatment

174

used. The highest heat treating temperatures used are over 2200F to
try and dissolve aluminum nitride and eliminate "rock candy" from a
casting. This excessive temperature is ineffective and builds heavy oxidation scale and can lead to corners melting. Aluminum nitride embrittled castings are generally scrapped and remade since heat treating
rarely works. The next highest temperatures used are over 2050F in
the molybdenum bearing stainless steels to eliminate micro segregation. Most high temperature heat treatments are used to dissolve carbides, in the stainless steels for corrosion resistance and in the carbon

175

and alloy steels to permit subsequent hardening. The temperatures required are illustrated in Figure 13. Temperatures in excess of the minimum needed shortens the holding time needed by increasing the diffusion and insures that all carbides are dissolved. Figure 14 shows the
effect of time and temperature necessary for the complete dissolution
of carbides in various alloys. Cast materials are generally treated at
100-200F above the Ac3 and 50F above the similar wrought composition. In carbon and low alloy steels it is important to stay under 1850F
to prevent excessive grain growth. Solution treating is normally done at
1950-2150 F, austenitizing for normalizing or quenching is done at
1550-1750F. Intercritical heat treatment is done between the Ac1 and
Ac3 temperatures, normally in the middle of this range at about 1450F;
but this depends on the steel composition.Tempering is done from 4001200F, but should avoid 400-600 F temper martensite embrittlement
and 800-1000F temper embrittlement.
Cooling Rate depends on the operation and properties desired. Annealing requires a slow cooling from the austenitizing temperature. In old
brick lined furnaces this is easily accomplished by furnace cooling but
in fiber lined furnaces it sometimes requires a cool down burner cycle
176

to slow the cooling rate down. Normalizing is done by cooling in still air.
Sometimes forced air is used to achieve the necessary properties, but
air cooling is an insensitive process. Tempering is also normally air
cooled although additional toughness can be gained from quenching a
high temperature temper, above 1050F, to avoid temper embrittlement. lntercritical heat treatment requires quenching to maximize the
toughness. Quenching is also used to through-harden parts for the best
toughness and strength.
In quenching there are three stages of heat extraction, referred to as A,
B, and C Stages, associated with quenching in liquids. A temperaturetime curve obtained with a thermocouple embedded in a steel probe illustrating these stages is shown in Figure 15. Relatively slow cooling
occurs in an A Stage because a quenchant vapor blanket develops
around the part.
The highest cooling rates occur in Stage B. During this period the vapor
blanket collapses and high heat extraction rates are achieved associated with nucleate boiling on the part surface. The final C Stage of
cooling is associated with conductive and convective heat transfer into
the quenchant and is slower than B Stage cooling.
In general, more violent quenchant agitation accelerates heat removal
by limiting the duration of the vapor blanket in Stage A and improving

177

178

conductive and convective heat removal in Stages B and C. Higher

quenchant temperatures generally slow the rate of heat removal by extending the duration of the vapor blanket.
The actual cooling rates and temperature ranges associated with the
stages of cooling vary with the type of quenchant and the mass of the
parts being quenched. The highest overall cooling rates are obtained
with brine solutions, generally followed by water, synthetic quenchants,
oils, and air. There are, of course, variations in the attainable cooling
rates within particular classes of quenchants depending on the formulation and viscosity.
The actual cooling rate that can be achieved in a part is a function of the
thickness and geometry of the part, the quenchant, and the character.
istics of the quenching facility especially the bath temperature range
and extent of agitation. Once the quench severity has been estimated
the cooling rate or cooling time needed to estimate quench rate are
given in Figures 16 and 17 and in Table VI.
Water is one of the most commonly used quenchants. It has several advantages because it is readily available, cheap, not considered hazardous, and can be used to produce high cooling rates. However, its
ability to rapidly extract heat in thin sections and form a steam vapor
blanket around thicker, hotter areas can produce differential stresses
that can cause cracking. Water quenching is prone to cracking parts
with significant differences in cross-sectional area and parts containing
holes and grooves. Contamination of the quench water with sludge,
oils, and scale generally reduces the cooling rate, and contamination
with salt tends to increase the cooling rate.

Water-basedpolymer quenchants consist of high molecular weight organic compounds added to water to retard the rate of heat extraction
and reduce cracking and distortion. The advantage of polymers is that
they generally reduce the cracking tendency compared to water while
providing deeper hardening and reduce smoke and fume compared to
oil. The purchase cost of polymer quenchants is higher than oil on a per
gallon basis, but polymers are usually concentrates that are diluted with
water. Water-based polymers do require more process control over
temperature and concentration than either water or oil quenchants.
Oils can be formulated to provide a range of cooling rates, but generally
lower than those produced by water. Oils are considerably more expen-

179

180

181

sive than water on a cost per gallon basis, but more forgiving and less
prone to cause cracking or soft spots when excursions in quenchant
temperature or local variations in velocity occur. The main objections to
oil are the cost, an inability to rapidly quench parts, the surface residue
left on parts and the possibility of fires. The actual effect of temperature
and agitation are given in Table VII.
Water is found to require closer temperature and agitation control than
oil. This can be seen in the data in Table VIII.
Water-soluble polymer quenchants are capable of providing a range of
cooling rates depending on the concentration in the water, the bath temperature, and the extent of agitation. The extent of control required with

182

synthetics appears greater than that required for either water or oil. The
concentration of synthetic quenchants must be monitored and adjusted
when required.
Some general recommendations on quenching in water, oil, and polyglycol based on the laboratory results and published literature are presented in Table IX, X and XI.
Distortion and cracking during quenching limits the severity of the
quenchant and equipment that may be used. A more severe quench
produces martensite to a greater depth (with a steel of given hardenability), but it also increases the likelihood of distortion and cracking.

Distortion during quenching can be understood by remembering that:

(1) steel has a higher strength when cold than when hot, and (2) steel
shrinks while cooling and expands while hardening. Linear dimensional
changes occurring during cooling and transformation are illustrated in
Figure 18 for both slow cooling and fast quenching conditions. Quenching to form martensite results in an expansion of the material comparedto that achreved with a slow cooled pearlitc matrix. However it is
recognized that both materials contract over 1 % during cooling from
the austenite temperature, but martensitic materials have a lower net
contraction.
Warping during non-uniform cooling of a part is schematically illustrated in Figure 19 Assume that the bar in Figure 19(a) was initially at a
uniformly high temperature. If the bar were quenched on one side, as
illustrated in 19 (b), the more rapidly cooled side would contract earlier
and at a higher rate than the opposite side. Since the rapidly cooled side
becomes shorter and stronger as it cools, it causes plastic deformation
in the hot side. The deformation is followed by cooling and contraction
on the more slowly cooled side.

When the part has cooled to a uniform temperature, it will then be

warped, as illustrated in Figure 19, with the slowly cooled side being
shorter and the part being warped concave on the more slowly cooled
side. The plastic deformation on the hot side results in compressive
stresses on the rapidly cooled side and tensile stresses on the more
slowly cooled side.
Deformation can result from non-uniform thermal contraction during
quenching or the expansion associated with martensite formation or a
combination of the two. Deformation resulting from non-uniform ther-

183

184

mal contraction is illustrated in Figure 20. If a part is initially uniformly

hot, as illustrated in figure 20 (a), and is rapidly quenched, the outer surface shrinks while the center is still relatively hot. This process puts the
outer surface into tension and the inside into compression, causing
plastic flow. As the center of the part cools down and the temperature
reaches a uniformly low value, thermal contraction in the center of the
bar occurs, which reverses the stress state and places the center in
tension, as illustrated in Figure 20 (c).
The stress states associated with through-hardened 0.6 carbon steel,
0.025% carbon iron, and an 0.3% carbon steel are illustrated in Figure
21. The length and diameter changes are illustrated, as well as the
stress profiles in 1.97" bars after water quenching from 1560F.
In general, the distortion occurring during quenching depends on the
size and shape of the part, the part composition, and the characteristics of the quenchant employed. Parts with section size ratios greater
than 1 to 4; large parts with relatively thin cross sections; and parts containing slots, keyholes, drilled holes, or grooves cause problems because of the difficulty in achieving uniform cooling rates. Quench cracking is often found when water quenching parts made of steels more
hardenable than AISI 1 140.
Quench cracking results from the same stresses and becomes more
prevalent as the ideal diameter (calculated from the chemical composition or determined using a Jominy test) increases. The danger of cracking a part is at a maximum when the martensite skin thickness is about
50-60% of the cross sectional area.
Cracking is most commonly associated with non-uniform quenching.
Uniform surface compressive stresses produced by a uniform rate of

185

heat removal helps suppress cracks However, as the quench severity

increases, maintaining a uniform rate of heat extraction is more difficult The uniformity of the heat extraction rate must increase exponentially if cracks are to be avoided

HEAT TREATING CERTIFICATION

Certification implies that a procedure, that has been demonstrated to
give desirable results has been used in a consistent way to achieve a
uniform product Heat treating, like weld or nondestructive testing,
leaves no visual evidence, especially after cleaning, that it has been

186

187

188

189

190

done or that it has been done properly. Therefore, it is in the interest of

the foundry, to limit its liability and maintain a uniformly high quality
product to use certification in heat treating. The heat treat area is generally responsible for making sure that the parts conform to the properties specification. The use of a computer to check the actual chemistry
and properties against the specification can result in improvements in
quality and reliability and be used to print the final certification for the
c ust ome r.
For certification to be effective, procedures must be developed that result in reproducible compliance to customer requirements. There must
be documentation that those procedures were followed for their castings. Finally, there should be a check or audit that the required results
have been accomplished.

