Melting ductile iron.

[ironman]

Hi everyone

I have made a video about melting scrap ductile iron for castings that I need. 

[awemawson]

Ironman, what would you need to do to retain the ductile properties? Would adding more Ferrosilicon do it?

[lordedmond]

You would need to get it up to 1600 dec C and ad magnesium big flare up so be careful. Or mish metal F Silicon wil not do it

At least that's what they put in at the iron works when they made it for the spun pipes and WKW

It's more correctly known as spherodal iron IE the graphite is in spheres not flakes that what the lab had to look for


Stuart

[hermetic]

Hi Ironman, excellent video of iron melting, can you tell me the type of crucible you are using?
Phil
UK

[ironman]

awemawson

No, I add ferrosilicon to make the iron soft. Remelting ductile iron destroys what has been added in the last melt.

hermetic

For that video I was using a A6 morgan crucible made in india. vtsteam uses the same crucible for melting iron.

[vtsteam]

Ironman, that was the best video of your furnace I've seen.  and I can tell It's exactly the same furnace as it was quite a few years ago, before YouTube, when I found a little website with photos of your shop and studied them over and over to figure out how this guy in Australia was casting iron with waste oil and propane ignition. It's a proven rig for sure. I wonder how many pounds of iron have gone through that furnace?

I remember you added phosphorus, I think, with your wire melt method, too. Is that mig wire? -- I kinda remember different -- copper wire I think it was. I'm going to guess that's just scrap from windings?

The burner, oil tank are all exactly the same. Except the vacuum cleaner was in a wood box, I think -- maybe a cushion over it. You used a pyrometer with blanket insulation over. Did a wedge test. I looked at those photos so many times I had it memorized.

I can't remember why the second large unconnected intake into the burner. Does that induct more air and slow it a little?

I wish I could find zirconium paint here. I'd build a bigger furnace with blanket insulation, then.

Great video, interesting to see ductile iron and results. Great detail on the furnace.....

[tom osselton]

This doesn't look to bad.
http://www.mtixtl.com/1800c3270fhi-purityzirconiacoatingquart.aspx

[vtsteam]

Hey, good find, Tom! 

[tom osselton]

Yes the US seems to have a good supply of everything I believe it is a plot so the goverment can charge the common folk duty!

[SteveT]

Very impressive Ironman and the end produces look firstrate 

[ironman]

vtsteam

You must have a good memory, mine seems to get worse as I get older.

Yep the furnace has not changed for twenty years, why change something when it works so well. The only thing I have changed is the vacuum cleaner/blower. The old one was so noisy I had to put it in a wooden box and use a cushion to quieten down the noise it made. I now use a quieter vacuum cleaner/blower it also has more blast than the old one. So now I can melt 6kg of iron in 33 minutes. Over the years I would have melted about 3-4 tons of iron in that furnace. Getting enough scrap can be a problem so I am willing to find any kind of scrap I can find(ductile iron). Phosphorus was added for a special casting, I will make a video about that in the future. I don't use copper wire anymore because ferrosilicon does the job far better. Aaah yes the second intake, it puzzles a lot of people. Back in my beginner days I thought that a lot of air is needed to melt iron. I find only one vacuum cleaner puts out enough air to melt iron. The second intake is a eternal reminder of my folly. Zirconium is found and mined on many beach sands here in Australia. Having said that buying a 15 liter pail is very expensive in Australia, now it is close to 200 dollars. When bought mine it cost 90 dollars. When melting iron zirconia paint is essential to protecting the ceramic fiber I use to insulate my furnace. I still have the pyrometer but don't use it very much because I have melted so much iron It is easy for me to judge when the iron is hot enough to pour. My latest two videos will show how to make sand molds using two different methods.

I am glad you enjoyed the video.