2003 Keith Millis Symposium on Ductile Cast Iron
Effect of Charge Materials on Slag
ABSTRACT
The formation of an oxide slag on the liquid bath is
unavoidable during the processing of Ductile Iron melts.
Although the slag acts as a protective layer against the
oxidation of the iron, it usually represents a significant cost
item, depending on its composition and the quantity that is
present. For example, an excessive amount of slag may
result in increased furnace refractory wear, more slag
transfer to the pouring ladle (increased probability of
defective castings) and higher melting and disposal costs.
The slag formed during Ductile Iron processing has many
origins, some of them being inevitable. This is the case of
the magnesium oxide and sulphide that evolve from the
nodulization treatment. However, a significant amount of
slag may also be generated by the charge materials used
for the production of Ductile Iron castings. By knowing the
impact of each charge material on slag formation, the
foundryman can then include the cost related to slag
formation in its economical analysis and optimize the total
cost of its Ductile Iron castings.
In this study, the effect of the various charge materials,
namely high purity iron, Ductile Iron returns and steel
scrap, and of their physical and chemical characteristics
on slag formation was studied. It was shown that HPI has
a very small contribution to slag formation when compared
to the other materials. The results also indicate that the
chemistry of the slag, which dictates its reactivity and
aggressivity vis-à-vis refractory linings, is strongly
influenced by the charge materials.
INTRODUCTION
The reaction of molten metal with its surrounding
atmosphere, particularly with oxygen, is unavoidable,
unless vacuum is maintained above the metal surface. As
a result, a layer of liquid oxides usually forms and floats on
the surface. The composition and the extent of this layer
are, however, strongly influenced by the composition and
the nature of the materials melted. Per example, melting
pure aluminium results in the formation of a thin Al2O3
layer floating at the surface. However, when an alloyed
material such as Ductile Iron is processed the composition
and volume of the slag formed depend on the reactivity of
the elements present and on the volume of non-soluble
phases entrapped in the solid charge materials. Moreover,
Formation in Ductile Iron Melts
C. Labrecque, M. Gagné and E. Planque
Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium Inc. Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, Canada
wear and dissolution of furnace lining by the slag further
contribute to increase the volume of slag.
During the manufacture of Ductile Iron, the slag floating at
the surface of the liquid bath may be the result of oxidation
of alloying elements, such as silicon, which are present in
the melt or of floatation of compounds, usually complex
oxides and sulphides, found in the charge materials. The
objective of this study was to isolate the effect of the
different charge materials used in the manufacture of
Ductile Iron, namely high purity iron units, Ductile Iron
returns and steel scrap, on the formation of slag,
independently of other sources of slag such as Mg
treatment. By knowing the individual impact of each
charge material on slag formation and its related cost, the
foundryman can then optimize its process, keeping in mind
that the cheapest charge material may not result in the
lowest cost finished casting.
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
Charge Materials
The formation of slag by each of the three major
components of a Ductile Iron charge was characterized;
these materials included two high purity iron (HPI) grades,
ferritic Ductile Iron returns and two steel scrap grades.
High Purity Iron
Sorelmetal F-10 and S-110 grades were evaluated during
this study; their typical chemical composition is listed in
Table 1. The major difference between the two materials
is the silicon content which varies from 0.15 – 0.20% in F-
10 to 0.90 – 1.10% in S-110.
In addition, the influence of the inherent variability of the
appearance of the ingots (due to the manufacturing
process) on the formation of slag was evaluated. The test
variables used were the surface roughness of the ingots
and the thickness and weight of the surface oxide layer. In
the paper, the HPI materials with apparently higher than
usual surface roughness and oxide content are referred to
as "irregular HPI".
2003 Keith Millis Symposium on Ductile Cast Iron

Table 1 and 0.014% Cr for the bushelings and 0.16% Cu and

Chemical Composition of HPI Materials. 0.13% Cr for the frag.
Element Sorelmetal F-10 Sorelmetal S-110
Table 3
Regular and Irregular Regular Irregular
Chemical Composition of the Steel Scrap Materials.
C 4.39 3.97 3.90
S 0.006 0.010 0.004
Element Bushelings Frag
P 0.010 0.011 0.009
C 0.10 0.10
Si 0.17 0.93 1.04
S 0.002 0.015
Mn 0.005 0.006 0.005
Si 0.0* 0.15
P 0.001 N.A.
Ductile Iron Returns
Mn 0.36 0.45
*: Aluminium killed steel.
Ductile Iron returns were obtained from a commercial
foundry. They consisted mostly of ferritic castings that
Characterization of HPI Ingots
were rejected for structural defects. Typical rejected
castings are shown in Figure 1 while Table 2 lists their
As indicated previously, the physical appearance of HPI
chemical composition.
ingots was classified as regular and irregular; Figure 2
presents the typical appearance of both types of ingots.
Note that the irregular ones were hand-selected to
represent the worst surface quality of the produced ingots.

a)

Figure 1 : Typical Rejected Castings Used as Ductile

Iron Returns.