Procedures must be developed to achieve the desired results. Like

welding procedures, similar materials and casting types can use the
same procedures. The rate of heating is generally not a significant fea191

ture, but rate of heating and furnace loading combine to determine

when the load reaches the desired temperature. Thermocouple demonstration of the furnace load temperature response is necessary to develop holding times. Bigger furnace loads do not necessarily save
money since they require longer to achieve the desired temperature
and give variable cooling rates during cooling which causes warping,
cracking and inadequate hardness.
Another often overlooked variable is the time required from the furnace
to the quench bath. This can account for soft surfaces and variable heat
treat response. The casting load should be transported from the furnace to the quench tank in about ten seconds to achieve good uniform
quenching. Longer transfer times allow exposed areas to cool slowly
through the transformation range and form soft spots. As always consistent quality will improve productivity by avoiding reheat treatment.
Strict adherence to written procedures will give consistent results. This
will allow the application of appropriate statistical process control. The
procedures could be changed if they do not give the desired results but
constant change guided by "seat of the pants" judgements will result in
variations that are impossible to control.
Documentation must be generated that confirm that the applicable procedures were followed. Each batch or group of castings should have a
chemical analysis available before heat treatment so that the heat treater can check the carbon content and hardenability so that the heat is
within the specification limits and is suitable for heat treatment. Next,
the heat treat cycles for each load must be available for the record. In
the heat treat shop, there should be a furnace cycle chart, transfer time
to quench bath, quench bath temperatures, quench bath concentration
if using polymers, castings in each load, etc. Finally the hardness of
castings and the results of mechanical properties testing should be recorded.
Audit Procedures matches the chemistry, heat treat cycles, and resulting properties against the specification requirements and internal procedures used. This is done before issuing the customer certification
and safeguards the integrity of the foundry. If discrepancies are often
found or rework is common then there is not a high commitment to quality in the foundry. The castings were not made right the first time. Few
castings or shipments should be delayed or require rework due to this
final audit. Hopefully the final audit would be used to determine areas
for improvement of future quality, not a policeman to catch current violations.

192

REFERENCES
Basic Heat Treating
G. Kraus, Principles of Heat Treatment of Steel, ASM, 1980.
R. Honeycombe,Steel: Microstructure and Properties, ASM, 1981,
Volume 4, ASM Metals Handbook, "Heat Treating", Ninth Edition.
Quenching
R. Monroe, Special Report 17, "Steel Casting Quenching Efficiency", SFSA, 1981.
C. Bates, Research Report 95, "Evaluating the Effects of Quenching Variables on Hardening of Steel", SFSA 1984.
Certification
E. Hall and L. Ogden, "Quality Control in Heat Treatment", Steel Foundry Facts, #322,
1970.

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Lecture VI

Welding of Cast Steels

by Dr. Carl D. Lundin

lNTRODUCTION
The title of this lecture, by its nature, signifies that Cast Steels exhibit
different behavior with regard to welding than do steels in general. In
fact, cast steels do not behave significantly different than wrought
steels as far as the techniques and methods of welding are concerned.
Remember that wrought steels were once castings (ingots) and are
now commonly continuously cast to near form. Thus, some casting related considerations must be addressed in wrought products, i.e., ingotism or banding.

There are some unique aspects of cast steels which might make one
consider special treatment in welded structures, but in like manner,
wrought steels must be considered in light of their characteristics for
welded fabrication. Consider the case of lamellar tearing in steels, a
consideration in wrought materials but not in cast. In contrast, the segregation pattern and casting discontinuities (porosity and shrinkage)
possible in castings are not modified, except by heat treatment, in the
cast steels and consideration must be given to these efforts.
In a rather extensive study of The Performance of Cast and Rolled
Steels in Relation to the Problem of Brittle Fracture, Pellini et al. (1)
found that cast and wrought materials are similar as far as notch toughness is concerned provided they have received similar thermal treatments. Aside from the normal range of casting discontinuities, porosity,
shrinkage and small hot tears, castings would be expected to behave in
a given loading situation like their counterpart chemistry wrought products.

The prime consideration in the welding of carbon sfeel castings and

wrought steels is the concern for heat affected zone (HAZ) or weld
195

metal cracking due to the presence of hydrogen (Hydrogen Assisted

Cracking-HAC). Hot cracking is normally not a bothersome condition
unless the chemical composition is unusual or contamination from external sources occurs.
Thus, this presentation will deal with various aspects of HAC in cast and
wrought materials, contrasting the behavior and discussing the procedures necessary for properly constituted weldments.
This lecture is divided into three basic parts; 1) the historical perspective of cast vs. wrought steel weldability and 2) the mechanisms of HAC
in wrought and cast steels and 3) the practical and pragmatic considerations for engineering weldability.

HISTORICAL REVIEW
The use of welding in foundries came about slowly through a long period of transition from fully cast components to cast-cast and castwrought components. The literature available on the weldability of cast
steels is relatively meager.
An early study of welded structures in cast and wrought steels was performed by Bolton and Smith (2). They grouped the cast and wrought
steels tested according to their relative tendencies for martensite formation. Use of preheat prior to welding was found to give rise to
coarser grains in the heat affected zone of all the steels. However, an
interesting conclusion they drew from their limited tests was that their
wrought steels were more susceptible to grain coarsening than their
cast ones; the addition of molybdenum was found to reduce this tendency. The weldability of the steels was evaluated based on this grain
coarsening tendency from which it was concluded that cast carbon
steel with carbon contents up to 0.24% could be safely welded without
any preheat. Preheating to temperatures greater than 600F was not
recommended because excessive grain growth could occur in the
HAZ. The minimum preheat temperatures needed to avoid formation of
hard structures (martensite) in the HAZ were evaluated, although no
hardness values were given. Smith and Bolton (3) concluded that fears
regarding the weldability of aluminum deoxidized cast steels were unwarranted, and that these steels showed as good, and in many cases
better weldability than comparable wrought steels, the "weldability" being related to the tendency to form martensite in the HAZ.
Mueller et al. (4) reported that for satisfactory welding of plain carbon

196

steel castings having a maximum carbon content of 0.35% associated

with 0.60 manganese, no preheat need by used. However, they specifieda subsequent stress relief of full anneal. Preheat was specified for
the welding of Mn-Mo cast steel having a carbon content of 0.35 to
0.40% associated with 1.25 to 1.50% manganese and 0.20% molybdenum. To completely prevent cracking in the Mn-Mo steels a preheat
ranging from 300 to 600F together with a post weld heat treatment
(PWHT) at 1200F was specified. The maximum hardness in the HAZ
for a single pass and a multipass weld is shown as a function of preheat
temperature in Figure 1. The multipass weld as opposed to the single
pass weld has a beneficial effect in that it partially refines and tempers
preceding passes. Hence, preheats were seen not to have any major
effect on the maximum hardness during multipass welding. Mueller et
al. also concluded that casting stresses and segregation have no detrimental effects on weldability. It is interesting to note that no mention of
hydrogen was made in connection with the cracking observed.
Williams et al. (5) at Battelle conducted an extensive weldability study of
cast and wrought carbon-manganese steels. In the underbead cracking
test, they observed that the cast steels were less susceptible to HAC

197

than the rolled steels of similar composition. Typical underbead cracking test results are shown in Figure 2. From the results of their tests,
which plot average underbead cracking versus carbon equivalent as
given by %C+ (%Mn + %Si)/4, it is clear that the cast steels (2x, 3x,
4x) were less susceptible to cracking than wrought steels of similar carbon equivalent. This observation was made at all preheat temperatures
used. The reasons for this behavior were not explained. Furthermore,
cast steels unexpectedly exhibited a higher underbead hardness and a
lower bend angle than wrought steels of the same carbon equivalent,
thus illustrating the danger of using hardness alone to predict crack
sensitivity.
The beneficial effects of preheat and postheat treatments were utilized
by Bland et al. (6) in welding 2Cr-1/2 Mo alloy steel (ASTM-A157,Grade
C-3A) in the shape of a tee fitting, for use with 5 in Schedule 160 piping
(ASTM-A-355, Grade P36). The welding was done by using 2 1/4Cr-1 Mo

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low hydrogen electrodes. Residual stress measurements showed that

preheat was effective in reducing residual stresses in the weld deposit.
Another interesting result obtained by them was that the heat affected
zone hardnesses of the cast alloy materials were higher than those of
similar (nominal) analysis of wrought pipe materials. This agrees with
the observations made by Williams et al. (5). However, hardnesses in
wrought or cast base metals were relatively unaffected by a 300F preheat. This js because that preheat level probably had a small effect
upon the cooling rate.

