Cast irons are good examples of materials which are more sensitive to chemical composition and production conditions. In this research to improve casting quality, solidification and nucleation process in grey cast iron was investigate. In particular, attempts have been made to rationalize variation in eutectic cells with nucleation sites and eutectic solidification undercooling. Four castings with different diameter and similar chemical composition and pouring temperature and different inoculant percentage was casted. The cooling curve and maximum and minimum undercooling for each castings was measured. Also optical metallography and image analyzer has been used to determine the average eutectic cells diameter, and linear and surface densities, and volume density was calculated. The results of this research show a competitive behavior between nucleation sites and eutectic undercooling. Higher nucleation sites and higher eutectic undercooling cause higher eutectic cell density. But increasing nucleation sites by introducing inoculants to molten metal, is accompanied with reduction in eutectic undercooling. It means that inoculation and undercooling have opposite effect on each other. So, to achieve maximum cell density, it is necessary to create an optimization between these parameters.

Chunky graphite has been recognized for a long time as one of the major problems in production of heavy section nodular cast iron. A great number of studies have been conducted to describe the chunky graphite formation, but a clear understanding of its appearance and a safe mastering of the melt preparation to avoid chunky graphite are not yet available. In the present work the cooling curves were recorded in large cone blocks and standard TA cup. According to measured data from the cone block, melt characteristics and heat transfer coefficient between casting and mould were adjusted in the ProCAST® simulation software. For a near-eutectic nodular cast iron test melt with 0.7 wt. % Ni, relationship between the area of the cone block affected by chunky graphite and simulation software results has been observed, i.e., thermal modulus and time to solidus.