Table 2
Chemical Composition of Ductile Iron Returns. b)
Element wt %
C 3.77
S 0.013
P 0.012
Si 2.69
Mn 0.20 Figure 2: Illustration of a) Regular and b) Irregular HPI
Mg 0.040 Ingots.

Steel Scrap
Two grades of steel scrap were used in the course of this
evaluation program. One consisted of top quality
"Busheling" scrap and the other of industrial quality "Frag"
scrap. Table 3 presents the chemical composition of
representative samples of these two materials. Note that
the "Frag" scrap was tested under two conditions: as-
received and after selecting the cleanest components of
the material. A major difference between the two types of
steel scrap is the Cr and Cu levels; these were 0.018% Cu
The quantity of iron oxide present on the surface of the
ingots was measured with two different techniques. Two
typical ingots of each category were used in each case.
In the first series of tests, cross section of the ingots
including the surface were cut, mounted in bakelite and
metallographically polished. Samples were classified as
originating from a surface of the ingots solidifying in
contact with the mold or in contact with the atmosphere.
The thickness of the oxide skin covering the surface was
2003 Keith Millis Symposium on Ductile Cast Iron

measured with a computerized image analyzer. A total of Table 5

700 measurements per type of HPI ingots were taken. Number of Test Heats.

The weight of oxide covering the ingots was also Principal Charge Material Number of Heats
evaluated. After brush cleaning, the ingots were weighed F-10 regular 3
and then placed in a phosphoric acid solution to remove F-10 irregular 1
the surface oxide. They were taken out of the solution at
S-110 regular 3
regular time intervals, brushed and inspected for
S-110 irregular 3
detectable remaining oxide. This was repeated until no
oxide remains on the surface. The ingots were then dried D.I. Returns 2
and weighted.
Bushelings 2
Cleaned Frag 2
Finally the total oxygen content of the ingots was
Frag 3
measured at their center; two samples were taken per
ingot (2 ingots per grade).
Prior to beginning the experimental program, a preliminary
series of tests were performed to validate the experimental
Evaluation of Slag Formation
procedures and determine the influence of furnace melting
history on slag formation. Several heats of regular Ductile
Different charges, whose compositions are listed in Table
Iron were previously produced in the furnace, in which the
4, were melted in a 230 kg capacity coreless induction
Mg treatment was carried out by plunging. Three heats
furnace lined with an alumina crucible. The number of test
with Sorelmetal S-110 were produced using the
heats per material is given in Table 5. For each test, a
procedures described above. Results are presented in
total metallic charge of 150 kg was melted and adjusted
Figure 3. It shows that the amount of slag collected during
with the necessary amounts of graphite and FeSi75 in order
the test heats decreases significantly after 3 test heats and
to obtain an iron bath containing 3.5 – 3.9% C and 1.5 –
then stabilizes. Therefore, in order to avoid the influence
2.0% Si. High purity Sorelsteel billet slices were used as
of previous heats on the amount of slag collected wash
additive to HPI and D.I. returns heats to dilute the carbon
heats were carried out with the material to be tested prior
or silicon contents with minimum effect on the overall
to perform the test heats.
composition of the iron. The charges were melted, heated
to 1530°C and kept 20 minutes at that temperature. Note 0.4
%wt Slag (Slag/Total Metallic

that for HPI heats the concentration of oxygen in solution 0.35

S-110
was measured at different temperatures using CELOX 0.3
Normal Level
LAB DATA CAST 2000. After the 20 minutes plateau, the 0.25
Charge)

slag present at the surface of the metal was collected 0.2

manually. After sampling for chemical analysis, the iron 0.15
was discarded in a ladle and the wall of the furnace was 0.1
cleaned of the adhering slag which was collected The 0.05
slags from the metal surface and from the crucible were 0
crushed separately and the liberated iron was removed by 0 1 2 3 4
Heat Number
magnetic separation. It is recognized that some metallic
iron remained attached to the slag particles while tiny slag
particles attached to larger iron ones were removed by Figure 3: Amount of Slag Collected as a
magnetic separation. All possible measures were taken to Function of the Number of Heats Following Ductile
minimize these phenomena. After magnetic separation, Iron Production.
the slag was weighted and subjected to chemical analysis.
Results and Discussion
Table 4
Metallic Charge Composition. Slag Formation with HPI Materials