Ridal (6) has given results of extensive tests carried out on a plain carbon cast steel (B.S.592GR A - C-0.2%, Si-0.33%, Mn-0.73%) and a 1
112 Ni-Cr-Mosteel (B.S. 1459).Though the results are mainly concerned
with the mechanical properties of the welds, some useful information
regarding the preheats required to weld these steels is also given. The
recommended procedure for welding BS 592 GrA given by the
B.S.C.R.A.specifies no preheat but a post weld heat treatment (PWHT)
at 600-650C (1100-1200F) and with a note that this PWHT is not always essential. For B.S. 1459 a minimum preheat of 200C (392F) is
recommended; also PWHT is specified. For certain hardened and tempered castings, the PWHT temperature is suggested to be kept low to
maintain specific tensile strengths. However, Ridal informs that even
without using the recommended minimum preheat temperature of
200C (392F) for B.S.1459, underbead cracking was not observed in
his tests. He cautions that as restraint was absent in his test, the results
do not represent actual conditions. In any case, the situation where a
preheat of 200C (392F) is recommended, although the absence of
preheat in testing resulted in no cracking, indicates that welding specifications for castings are probably conservative.
The power industry has adopted significant cast weldment fabrication.
Whitley (8) points out that as operating temperatures increased turbine
castings changed from C-Mo steels to the 2 1/4Cr-1Mo type for service
up to 565C (1050F). A switch then took place (in Britain) to the 1Cr1Mo-V, as this was thought to have a superior creep strength. However,
this was done at the cost of weldability and increased susceptibility to
HAZ cracking during stress relief treatment after welding. The aluminum content of the steel was found to affect its stress-relief cracking
tendency. This led to an aluminum restriction of 0.03% maximum soluble content.
For the 1/2-1Cr-l/2Mo-l/4Vcast steel, Whitley reports the results of research aimed at studying the effect of trace elements on hot strength

199

and ductility of HAZ material. The results led to copper, tin and aluminum being further restricted to 0.25%, 0.20% and 0.025%, respectively. Use of zirconium and titanium as deoxidation elements was encouraged.
Wallett (9) has given typical examples of cast weldments encountered
in the power industry. Details of joint preparation, preheat, post heat
treatments are given for interceptor valve chests, reheat steam chest
assembly, low pressure casings and astern cylinders.

Wu (10) conducted synthetic HAZ studies on centrifugally cast 5%

chromium steel. He found that this steel possesses good weldability.
However, charpy specimens thermally cycled using 1800 and 2000F
as peak temperatures showed low impact strength. This was attributed
to the presence of retained austenite and high carbon martensite resulting from these thermal cycles. A post weld tempering treatment
was suggested to improve the toughness of the martensite and to decompose the austenite.
Mellili and Biron (1 1) provided suggestions on postheating and stress
relief of castings. They recommend that large and extensive welds in
low alloy steel castings be partially welded so that a intermediate subcritical tempering heat treatment can be employed. This would help to
reduce the buildup of stresses. They also stress the importance of
avoiding notches due to undercutting and overlapping prior to post weld
heat treatment. The avoidance of notches is important especially when
an intermediate, sub-critical tempering PWHT is employed. This type of
PWHT is to be employed especially on heavy section welds of large
castings which are highly restrained.
The factors which decide whether or not a casting is to be cooled from
the preheat temperature prior to PWHTare:
1. Base metal heat treatment before welding;
2. Transition temperature of base metal;

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Impact strength of base metal;

HAZ properties:
Geometry and section size of the casting;
Volume and extent of process welding;
Characteristics of the alloy steel.

Mellini and Biron identify stress relief treatments as those treatments

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which are usually conducted at sub-critical temperatures to reduce residual stresses. They also alter HAZ hardness and toughness.
The removal of residual stresses is very important as far as the dimensional stability of a casting is concerned. If such an operation is not performed, stress relaxation can occur during service which may alter the
dimensions of a casting. Stress relieving also improves brittle fracture
characteristics for service at low temperatures.
Finally, the importance of using a qualified welding procedure should
not be overlooked. As Gross (12) suggests, use of a qualification procedure which has been proven by years of experience minimizes the possibility of missing essential elements in a repair or fabrication procedure, He recommends the use of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel
Code Section IX or other standards such as ASTM A488.

COMPARATIVE WELDABILITIES OF CAST

AND WROUGHT STEELS
The earliest differences in weldability between cast and wrought steels
were reported by Williams et al. (5) and have been described earlier.
They found that cast steels were less susceptible to HAC than wrought
steels in the underbead cracking test. Linnert (1 3), however, quotes that
cast steels are more susceptible to cracking than wrought steels. CTS
tests (1 4) on cast and wrought steels of low sulfur contents (S <0.01 % )
have shown that cast steels are more crack resistant. This has been attributed to presence of voids and interdendritic shrinkage areas in cast
steels to which hydrogen can diffuse and avoid building up of high pressures. The superior resistance of cast steels to HAZ cracking has also
been reported by Short (15) and Granjon (16). However, an implant test
(an externally applied restraint test) result of Aymard and Nectoux (17)
indicates that the weldabilities of cast and equivalent wrought steels
may be the same.
In the entire extent of literature reviewed, few investigations were found
to be reported which compared the relative weldabilities of cast and
wrought steels. Only the work of Williams et al. (5) gave some definite
results in that they found cast steels were less susceptible to cracking
than equivalent wrought steels. The reasons why this difference of
weldability exists may be attributed to:
1. Porosity and microshrinkage associated with cast steels may pro-

vide 'sinks' for hydrogen;

2. The transformation behavior in the heat affected zone may be af-

201

fected by localized variations in elemental concentration which

result from segregation;

3. The globular inclusion morphology in cast steels differs from that

in wrought steels in which the inclusions are elongated. The elongated inclusions could act as crack initiators.
The work of Menon and Lundin (18) has provided the answers to the differences in the HAC cracking of cast and wrought steels. They have
suggested a consolidated mechanism to explain the phenomenological
aspects on a fundamental basis. A condensed summary of their findings is presented to bring the information in regard to the mechanism of
HAC up to date.

"Consolidated Mechanism of HAC." The most important variable with

respect to the occurrence of HAC is the microstructure in the coarse
grained HAZ. Among the different micro-constituents that can result in
the HAZ due to a weld thermal cycle, martensite is the most susceptible
to HAC. The carbon content is therefore the most important compositional variable since it has the greatest contribution to the hardenability
of the steel as well as governing the hardness of the martensite. Higher
carbon martensites are more susceptible to HAC than lower carbon
martensites, with twinned martensitic structures having the greatest
susceptibility. The increased susceptibility of as-quenched martensite
to HAC can be attributed to a limited capacity for plastic deformation
and a low fracture toughness. Further, the dislocation density in martensite is of the order of 1011 to 1012 per sq. cm. compared to 106 to 108
per sq. cm. for upper and lower bainite in steels of identical composition. This high dislocation density implies that martensite provides a
high hydrogen trapping capacity. Cracking in martensite is known to
occur in both an intergranular and transgranular manner, further, it can
occur translath, interlath or intercolony. To explain these modes of
cracking, one has to consider the role of hydrogen. In a typical welding
situation using high hydrogen electrodes (E 6010), approximately 25-30
cc of hydrogen per 100 grams (25 - 30 ppm) are present in the weld
metal. This is above the equilibrium solubility of hydrogen in liquid iron
and hence the weld metal in the liquid state is saturated with hydrogen.
However, as the weld metal solidifies, the solubility of hydrogen decreases sharply to approximately half the value in liquid iron. Hydrogen
is therefore rejected out of the weld metal into the atmosphere as well
as into the HAZ. Further rejection of hydrogen into the HAZ is aided, as
the austenite, under the fast cooling rates experienced in the HAZ,
transforms to martensite. The diffusivity of hydrogen in the BCT mar202

