High-alloy corrosion-resistant ferritic-austenitic steels and cast steels are a group of high potential construction materials. This is
evidenced by the development of new alloys both low alloys grades such as the ASTM 2101 series or high alloy like super or hyper duplex
series 2507 or 2707 [1-5]. The potential of these materials is also presented by the increasing frequency of sintered components made both
from duplex steel powders as well as mixtures of austenitic and ferritic steels [6, 7]. This article is a continuation of the problems presented
in earlier works [5, 8, 9] and its inspiration were technological observed problems related to the production of duplex cast steel.
The analyzed AISI A3 type cast steel is widely used in both wet exhaust gas desulphurisation systems in coal fired power plants as well as
in aggressive working environments. Technological problems such as hot cracking presented in works [5, 8], with are effects of the rich
chemical composition and phenomena occurring during crystallization, must be known to the technologists.
The presented in this work phenomena which occur during the crystallization and cooling of ferritic-austenitic cast steel were investigated
using numerical methods with use of the ThermoCalc and FactSage® software, as well with use of experimental thermal-derivative
analysis.
The paper presents the results of research on the microstructure of GX2CrNiMoCuN25-6-3-3 and GX2CrNiMoCuN25-6-3 cast steels with
a varying carbon content. The cause for undertaking the research were technological problems with hot cracking in bulk castings of duplex
cast steel with a carbon content of approx. 0.06% and with 23% Cr, 8.5% Ni, 3% Mo and 2.4% Cu. The research has shown
a significant effect of increased carbon content on the ferrite and austenite microstructure morphology, while exceeding the carbon content
of 0.06% results in a change of the shape of primary grains from equiaxial to columnar.
In the high-alloy, ferritic - austenitic (duplex) stainless steels high tendency to cracking, mainly hot-is induced by micro segregation
processes and change of crystallization mechanism in its final stage. The article is a continuation of the problems presented in earlier
papers [1 - 4]. In the range of high temperature cracking appear one mechanism a decohesion - intergranular however, depending on the
chemical composition of the steel, various structural factors decide of the occurrence of hot cracking. The low-carbon and low-alloy cast
steel casting hot cracking cause are type II sulphide, in high carbon tool cast steel secondary cementite mesh and / or ledeburite segregated
at the grain solidified grains boundaries, in the case of Hadfield steel phosphorus - carbide eutectic, which carrier is iron-manganese and
low solubility of phosphorus in high manganese matrix. In duplex cast steel the additional factor increasing the risk of cracking it is very
"rich" chemical composition and related with it processes of precipitation of many secondary phases.
Constantly developing production process and high requirements concerning the quality of glass determine the need for continuous improvement of tools and equipment needed for its production. Such tools like forms, most often made of cast-iron, are characterized by thick wall thickness compared to their overall dimensions and work in difficult conditions such as heating of the surface layer, increase of thermal stresses resulting from the temperature gradient on the wall thickness, occurrence of thermal shock effect, resulting from cyclically changing temperatures during filling and emptying of the mould. There is no best and universal method for assessing how samples subjected to cyclic temperature changes behave. Research on thermal fatigue is a difficult issue, mainly due to the instability of this parameter, which depends on many factors, such as the temperature gradient in which the element works, the type of treatment and the chemical composition of the material. Important parameters for these materials are at high temperature resistance to thermal shock and thermal fatigue what will be presented in this paper.
The paper presents the results of investigation into the technological possibility of making light-section castings of GX2CrNiMoN25-6-3
cast steel. For making castings with a wall thickness in the thinnest place as small as below 1 mm, the centrifugal casting technology was
employed. The technology under consideration enables items with high surface quality to be obtained, while providing a reduced
consumption of the charge materials and, as a result, a reduction in the costs of unit casting production.
The investigations were inspired with the problem of cracking of steel castings during the production process. A single mechanism
of decohesion – the intergranular one – occurs in the case of hot cracking, while a variety of structural factors is decisive for hot cracking
initiation, depending on chemical composition of the cast steel. The low-carbon and low-alloyed steel castings crack due to the presence
of the type II sulphides, the cause of cracking of the high-carbon tool cast steels is the net of secondary cementite and/or ledeburite
precipitated along the boundaries of solidified grains. Also the brittle phosphor and carbide eutectics precipitated in the final stage
solidification are responsible for cracking of castings made of Hadfield steel. The examination of mechanical properties at 1050°C
revealed low or very low strength of high-carbon cast steels.
The paper presents research results on the selection of parameters for the asymmetric rolling process of bimetallic plates 10CrMo9-10 + X2CrNiMo17-12-2. They consisted in determining the optimum parameters of the process, which would be ensured to obtain straight bands. Such deformation method introduces in the band the deformations resulting from shear stress, which affect changes in the microstructure. But their effect on the structure is more complicated than in the case of homogeneous materials. It has been shown that the introduction of asymmetric conditions into the rolling process results in greater grain refinement in the so-called hard layer. There was no negative effect on the structural changes in the soft layer observed.
The paper reports the results of a physical modelling study of the production of a hypereutectic aluminium alloy to be used for making an alloy vapour source for operation in the magnetron. Within the study, targets from a hypereutectic aluminium-silicon alloy were made in laboratory conditions. Thus obtained material was subjected to heat treatment, porosity analysis, and the assessment of the microstructure and fitness for being used in the magnetron. The process of melting the hypereutectic Al-Si alloy was carried out at the Department of Foundry of the Czestochowa University of Technology. The investigation into the production of the alloy vapour source for the synthesis of the dielectric material from the hypereutectic aluminium alloy has confirmed.
The paper, which is a summary and supplement of previous works and research, presents the results of numerical and physical modeling of the GX2CrNiMoCuN25-6-3 duplex cast steel thin-walled castings production. To obtain thin-walled castings with wall in the thinnest place even below 1 mm was used the centrifugal casting technology and gravity casting. The analyzed technology (centrifugal casting) enables making elements with high surface quality with reduced consumption of batch materials and, as a result, reducing the costs of making a unitary casting. The idea behind the production of cast steel with the use of centrifugal technology was to find a remedy for the problems associated with unsatisfactory castability of the tested alloy.
The technological evaluation of the cast construction was carried out using the Nova Flow & Solid CV 4.3r8 software. Numerical simulations of crystallization and cooling were carried out for a casting without a gating system and sinkhead located in a mold in accordance with the pouring position. It was assumed that the analyzed cast will be made in the sand form with dimensions 250×250×120 mm.