Heat HPI D.I. Returns Sorelsteel Steel Scrap The measured physical characteristics of the HPI ingots
(%) (%) (%) (%) are listed in Table 6; these are the thickness of the oxide
F-10 80 0 20 0
layer, the surface oxide weight and the total oxygen
S-110 80 0 20 0
D.I. Returns 0 67 33 0 content at the centre of the ingots.
Steel scrap 50(F-10) 0 0 50
2003 Keith Millis Symposium on Ductile Cast Iron

Table 6 Table 8
Characteristics of HPI Ingots. Chemical Composition of Slag Materials Floating on
Average Oxide Thickness (mm) Surface Oxide Total Oxygen
the Liquid Bath and Adhering to the Furnace Wall.
Grade (%Si) Appearence (wt%) (ppm) at the
Surface Walls Element or F-10 Regular S-110 Regular S-110 Irregular
Centre
Ingot 1 Ingot 2 Ingot 1 Ingot 2 Ingot 1 Ingot 2 Compound (wt%) Floating Wall Floating Wall Floating Wall
Regular 0.047 0.057 0.008 0.008 0.07 0.10 123 C 0.69 0.33 0.86 0.22 0.22 0.27
F-10 (0.15)
Irregular 0.029 0.032 0.028 0.034 N.A. N.A. 182 S 0.07 0.05 0.05 0.04 0.11 0.18
Regular 0.042 0.067 0.041 0.064 0.05 0.11 185
S110 (1.10) Total Fe 11.4 10.9 22.5 14.5 13.5 10.8
Irregular 0.036 0.055 0.022 0.034 0.08 0.09 96
SiO2 55.9 52.9 51.1 42.7 46.6 48.5
Al2O3 15.5 18.7 10.7 30.0 19.0 17.9
Silicon content, i.e. 0.15 vs 1.10% Si, showed no CaO 9.4 9.4 4.8 4.3 10.9 15.0
MgO 2.1 2.2 0.9 1.3 2.8 1.6
significant influence on the characteristics of HPI ingots, MnO 1.0 0.9 1.0 0.9 0.3 0.2
regular or irregular, the only detected difference being the TiO2 0.7 0.7 1.0 1.1 1.7 1.7
very thin oxide layer found on the surfaces of low silicon
regular HPI ingots solidified in contact with the mold. As indicated earlier, the contamination of the slag samples
However, since silicon content has no effect on the other by metallic iron was noticed by visual inspection. The
measured characteristics that are also related to oxidation occurrence of a significant concentration of iron in the slag
of the ingots, it may indicate that the mold wash used on confirms that point; it is believed that a major fraction of the
the ingot mold surfaces was drier during the production of iron is found as metallic iron since the high silicon and
that heat of HPI. This did not significantly affect the weight carbon contents of the liquid bath should ensure the
of surface oxide or the oxygen content at the center. preferential oxidation of these elements vis-à-vis iron. A
significant concentration of Al2O3 was analyzed in all
The physical appearance of the ingots i.e. regular or samples. Since Sorelmetal contains 0.002% Al, the
irregular, whatever the silicon concentration, showed no maximum amount of Al2O3 that can form, assuming that
influence on the characteristics of the ingots. aluminium completely reacts with oxygen and that
Sorelsteel has the same aluminium content, is:
The four types of HPI were melted as previously described
to evaluate the amount of slag formed. The composition of 0.002 75g (Al2O3)
150kg X X = 8g Al2O3
the iron after holding 20 minutes at 1530°C (2785°F) is 100 28g (Al)
shown in Table 7. Note that the final silicon content of the
Since the typical weight of slag formed is ~ 225 g, the
F-10 heats was slightly lower than the one achieved in the
Al2O3 originating from Sorelmetal would represent less
S-110 heats, probably because of a lower than expected
than 5% of the slag formed. Another possible source of
silicon recovery from the added FeSi75. Otherwise, all
Al2O3 is the FeSi alloy added to bring the silicon content to
heats are equivalent with respect to liquid iron
~ 1.5%; in this case, assuming an aluminium content of ~
composition.
1%, the contribution would be about 44,2 g or ~ 20%. The
major fraction of the alumina found in the slag thus
The slag materials collected on the liquid metal and on the
originates from the furnace lining. Note that the difference
wall of the crucible were analyzed separately to verify the
in Al2O3 content between the floating slag and the wall slag
possible contamination of the slag adhering to the crucible
for the S-110 regular HPI is most probably due to
wall by the crucible material itself, i.e. Al2O3. The results
fragments of lining detached with the slag from the furnace
are presented in Table 8.
wall. With this exception the compositions of the floating
slag and of that adhering to the wall were comparable,
Table 7
indicating that the procedures used to detach the slag
Chemical Composition of Liquid Iron of the HPI Based
were appropriate and that the formed slag was not too
Heats Prior to Slag Collection.
aggressive vis-à-vis the Al2O3 lining.
F-10 S-110
Elements (wt%)
Regular Irregular Regular Irregular
As seen in Table 8, the HPI grade (or initial Si content) and
C 3.56 3.42 3.64 3.73
the appearance of the ingots have no significant influence
S 0.005 0.012 0.007 0.012 on the chemistry of the slag generated during melting. In
Si 1.55 1.42 1.73 1.61 all cases, the major constituents of the slag are silica,
Mn 0.067 0.093 0.040 0.015 followed by Al2O3 (most probably originating from the
furnace lining) and CaO which may originate from the
lining, the added FeSi and/or from desulphurizing residues
in the HPI. Other oxides are in very low concentrations
due to the high purity level of the charge materials.
2003 Keith Millis Symposium on Ductile Cast Iron