tensite is higher than in the austenite and hence it is able to diffuse easily through the lattice as well as via the grain boundaries. Hydrogen
atoms close to the metal surface will be able to diffuse out in a short period of time. For hydrogen diffusing into the HAZ, trapping takes place
at areas of high dislocation density (martensite, grain boundaries) or at
macroscopic areas such as inclusion/matrix interfaces and voids.
Though the specific nature of traps has not been defined, the term
"trap" includes any discontinuity in the microstructure such as grain
boundaries, precipitates, voids, dislocations and solid/solid interfaces.
Trapping has been suggested to be due to the attractive interactions between the dissolved hydrogen atoms and structural imperfections. For
hydrogen diffusing into the HAZ, as-quenched martensite offers a region of high dislocation density composed of dislocation tangles and a
large concentration of low angle boundaries. In a typical situation for
cast steels, depicted in Figure 3, in addition to areas of high dislocation
density, inclusion/matrix/interfaces can also be expected to be areas of
high hydrogen concentration. However, Type II inclusions can be expected to be more effective in trapping hydrogen than Type I or Ill since
Type II inclusions have a larger inclusion/matrix interface area than the
Type I or Ill inclusions which are "rounded" in nature. Moreover, Type II
inclusions are situated at the primary solidification grain boundaries
which further aids hydrogen trapping. Crack initiation occurs when the
hydrogen concentration reaches a critical value; the higher the stress
present, the lower the critical amount of hydrogen required, and conversely the higher the amount of hydrogen, the lower is the stress required to initiate cracking. Type II inclusions can therefore be expected
to render cast steels more susceptible to HAC than Type I or Type Ill's.

203

The greater susceptibility of high carbon martensites can be understood on the basis of the high trapping potential for hydrogen and the
high internal stress that exists within such microstructures. Crack propagation occurs until the concentration of hydrogen at the crack tip falls
below the critical value. At this stage, the crack is arrested. Based on
the above reasoning, the beneficial effect of preheating and post weld
holds can be rationalized. Preheating causes the temperature of the
weldment to remain higher for a longer time causing the hydrogen to
diffuse ahead of the arrested crack front. The hydrogen is eventually diffused out of the weldment, thus keeping the hydrogen concentration
below that required for crack initiation or propagation.
In the case of the wrought plate steels, two unique situations can be effective in altering the influence of hydrogen. When the weld is made
parallel to the rolling direction in the plane of the plate, the elongated
sulfide inclusions as well as banding (if present) are aligned parallel to
the fusion line and perpendicular to the path of the hydrogen diffusing
into the HAZ (Figure 4). The inclusion/matrix interfaces hence lie in the

204

correct aspect ratio to provide large interface regions for hydrogen

trapping. Further, inclusion asperites form ideal stress concentrators
and this enables hydrogen concentrations to be easily built up to the
critical value for crack initiation. Cracking proceeds so long as the hydrogen concentration is above the critical level. In addition, chemical
banding (which is not erased during a weld thermal cycle), provides a
region of continuous crack propagation. The association of HAC in the
HAZ with inclusions in the ferrite bands can be related to the fact that
initial precipitation of the inclusions takes place in the ferrite phase during ingot solidification and during subsequent hot working these inclusions are rolled out in the ferrite.
When the welds in the wrought steels are made in the through thickness direction (TTD),the inclusions and banding are aligned perpendicular to the fusion line, traversing from hard martensitic regions in the
coarse grained HAZ to softer nonmartensitic regions. Hydrogen can
diffuse out of the coarse grained HAZ along inclusion matrix interfaces
in a short circuiting manner. Also, chemical banding does not provide a
continuous easy path for crack propagation. (See microstructures for
wrought steel tested in the Battelle Test in two orientations in Figure 5.
Cracking occurs in the longitudinal PRD direction only.) Evans et al. (18)
have also reported lower susceptibilities in wrought steels tested TTD in
implant tests.
The mechanism of HAC presented above is based on an assumption
that some critical concentration of hydrogen has to be reached at potential sites for crack initiation. The critical concentration depends on
the nature of the potential crack site that is a hydrogen trap, its shape
and location in the lattice and the state of stress at the site. Studies (20)
have shown that elongated manganese sulfide inclusions initiate
cracks at lower hydrogen concentrations than rounded ones and that
the effect is more pronounced in bainitic-martensitic microstructures
than in ferritic-pearlitic structures.
The fracture morphologies evidenced in underbead cracking can be explained using Beachem's model (21) of hydrogen-assisted cracking.
The model proposes that hydrogen diffuses into the lattice just ahead of
the crack tip and aids whatever deformation processes the material will
allow. The deformation processes that can exist are governed by the
stress intensity at the crack tip.

In summary, a unified mechanism of HAC has been proposed for cast

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206

and wrought steels. It involves the concept of hydrogen accumulation

of critical levels at microscopic and macroscopic sites in the HAZ causing initiation and the propagation of cracks. The fracture modes and
morphologies can be explained using Beachems (20) model of hydrogen-assisted cracking. In addition, the presence of perfect intergranular (IG) fracture (plane grain faces) on grain boundaries sometimes observed in the IG mode of cracking indicates that hydrogen
absorption may be causing a low energy mode of cracking. These features were found to be more prevalent in the low sulfur steels (0.001% )
where the absence of inclusions forces the hydrogen to grain boundaries thus altering the fracture morphology.

THE PRAGMATIC AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF

WELDING CAST AND WROUGHT STEELS
As indicated earlier, cast steels and wrought steels in the equivalent
heat treated condition, should behave in a similar manner. The cast
steels may even offer some advantage in the form of a lessened susceptibility to HAC because of their more rounded inclusion morphologies and microporosity which act as low stress raising sites when hydrogen is present. However, for both wrought and cast steels
preheating should be considered when welding is planned. The need for
and the level of preheat necessary to prevent Hydrogen Assisted
Cracking (HAC), Hydrogen Induced Cracking (HIC), Underbead Cracking, (all relatively synonomous terms) is related to microstructural
stress state and hydrogen.
The principle considerations in the assessment of the potential for hydrogen assisted cracking in cast and wrought steels are:
1. Susceptibility of the microstructure resulting in the HAZ from the
combined action of weld cooling rate, carbon content and hardenability is a governing factor. (The last two conditions are often
assessed together as the carbon equivalent.) It is universally
agreed that if the hardness of the HAZ does not exceed HRC 35
(DPH/Vickers 350) there is no concern over hydrogen since hydrogen assisted cracking will not occur. In other words, if the HAZ
is unhardened no special precautions such as preheat or low hydrogen welding procedures are necessary to avoid hydrogen
cracking. Thus, when welds are made in certain steels with conditions leading to HAZ hardnesses less than HRC 35, control of hydrogen level is not important since, whatever the hydrogen content of the weld, spontaneous cracking will not occur. (It is to be
noted that low preheats do not significantly affect cooling rates.)

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2. The hydrogen content of the weld metal, which is derived from the
plate material, electrodes,shielding gas and atmosphere, is critical to hydrogen cracking in welds with HAZ hardnesses in excess
of HRC 35. The greater the level of hydrogen the lower the HAZ
hardness (above HRC 35) which can be tolerated before the susceptibility to hydrogen assisted cracking becomes of concern.
With low hydrogen levels in the weld (0-5 ppm) HAZ hardnesses in
excess of HRC 35 can be tolerated and steel welded successfully
without risk of cracking. High hydrogen levels would be considered to be approximately 20-30+ ppm and would normally result
from improperly dried electrodes or improperly stored and reconditioned electrodes. The sources of hydrogen most effective in increasing the weld metal hydrogen content are shown in the equations developed by the IIW (IIW Doc 929-80) in Figure 6 with an
example showing that for properly stored and handled low hydrogen electrodes, the diffusible hydrogen is on the order of 3.5ppm.
If moisture is condensed on a plate when welding is attempted,
the partial pressure of the water in the atmosphere surrounding
the vicinity of the arc should saturate. If the mean temperature of
the air in the near vicinity of the arc is 30C, the partial pressure of

208

water in saturated air is approximately 30 mm of Hg. The hydrogen level resulting from this increased air moisture is 13 ppm.
Thus, the effectiveness of plate moisture when giving rise to
higher H2O atmosphere levels is only mildly effective in increasing
weld metal diffusible hydrogen. Recent studies in the welding lab
at The University of Tennessee have shown that wet, cold (32F)
C-Mn-Si steel can be welded using low hydrogen electrodes and
the weld metal diffusible hydrogen level will not rise above 5ppm.
3. The weld restraint is a factor in determining the stresses in and
about the weld. The local stress state is governed by the weld solidification shrinkage whereas the long range stress state is a
function of the structure and its rigidity. Welding toward open ends
minimizes weld stresses and minimizes the potential for hydrogen
assisted cracking even under conditions giving rise to critical
HAZ hardnesses and high weld metal hydrogen levels.