Figures 4, 5 and 6 show the total amount of slag sampled
from each heat (surface + wall) as a function of surface
oxide thickness, oxide weight and total oxygen content of
the HPI ingots, respectively. It clearly shows that the
variation of the appearance or of the physical
characteristics of the ingots has no significant effect on the
quantity of slag formed. The oxide layer coating the ingots
being essentially iron oxide, it is reduced by the silicon
present in the melt which forms SiO2 and constitutes, with
Al2O3 from the refractory lining, the major components of
the slag. The contribution of the oxidation of elements
such as Mn and Ti from HPI is negligeable.
based on irregular HPI ingots. Results are shown in
Figure 7. It shows that at 1530°C (2785°F) (the holding
temperature for the test heats), the liquid bath contains
only about 5 ppm oxygen in equilibrium with carbon and
silicon. The results shown in Figure 7 indicates that the
amount of oxygen in solution in the liquid iron increases
with the iron temperature, as expected, but remains at low
concentration due to the high Si and C contents of the
bath. Once the chemical equilibrium between the metal,
the slag and the atmosphere is reached, no more slag
should be generated at the surface of the bath, except that
coming from lining wear.

9
0.2
8
0.15 7 F-10

S-110
6

ppm Oxygen
0.1 5
% Slag

4
0.05
3
2
0
1
0.044 0.046 0.048 0.05 0.052 0.054 0.056
0
Oxide Thickness (m m ) 1300 1350 1400 1450 1500 1550 1600
Temperature [°C]

Figure 4. Effect of Oxide Layer Thickness on Figure 7. Effect of Liquid Iron Bath
HPI Ingots on Slag Formation. Temperature on the Concentration of Oxygen in
0.21 Solution in Iron at Equilibrium.
0.19

0.17 Slag Formation with Ductile Iron Returns and Steel

Scrap Charges
% Slag

0.15

0.13

0.11 Table 9 lists the liquid iron composition of heats based on

0.09 Ductile Iron returns (67% returns) and steel scrap (50%
0.07 steel scrap). As indicated in Table 4, addition of Sorelsteel
0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16
% Surface Oxide bars or Sorelmetal was made to returns and to steel scrap
to adjust the C and Si contents. The silicon content is
Figure 5. Effect of Oxide Weight on HPI Ingots slightly higher in the heats based on Ductile Iron returns,
on Slag Formation. which also contain a lower carbon concentration.
However, with respect to oxidation kinetics, a 3.15% C
0.21 melt acts essentially like a 3.64% C melt in presence of
0.19 1.50 – 1.70% Si and the heats listed in Table 9 have C and
0.17 Si contents comparable to those based on high purity iron.
0.15
% Slag

0.13 The difference in scrap quality can be noticed by the

0.11 chemical composition of the heats. The bushelings steel
0.09 scrap exhibits a lower level of trace elements (for example:
0.07 Cu) than the frag scrap, whose composition was slightly
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05
% O total improved by the hand selection process.

Figure 6. Effect of Total Oxygen Content of HPI

Ingots on Slag Formation.

As a complement to this study on the effect of HPI

characteristics on slag formation, the concentration of
oxygen in solution in the liquid bath was monitored as a
function of the iron temperature. In order to check the
most severe conditions, this was carried out on heats
2003 Keith Millis Symposium on Ductile Cast Iron

Table 9 Table 11
Chemical Composition of Liquid Iron for Heats Comparison of Floating Slag Composition of HPI
Based on D.I. Returns and Steel Scrap. and Other Materials
Element Heat Based on
Elements or Cleaned
wt % D.I. Returns High Purity Cleaned Frags compound (wt%)
HPI D.I. Returns Bushelings
Frag
Frag
Steel Scrap Frags
Total Fe 11.4-22.5 18.30 13.30 21.40 14.00
C 3.15 3.41 3.64 3.49 SiO 2 46.6-55.9 49.50 59.90 45.90 45.50
S 0.008 0.003 0.010 0.010 Al 2O3 10.7-19.0 10.30 9.40 15.40 19.90
Si 1.73 1.53 1.58 1.57 CaO 4.8-10.9 1.00 5.10 4.50 5.40
MgO 0.9-2.8 5.10 0.70 1.00 1.10
Mn 0.23 0.24 0.23 0.23 MnO 0.3-1.0 9.40 7.80 5.80 5.60
Cu 0.068 0.033 0.069 0.076 TiO2 0.7-1.7 0.60 1.00 1.90 1.70

The chemical compositions of the slag formed on the

melts based on Ductile Iron returns and steel scrap are Within the limits of this experimental program, no
listed in Table 10. The "wall" slag typically contains a significant difference was found between the "total Fe",
significantly lower carbon content than the "floating" slag in silica and alumina contents of the floating slag formed by
which a carbon concentration as high as 14.5% was the different charge materials. With respect to "total Fe", it
analyzed. This was not observed in the HPI heats, Table is speculated that the fraction of entrapped iron within the
8. It indicates that a fraction of the recarburizer added to slag particles is comparable for all materials. For silica
adjust the carbon content of the melt remained entrapped and alumina, an equilibrium appears to have been
in the slag that readily forms when melting these materials. established between the silicon in solution in the iron, the
The "wall" slag was found to contain more Al2O3 than the refractory lining and the liquid bath. As the Si and Al
floating slag due to the detachment of refractory particles contents of the bath are comparable for all materials (i.e.
when collecting the slag adhering to the furnace wall. This 1.50 – 1.75% Si and < 0.010% Al) and that the refractory
phenomenon which was limited in the HPI heats, may lining is the same, the equilibrium values between the
indicate that the slag formed in the melts with Ductile Iron bath, the slag and the lining are not significantly influenced
returns or steel scrap is more intrusive vis-à-vis the by the initial concentrations of these elements before
furnace refractory than the one formed in the HPI heats. melting. Note, however, that the presence of other
compounds may dilute the SiO2 and Al2O3 concentrations
Table 10 and explain some of the differences seen.
Chemical Composition of Slag Materials Generated
in Heats Based on D.I. Returns and Steel Scrap. The heats based on Ductile Iron returns present two
peculiarities: low CaO and high MgO contents. The low
Element or D.I. Returns Bushelings Cleaned Frag Frag
compound (wt%) CaO concentration may suggest that the Ductile Iron
Floating Wall Floating Wall Floating Wall Floating Wall
C 11.05 3.95 14.50 3.16 0.72 3.41 1.49 0.89
castings used as returns were treated with low Ca alloys
S 0.07 0.05 0.07 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.05 0.03 and that no slag carry over occurred during pouring of
Total Fe 16.30 13.50 11.26 10.20 21.43 17.55 14.00 12.20 these castings. As expected, these heats contain a high
SiO2
MgO concentration. As shown in literature(1), MgO is the
44.10 36.80 50.88 55.94 45.95 35.53 45.51 33.30
Al2O3 9.20 37.60 8.02 13.17 15.39 30.20 19.90 36.80
CaO 0.59 2.96 4.92 5.69 4.55 3.68 5.36 2.50 most thermodynamically stable oxide (except CaO) and
MgO 4.51 3.89 0.60 0.75 1.03 1.85 1.08 3.40 any free magnesium present in the iron oxidizes to float in
MnO 8.98 5.89 6.56 6.12 5.84 4.70 5.61 4.80
TiO2 0.50 0.85 0.84 0.95 1.93 1.98 1.73 0.85 the slag, together with MgO/MgS inclusions present in the
solid castings.
Major differences in slag composition between HPI melts The most significant difference between HPI melts and the
and the other materials are seen when comparing the data other materials is the presence of a high concentration of
of Tables 8 and 10. This is further evidenced in Table 11, MnO (5-10%) in the Ductile Iron returns and steel scrap
which compares the composition of the floating slag based melts in spite of a relatively low Mn content of the
collected on heats based on the different charge materials. liquid metal (0.23 – 0.24%). An increase of the Mn
Note that the composition of the slags from Table 10 was concentration in the metal would augment the MnO
corrected, assuming that the typical carbon content should fraction in the slag. Because of the complex interactions
be < 1%. between the different constituents, it is difficult to
quantitatively determine the effect of MnO on the melting
point of the slag. However, according to the MnO – SiO2
phase diagram(2), these compounds have an eutectic at
50% MnO, 50% SiO2; therefore, it is reasonable to believe
that MnO would contribute to reducing the melting point of
2003 Keith Millis Symposium on Ductile Cast Iron