In the absence of any one of the above factors;

1. Critically hardened HAZ (HRC 35)

2. Hydrogen at levels greater than low hydrogen

3. Stress or restraint,

weld HAZ cracking is reduced to an insignificant occurrence.

The most common location to find HAC is the coarse grained region of
the HAZ and the locations are illustrated schematically in Figure 7. Fig-

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21 0

ure 8 shows a typical toe crack at two magnifications. It is clearly evident that the cracking is confined to the coarse grained HAZ and in this
instance the microstructure is martensitic in nature (most susceptible
to HAC).

The microstructure is governed by the steel composition and cooling

rate and can be assessed by jominy behavior by an emperical relationship between carbon and alloy content known as the carbon equivalent
(CE) approach coupled with the effects of welding conditions such as
material thickness, preheat and arc energy input.
The effect of plate thickness, energy input and preheat is shown in Figure 9. The cooling rate characteristic of a given set of welding parameters can be modified to a certain extent by a change in preheat. Thus
preheat is employed as a means of altering cooling rate and modifying
the microstructure of the HAZ. The relationship between microstructure and carbon equivalent (CE) or hardenability is shown in Figure 10.
For three C, Mn, Si steels welded for the Battelle Underbead Cracking
Test as the C.E. changes from 0.37 to 0.47 and then to 0.58 the microstructure is altered from mixed pearlite, martensite and bainite to all
martensite. The hardness changes from HRC 20 to HRC 30 to HRC 42
and cracking results in the higher hardness martensitic HAZ.

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212

Linnert (13) presents one of the commonly usedC.E. formulas (Table 1)

and derives preheat levels based on the CE. Note that as the CE increases the required preheat increases. The preheat influences cooling
rate, reduces hardness, enhances hydrogen evolution from the weld,
and lowers the potential for cracking with a given thickness material
and welding energy input.
The full circle of hardenability (microstructure) cooling rate and hydrogen content must be addressed to adequately deal with HAC in cast
and wrought steels.

In general, the preheat is derived based on the HAZ hardness level

which can be tolerated for crack free performance, i.e., < HRC 35. This
approach has been documented by The Welding Research Council in
its Bulletin #191 for both wrought and cast steels. The solutions to the
complex hardenability questions were combined with the normal range
of welding conditions and the level of preheat for each material was determined. The introduction to this publication indicates a conservative
approach for preheat levels. It does caution about post heating as a
possible additional requirement for as-cast steel castings (normalized
castings behave no differently than wrought materials).
WRC Bulletin 191 states,
To the practical fabricator, the recommendations in the tables
may seem conservative, sometimes excessively so. For the most
part, this policy was followed deliberately, because the difficult
jobs will prompt the welding engineer to consult the tables. Where

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small units are being assembled, or large but simply designed

structures are involved, the cautions may be eased. There is a
certain amount of equivalence among factors such as high heat
inputs, preheating, postheating, special welding sequences and
peening. Thus submerged-arc welding or the use of special techniques or sequences with manual welding may obviate preheating in some cases. Experience with castings indicates that high
preheating temperatures may be avoided, if postheating is specified. It is emphasized again that the table is intended as a guide,
not as a specification of standard practice.

Data typical of that appearing in WRC Bulletin 191 is shown in Table 2

for A36 wrought steel. The preheat levels are seen to be a function of
thickness, carbon content and hydrogen potential of the weld atmosphere. Similar data, for cast A216/A660 is given in Table 3.

Several cast steels are compared in Table 4 in terms of preheat temperatures suggested by ASTM, WRC 191 and Battelle (UBCT) at The University of Tennessee. From this table it is clear that the WRC 191 recommendations are conservative and generally in line with the underbead
cracking tests. The ASTM specifications apparently assume low hydrogen conditions always prevail and the suggested preheats are lower. A
situation which is more economical but less conservative. (Low hydrogen must be maintained especially for the more highly alloyed materials.)

CLOSURE
The presentation has covered the historical, mechanistic and practicalpragmatic aspects of the weldability of cast steels. The techniques and
methodologies available to provide for conservative approaches to the
avoidance of HAC, the most common weldability related difficulty with
both cast and wrought steels, have been briefly described. In addition,
the application of practical engineering know-how has to be integrated
with the foregoing to arrive at procedures applicable to each particular
situation.

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REFERENCES
1. Pellini, W.S., Brandt, F.A. and Layne, E.E., "Performance of Cast and Rolled Steels in
Relation to the Problem of Brittle Fracture," Trans. ASM (1 2), 1958.
2. Bolton, J.W., and Smith, A.J., "Welded Structures of Some Cast and Wrought
Steels," Welding J.,18(11),398s-417s (1939).
3. Smith, A.J., and Bolton, J.W., "The Effect of Welding on the Structures of Some Cast
and Wrought Steels," Trans. AFS, 47(1), 31-65 (1940).
4. Mueller, S.E., Smith, A.B., and Oersterle, J.F., "Welding of Medium Carbon Steel
Castings by the Metal Arc Process," Trans. AFS, Vol. 50, 995-1031 (1942).
5. Williams, R.D.,Roach, D.B., Martin, D.C., and Voldrich, C.B.,"The Weldability of
Carbon-Manganese Steels," Welding J., 28 (7), 311s-325s (1 949).

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6. Bland, J., Parrish, C.B., and Wheeler, R.C., "Casting Weidments in a Petroleum Refinery," Welding J., 37 (8) 789-798 (1958).
7. Ridal, E J., "Welding and Fabrication of Steel Castings," Proceedings BSCRA, Paper
10:1 (1965).
8. Whitley, G.H., "Steel Castings for use in the Power Generating Industry," Proceedings of Annual SCRATA Conference, Paper 10:l-10:7 (1 974).
9. Wallett, J.K., "Cast Weld Assemblies," Welding Institute Conference on the Welding
of Castings, Paper 4, 11-23 (1976).
10. Wu, K.C., "A Study of the Weld HAZ of Centrifugally Cast 5% Cr Steel," Welding J.,
42 (9), 392s-396s (1963).
11, Mellili, A.S., and Biron, R.H., "Preparation, Preheat and Postheat Considerations for
the Welding of Steel Castings," Trans. AFS, 429-436 (1975).
12. Gross, A.F., "Why a Qualified Welding Procedure," Trans. AFS, 321-324 (1975).
13. Linnert, G.E., "Welding Metallurgy," Vol. 2, AWS (1967).
14 Ridal, E.J., "Influence of Sulfur on the Weldability of Cast Carbon Manganese
Steels," Metal Construction and British Welding J., Nov.. 41 3-41 7 (1 972).
15. Short, J.M.: In Discussion on Papers 1-2 Proc. B.S.C.R.A. One-Day Conference, Design, Application and Quality Control of Steel Castings (1965).
16. Granjon, H. : Rapporteur, IIW Report on the Use of the Controlled Thermal Severity
(CTS) Test in Different Laboratories, British Welding J., 10 (l), 3-9 (1963).
17. Aymard, J.P., and Nectoux, G , "Characteristics de Soudabilite des Aciers Moule,"
Founderie, May, 165-1 78 (1 979).
18. Menon, R., and Lundin, C.D., "Weldability of Cast Carbon and Low Alloy SteelsEffect of Microstructural and Inclusion Morphology on the Hydrogen Assisted HAZ
Cracking Susceptibility," Final Report Project 112, SFSA, March 1984.
19. Evans, G.M., Wintermark, C., and Christensen, N., "Effect of Sulfur on the Weldability of Rolled C-Mn Steels," Scand. J. of Mefallurgy: Vol 2, 228-232 (1 973).
20 Pressouyre, G. M., "Trap Theory of Hydrogen Embrittlement," Acta Met., 28, 89s91s (1980).
21. Beachem. C.D., "A New Model for Hydrogen-Assisted Cracking (Hydrogen "Embrittlement")," Met. Trans., 3 (2). 437-451 (1972).
22. Coe, FR., "Welding Steels Without Hydrogen Cracking," The Welding Institute
(1973).

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Lecture V I I

Cast High Alloy Metallurgy

by Martin Prager

INTRODUCTION
High alloy steels go by many names. A list of the conventional terminology well defines the breadth of this family. Some commonly used descriptive terms are:
heat resistant high alloy steels
corrosion resistant high alloy steels
austenitics
ferritics
martensitics
duplex stainless steels
super ferritics
austenitic age-hardenable steels
martensitic age-hardenable steels
stainless steels
stabilized stainless steels
Hgrades
The primary components are typically iron, chromium, nickel and carbon. However, the ranges and ratios vary widely and hence the diversity
of the alloys. Copper, molybdenum, or small amounts of other elements
are added intentionally to tailor the alloys to specific applications. Significant improvements in strength or corrosion resistance result.
Obviously, this wide range of alloys affords the user many options with
regard to heat or corrosion resistance and cost. Additionally, the ranges
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223

for strength and toughness achievable with this class of materials cover
almost as broad a spectrum as is possible. Subtle change in composition and heat treatment may have a profound effect on microstructure,
strength, pitting resistance, toughness, weldability, magnetic properties, machinability, hardness or other engineering properties. Familiarity with the metallurgical principles is essential for optimizing the
desired properties on the one hand and avoiding disastrous consequences on the other.
Many types of tests have now verified that properties achieved in cast
alloys are very similar to those found with their wrought counterparts.
However, whether wrought or cast material is used, the opportunity for
misapplication exists. Since these alloys are relatively costly, high performance materials, they are specified for conditions of temperature,
environment or stress which are potentially very destructive if proper
precautions are not taken. Examples are pumps, impellers and propellers in seawater or liquid metal service, furnace tubes, chemical equipment, boiler components, refinery valves and pumps, etc.

GENERAL METALLURGY
A good starting point for understanding the metallurgy of high alloy
castings is the behavior of iron or simple steels. On cooling from casting
temperatures these materials solidify as (body centered cubic) "delta"
ferrite, transform to (face centered cubic) austenite at temperatures on
the order of 2500F and then again transform to ferrite after cooling another 1,000F: If cooling from the austenite field is sufficiently rapid, ferrite formation is suppressed in alloys containing carbon. Instead, they
transform at low temperatures to the relatively high strength structure
known as martensite. Addition of alloying elements serves to stabilize
or promote the appearance of one or another of the aforementioned
phases.
The principal ingredient in the high alloy family is usually chromium
which, through the formation of protective oxide films, also starts these
alloys on the road to the so-called "stainless," or as it used to be called,
"rustless," quality. For all practical purposes, stainless behavior requires at least 12% chromium. As will be discussed later, corrosion resistance further improves with additions of chromium to at least the
30% level. As may be seen in Table I (Ref. l), nickel and lesser amounts
of molybdenum and other elements are added to the iron-chrome
matrix.

224

While chromium is a ferrite and martensite promoter, nickel is an austenite promoter. By varying the amounts and ratios of these two elements (or their equivalents) almost any desired combination of microstructure, strength or other properties may be achieved. Equally
important is heat treatment. Temperature, cooling rate and time at temperature must be controlled to obtain the desired results.

CHROMIUM AND NICKEL EQUIVALENTS

It is useful to think of the compositions of high alloy steels in terms of the
balance between austenite promoters and ferrite promoters. This is
done on the widely used Schaeffler type diagrams as shown in Figure 1
(Ref. 2). The phases shown are those which persist after cooling to
room temperature at rates normally used in fabrication.
Chromium equivalent is plotted on the abcissa. Included in the summation are all ferrite promoting elements. These are: chromium, silicon,
molybdenum, vanadium, aluminum, niobium, titanium, and tungsten.
They have been correlated by Schneider as follows on the basis of
weight percent (Ref. 3):
Chromium equivalent = (Cr) + 2 (SI) + 1.5 (Mo) + 5 (V) + 5.5
(Al) + 1.5(Nb) + 1.5(Ti) + 0.75 (W)

225

Nickel equivalent is plotted on the ordinate. Other austenite promoters

included in the equation are cobalt, manganese, copper, nitrogen and
carbon.
Nickel equivalent = (Ni) + (Co) + 0.5 (Mn) + 0.3 (Cu) + 25 (N)
+ 30(C)
The above computations derived from the work of Shaeffler and
Schneider are widely used, especially for predicting the behavior of
weldments. The foundry industry has developed another correlation for
estimating the ferrite content (in terms of a ferrite number). The equations used were developed by Schoefer (Ref. 4) and resemble those
shown above but do yield different equivalent values. The relation between Schoefer's and Schaeffler's coordinates may be seen in Figure 2.
Schoefer's formula only must be used in defining the composition ratio
shown in Figure 3. The application of Figure 3 will be explained shortly.
However, the equations developed by Schoefer are as follows:
Chromium Equivalent = (Cr) + 1.5 (Si) + (Mo) + (Cb) - 4.99
and
Nickel Equivalent = (Ni) + 30(C) + .5(Mn) + 26(N-.02) +
2.77

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The empirical correlations depicted in Figure 1 and 2 may be understood from the following. The field designated as M or Martensite encompasses alloys such as CA-15, CA-40, CA-6NM and even CB-7Cu.
These alloys contain 12 to 17% chromium with adequate nickel, molybdenum and carbon to promote high hardenability i.e.,the ability to transform completely to martensite when cooled at even the moderate rates
associated with air cooling heavy sections. Please note that high alloys
have low thermal conductivities and cool slowly. To obtain the desired
properties, a full heat treatment is required following casting. That is the
casting in austenitized by heating to 1600 to 1800F rapidly cooled to
room temperature to produce the hard martensite and then tempered
at 1100 to 1400F until the desired combination of strength, toughness,
ductility and resistance to corrosion or stress corrosion is obtained.
Increasing the nickel equivalent i.e., moving vertically in Figure 1 eventually results in an alloy which is fully austenitic, such as CC-20, CH-20,
CK-20 or CN 7M. These alloys are extremely ductile, tough and corrosion resistant. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, yield and tensile
strength are among the lowest of the high alloys. Because these high
nickel alloys are fully austenitic, they are nonmagnetic. Heat treatment
consists of a single step, water quenching from a relatively high temperature at which carbides have been taken into solution. Solution anneal227

ing may also homogenize the structure but, because no transformation

occurs, there can be no grain refinement. The solutionizing step and
rapid cooling assures maximum resistance to corrosion. Typically temperatures well above 2000F are required.
Adding chromium to the lean alloys i.e., proceeding horizontally in Figure 1, stabilizes the delta ferrite which forms when the casting solidifies.
This results in alloys in the field indicated by the delta, , Figure 2. Examples are CB-30 or CC-50. With high chromium content, these alloys
have relatively good resistance to corrosion particularly in sulfur bearing atmospheres. However, being single phase, they are nonhardenable and have moderate to low strength and are often used as-cast or
after only a simple solutioning treatment.
Between the fields designated M, A, and in Figure 1 are regions indicating the possibility of two or more phases in the alloys. Commercially, by
far the most important of these is the one in which austenite and ferrite
coexist. Examples are CF-3, CF-8, CF-3M, CF-8M, CG-8M, and
CE-30. Typically, these alloys contain from 3 to 40% ferrite in a matrix of
austenite. Predicting and controlling ferrite content is vital to the successful application of these materials. Duplex alloys offer superior
strength, weldability and corrosion resistance. Strength, for example,
increases directly with ferrite content. Achieving specified minimums
may require controlling ferrite within narrow bands. Figure 3 and
Schoefers equations noted earlier are used for this purpose. The ferrite
number so determined is not the percent ferrite which would be obtained by metallographic means. It more closely approximates determinations made using a Magnegage or Severn Gage as is the conventional quality control practice.
Properly, these duplex alloys should be solution annealed and rapidly
cooled prior to use to assure maximum resistance to corrosion.
The presence of ferrite is not entirely beneficial. Ferrite tends to reduce
toughness, although given the extremely high toughness of the austenite matrix, this is not of great concern. However, in those applications which require exposure to elevated temperatures, usually from
600F on up, metallurgical changes associated with the ferrite can be
severe and detrimental. In the low end of the range reductions in toughness observed have been attributed to carbide precipitation or reactions associated with 885F embrittlement. The 885 embrittlement
is caused by precipitation of an intermetallic phase with a composition
228

of approximately 80% chromium and 20% iron. The name derives

from the fact that this embrittlement is most severe and rapid when it
occurs in the vicinity of 885F. At 1000F and above, with extended exposure in service, the ferrite converts to a complex Fe-Cr-Ni intermetallic compound known as sigma phase which reduces toughness and
creep ductility. The extent of the reduction increases with time and with
temperature to about 1500F and may persist to 1700F. In extreme
cases, Charpy V-notch energy at room temperature may be reduced
95% from its initial value.

THE EFFECTS OF ALLOY ADDITIONS

In addition to their influence on the calculated chromium and nickel
equivalents, each of the other elements commonly found in high alloy
castings is important from the metallurgical point of view and should be
considered in drawing a picture of this family of alloys.
Molybdenum while a strong ferrite former is highly beneficial to the corrosion resistance of all types of high alloys. Molybdenum carbides increase the strength of martensites and improve the creep resistance of
austentic and duplex alloys.
Carbon stabilizes austenite and through the action of carbides, increases the high temperature strength of all alloys. To achieve the highest resistance to creep, .3 or.4% carbon is commonly added. However,
because carbon may combine with elements such as molybdenum or
chromium which are beneficial to corrosion resistance, its effect on
that property is negative. Where aqueous corrosion resistance is not
important, but high temperature strength is, the H grades are specified in preference to C types shown in Table I. These heat resistant
grades are high carbon versions of the C alloys but also contain additions of carbide formers to enhance performance.
Where resistance to corrosion is of paramount concern, carbon content is minimized. Ultra low carbon grades may be specified for some
situations. The intention is to prevent sensitization, susceptibility to intergranular corrosion. Sensitization is caused by precipitation of chromium carbides in grain boundaries and the formation of chromium depleted zones in the adjacent areas. It occurs during service at
moderate temperatures or more often during cooling after welding or
heat treatment. Carbon pickup from mold materials may reduce the
corrosion resistance of material near the casting surfaces. Intergranular corrosion or stress corrosion are likely consequences.

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To improve strength without the detrimental effects of ferrite or carbon,

nitrogen may be added to a content of over 1 thousand ppm. Since nitrogen stabilizesaustenite it must be included in calculating the nickel
equivalent. Nitrogen forms carbonitrides with elements such as chromium, titanium and vanadium and these are effective hardeners.

Vanadium, titanium, and columbium form carbides which are stable at

high temperatures. They may impart resistance to sensitization (as in
stabilized stainless steels) or improve creep strength and resistance to
tempering. They are used for example in "superferritic" steels which
are in the developmental stages as cast alloys. The complex carbides
and carbonitrides formed are resistant to softening and overaging. The
superferritics have creep strength superior to more costly; highly alloyed austenitic materials.
Copper modestly stabilizes austenite. Its major influence is in precipitation hardening the matrix. Alloys containing copper such as CB-7Cu and
CD-4MCu require aging to achieve full strength. The precipitate in these
alloys is actually elemental copper. The temperature required for the
precipitation reaction is relatively low and may impair toughness because it is in the regime of 885F embrittlement.
Silicon is used in heat resisting castings such as HK, HTand HU. It is
beneficial to resistance to oxidation and resistance to carburization.
Foundrymen know silicon improves fluidity and therefore the quality of
castings. However, silicon does increase the tendency for fissuring in
welds, especially in low carbon, high alloy steels.

STRENGTH AND WELDABILITY CONSIDERATIONS

Martensitic Steels:
Martensitic steels have the highest strength of the high alloy family. The
alloys are fully austenitized during heat treatment and transform to
martensite on cooling to room temperature. At that point the structure
is too hard and brittle for use and must be tempered, at least partially,
immediately. Otherwise, the casting may crack while awaiting further
processing. Full tempering may be performed at a later occasion.
The same considerations apply to welding, which is in effect a very
localized heat treatment. Because of the brittleness of martensite,
heavy section castings must be preheated and postheated to avoid
cracking from thermal stresses or hydrogen dissolved during welding.

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The martensitic microstructure is extremely prone to hydrogen

embrittlement. At the strength levels achieved in the as-welded
condition, sensitivity to embrittlement is extremely high. It is manifested
by delayed, very brittle cracking. Hydrogen is likely to be introduced by
the welding operation or by corrosion of the steel by any aqueous
environment, including condensing moisture.
The reaction producing martensite is a diffusionless shifting of the
atoms. The atomic lattice is left highly distorted and internally stressed
with carbon and carbide forming elements trapped in the
supersaturated matrix. The resulting high hardness structure has very
poor resistance to impact or crack propagation and extreme notch
sensitivity.
During tempering, the internal strains are partially relaxed, toughness
increased and carbides precipitate.
It is essential that the composition of martensitic alloys be properly
balanced to obtain maximum strength and toughness in the final
product. For example, addition of molybdenum and vanadium
enhances strength at room and elevated temperature. However, these
elements are ferrite promoters. Their addition must be balanced by
carbon, nickel, manganese or copper to promote austenite during heat
treatment prior to quenching. A duplex microstructure at the
austenitizing temperature would quench to a martensite of lower
strength and toughness. Carbon can be added only judiciously to
promote austenite since it severely degrades weldability (the resulting
martensite is hard and brittle and susceptible t o hydrogen
embrittlement and stress corrosion).

For optimum resistance to corrosion and stress corrosion, the

martensitic alloys should be fully heat treated (austenitized, quenched
and tempered) after welding.

Ferritic Alloys:
These nonhardenable alloys are of moderate strength, but relatively
poor toughness. The high chromium content makes them suitable for
very high temperature corrosion resisting applications where poor
room temperature toughness is not likely to be a problem. However,
high chromium alloys are susceptible to grain coarsening during heat
treatment or welding. With very high carbon contents, grain boundary
precipitation during heat treatment or welding may noticeably impare

231

ductility and resistance to corrosion. These alloys should be annealed

after welding for optimum properties.

Austenitic Alloys
Fully austentic alloys such as CH-20, CK-20, CN-7M, N-12M and M-35
and H grades HF, HH, HI, HK, HL, HN, HP, HT, HU, HW and HX are the
most ductile of the cast alloys. This may be judged from Figure 4. They
are suitable for applications where resistance to thermal shock is required. Generally they have the best resistance to sigma phase formation and therefore retain resistance to thermal shock even after long exposure at elevated temperatures.
Grade HF is commonly used to temperatures of 1600F while grades
HH, HI, HK to HX can be used to temperatures approaching 2150F.
These alloys owe their high creep strength to carbides dispersed in a
fully austenitic alloy. Proprietary modifications of the H grades may contain tungsten, cobalt, molybdenum and columbium to enhance creep
resistance. In any event it is the substantial amounts of fine and coarse
carbides and other precipitated phases which account for the remarkable creep strength of the H grades relatives to C grades and wrought
alloys.
In the early days of the development of H grades, the alloys lacked
toughness and were severely degraded by precipitation and other embrittling reactions occurring during service. This is no longer the case.
Today, these compositions can retain a substantial fraction of initial
toughness even after long exposure in service. However, achieving
these properties requires relatively tight control of composition, purity
and initial microstructure. In this way, sigma phase formation may be
delayed or prevented in fully austenitic microstructures.
Silicon is beneficial to the high temperature properties of these alloys.
Manganese may be added to counteract silicons promotion of delta
ferrite.
The Achilles Heel of the austenitic alloys is their weldability. The problem is associated with liquation which occurs in the heat affected zone
and hot shortness of fully austenitic weld metals. Where applications
permit, duplex (austenitic-ferritic) filler metals are used. Typically filler
metals with at least 3 to 5 % ferrite content are employed. The austenitic materials do not require preheating or postheating as part of the
welding operation since the structure is both ductile and nearly totally
immune to the detrimental effects of hydrogen.
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233

The fully austenitic castings may display sensitization as a result of Cr 2 3

Cr type precipitation at grain boundaries during welding. After welding it
may be advisable to solution anneal the alloy and remove the attendant
susceptibility to intergranular corrosion. Alternatively, exposures to
temperatures of 1650F and above will restore chromium to depleted
zones and also remove the tendency for local galvanic interaction
which is at the root of the sensitization problem. For applications where
aqueous corrosion resistance is the primary concern, carbon contents
below .03% is an effective counter to the tendency for sensitization.
The strength of austenitic alloys may be conveniently increased up to
20 ksi by nitrogen additions up to 0.2%. At higher levels, porosity becomes a significant problem. Also, the effect of nitrogen on weldability
and long-term creep properties is not well understood.

Ferritic-A ustenitic Alloys

The advantages of the duplex microstructure are many. Strength increases in proportion to ferrite content. As shown in Figure 5 (Ref. 5) in-

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creasing ferrite to the twenty percent level results in roughly the same
percentage increase in tensile strength. The corresponding increase in
yield strength is even larger. Typically, duplex castings contain ferrite
contents greater than 15%. .At this level degradation of impact properties has been found to be significant at service temperatures of 800F
and above (Figure6). ASTM and ASME materials specifications and the
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code caution that because of thermal instability (sigma phase precipitation), these materials are not recommended for elevated temperature service above about 800F.
Landerman and Bamford (Ref. 5) have reported that tensile properties
and J Integral values are not nearly as severely degraded as the impact
values for CF-8M (Figures 7 and 8) for exposures at 800F to 3,000
hours. This duration was thought to duplicate at least 12 years of service at 600F based upon the kinetics of the embrittling reaction. Those
authors consider that JIC values are an important indicator of the tolerance of the castings for flaws. Similarly, fatigue crack growth behavior
(Figure 9) suggested no dramatic effect of aging on behavior. The width
of the scatter band shown is about the same as for unaged material.

Weldability improves with increasing ferrite content. The tendency for

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hot cracking encountered with austenitic alloys is largely alleviated by

ferrite contents in excess of 5%. This tendency is conventionally evaluated using the Varestraint test in which contraction strains in the weld
zone are augmented by bending during welding. This is a very severe
test representative of the most heavily restrained welds. It can be seen
in Figures 10 and 11 that performance improves in direct proportion to
ferrite content.
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As with the austenitic castings, the duplex alloys do not require preweld
and postweld heating. The solubility of austenite for hydrogen and its resistance to hydrogen embrittlement, especially at the low strength
levels obtained, remove the need for any precautions in that regard
when handling the duplex alloys.

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CORROSION BEHAVIOR
Corrosion is a broader subject that can be accommodated in a text of
this type. Since high alloys must be corrosion resistant much might be
said with regard to the many environments in which they regularly
serve. Here, an attempt will be made to present only the general principles and important highlights as influenced by the metallurgy of these
materials. Topics include:

Oxidation
Sulfidation
Carburization
General Corrosion
Localized and Crevice Corrosion and Pitting
Corrosion Fatigue
Stress Corrosion
Probably the most important metallurgical factor pertaining to corrosion behavior is chromium content. Chromium imparts resistance to oxidation and sulfidation in high temperature environments. In aqueous
and oxidizing acids, it offers significant protection except where crevices, deposits, or other conditions conducive to localized attack are
established. Localized corrosion can be extremely aggressive and the
resulting pitting may lead to corrosion fatigue or stress corrosion. More
on this below.

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Oxidation:
Resistance to oxidation increases directly with chromium content (Figure 12). For the most severe service at temperatures above 2000F;
25% or more chromium is required. Additions of nickel, silicon, manganese, and aluminum promote the formation of relatively impermeable
oxide films which retard further scaling. Thermal cycling is extremely
damaging to oxidation resistance because it leads to oxide breakdown,
cracking or spalling. The best performance is obtained with austenitic
alloys containing 40-50% combined nickel and chromium. Figure 13
describes the behavior of H grades.

Sulfidation:
Sulfidizing environments are growing in importance. Petroleum processing, coal conversion, utility and chemical applications and waste incineration have increased the need for alloys resistant to sulfidation attack in relatively weak oxidizing or reducing environments. Fortunately,
high chromium and silicon contents are also beneficial with sulfur. On
the other hand, nickel has been found to be detrimental in the most aggressive gases. The problem is attributable to the formation of low melting nickel-sulfur eutectics. These compositions produce highly destructive liquid phases at temperatures even below 1500F. Once formed,
the liquid may run onto adjacent surfaces and rapidly corrode other
metals. The behavior of H grades in sulfidizing environments is shown
in Figure 14.

Carburization:
High alloys are often used in non-oxidizing atmospheres where carbon
diffusion into metal surfaces is possible. Depending on chromium content, temperature and the carburizing potential, the surface may become extremely rich in chromium carbides rendering it hard and possibly susceptible to cracking. Silicon and nickel are thought to be
beneficial and enhance resistance to carburization.
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General Corrosion:
Formation of nickel and chromium rich passive films on steels significantly shifts the free corrosion potential under aqueous conditions.
These corrosion product films remain protective as long as they are intact or can be repairedby oxygen from the environment. Since the films
are also thin and dense, they are durable and provide good protection
even in moderately rapidly flowing solutions. However, if repair is impeded due to a deposit, stagnant conditions, a crevice, or material inhomogeneity (e.g., a chromium depleted zone), a large difference in potential develops between protected and non-protected zones. This

results in rapid localized attack (see below). Alloy additions are beneficial in enhancing resistance to general corrosion. Resistance to general corrosion usually increases with increasing chromium content,
however there are exceptions as shown in Figure 15.

Localized Corrosion:
Austenitic and martensitic alloys display a tendency for localized corrosion. The conditions conducive to this behavior may be any situation in
areas where an oxygen concentration cell may be established. Duplex
alloys have been found to be less susceptible. Behavior is particularly
accute in chloride and in acidic solutions as shown in Figure 16 (Ref. 9).
Increasing alloy content is beneficial. Molybdenum has long been recognized to be an effective retardent of localized corrosion, although it
is not a total answer. Excellent results have been obtained with CG8M,
while CF 3M or CN 7M are readily attacked.
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It has been suggested that resistance to pitting is good when (%) chromium + 3.3 x ([%] molybdenum) exceeds 28%. The basis for this
may be seen in Figure 17 (Ref. 9) which depicts the shift in pitting potential for a number of alloys. Other parameters have also been proposed (Ref. 9).
Corrosion Fatigue:
Corrosion fatigue is one of the most destructive and unpredictable phenomena. Behavior is highly specific to the environment and alloy. The
martensitic materials are degraded most, both in absolute and relative
terms. Left to freely corrode in seawater they have practically no endurance limit. This is remarkable in view of their very high strength and fatigue resistance in air.
If suitable cathodic protection is applied, properties may be largely restored. However, since these materials are susceptible to hydrogen
embrittlement, cathodic protection must be carefully applied. Too large
a protective potential will lead to catastrophic hydrogen stress cracking.

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Austenitic materials are also severely degraded in corrosion fatigue

strength under conditions conducive to pitting, such as in seawater.
However, they are easily cathodically protected without fear of hydrogen embrittlement and perform well in fresh waters.
Duplex alloys have not been widely studied.

Stress Corrosion:
Stress corrosion susceptibility is similarly specific tothe alloy, environment and conditions of exposure. As a general rule, the high strength
martensitic steels have displayed sensitivity to stress corrosion as have
the austenitic alloys. Duplex stainless steels are an improvement over
single phase alloys.
Figure 18 indicates the relative performance of several duplex alloys.
The test conditions involved a relatively short exposure to a sodium
chloride solution at 400F. While the trends suggested are complex, it is
apparent that resistance generally increases with ferrite content. Large
improvements appear possible through control of alloy composition.

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REFERENCES
1. Steel Castings Handbook, Fifth Edition, SFSA, 1980, P.F.Weiser, Ed.
2. Schaeffler, A. "Constitution Diagram for Stainless Steel Weld Metal",
3. Schneider, H., Foundry Trade J., 1960,108, 562.
4. Schoefer, E., Appendix to "Mossbauer-Effect Examination of Ferrite in Stainless
Steel Welds and Castings," Welding Journal, Research Supplement, 39, Jan. 1974,
p. 10-S.
5. Beck, F.,Schoefer, E., Flowers, Jr., and Fontana, M., "New Cast Higher Strength Alloys Grades by Structure Control" ASTM STP 369, 1965, p, 159-174.
6, Landerrnan, E.I., and Barnford, W., "Fracture Toughness and Fatigue Characteristics of Centrifugally Cast Type 316, Stainless Steel Pipe after Simulated Thermal
Service Conditions", MPC-8, Ductility and Toughness Considerations in Elevated
Temperature Service, ASME, 1978.
7. Uddeholm Corrosion Control Information, NUCCI, No. 1-81,
8. Michels, H.T, and Hoxie, E.C.,"Some Insights Into Corrosion in SO2 Exhaust Schrubbers", ASM Conference on Materials Reliability Problems in Fossil Fired Power
Plants, Knoxville, TN, Nov. 9, 1977.
9. Larson, J.A., "High Alloy Specifications-ATale of New Materials", SFSA, T&O Conference, Nov. 1983, pp. 213-224.

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