the slag and make it more aggressive for the lining results in significant additional cost whose quantification
material. This may explain the increased amount of depends on the processes and production parameters
adhering slag for melts based on Mn containing charge utilized in a given foundry.
materials.
There are however costs which more directly depend on
The amounts of slag generated by the different charge the charge materials mix. For example, assuming an
materials expressed as the % of liquid bath weight are average quality steel scrap is used, i.e. 5% slag formed,
listed in Table 12; note that the amount of slag obtained the additional costs are;
from the different melts has been corrected for a charge
composed of 100% of that material. • A metallic yield of 0.95;
• Additional energy to melt and superheat 5% of non-
Table 12 usable material (slag);
% Weight of Slag Formed. • Disposal of the slag (up to $40.00/ton for non-
hazardous slag and up to $240.00/ton for hazardous
Material Test Results Corrected Results slag (containing leachable elements (Cd, Pb…))(3);
(% in the charge) % Slag % Slag • And many others.
HPI (80%) 0.12 0.12
D.I. Returns (67%) 2.90 4.0
In a study published by Mullins(4) the costs of the two
Bushelings (50%) 0.35 0.57
Selected Frag (50%) 0.79 1.43
charges which are described in Table 13 were compared.
Frag (50%) 3 to 6 5.9 to 11.6 He concluded that although the apparent cost of charge
materials is higher with a charge containing HPI, reducing
Of all the materials tested, HPI is the one that created the the steel scrap from 45% to 25% by including 24% HPI in
least amount of slag, with only 0.12% of the charged HPI the charge results in a total cost reduction of at least 2%.
material going to slag. Ductile Iron returns is a significant This excludes other advantages inherent to the use of HPI:
contributor to slag formation. MgO and MnO, whose • More consistent chemical composition of the base iron
presence is related to the material composition, and of final chemistry resulting in more consistent
contributed significantly to the slag formation, but the mechanical properties(5);
moulding material (SiO2 sand) adhering to the casting • Salvage heat treatment reduced or eliminated;
surfaces is most probably the major contributor. • Increased melting capacity;
• Increased casting yield;
The three grades of steel scrap tested gave different • Less scrap castings.
results, the highest quality steel scrap (bushelings), which
displays a non-oxidized surface and no attached foreign Table 13
material, has the smallest contribution to slag formation of Description of Charges Used for Cost Comparison(4).
this class of materials; this contribution is nevertheless five
times that of HPI. It is seen in Table 12 that the Material % in Charge
cleanliness level of the frag steel scrap has a strong effect No. 1 No. 2
on the formation of slag; results vary from ~ 1.5% for a
Sorelmetal F 0 24
selected cleaned frag scrap to as much as ~ 12% for a
D.I. Returns 50 46
dirty scrap (sometimes called by foundrymen "Winter
Steel Scrap 44.7 25.6
Scrap"). Typical value for such a scrap is 5 to 6%.
Graphite 2.4 1.3
FeSi50 0.5 1.0
General Discussion
CONCLUSIONS
The formation of slag has many economical effects on the
production of Ductile Iron castings. As shown earlier,
Within the limits of this study on the effect of charge
depending on its composition, a slag may be more
materials on slag formation in Ductile Iron melts, the
intrusive for refractory lining and affect its life. A large slag
following conclusions can be drawn:
volume increases the risk of slag carry-over during pouring
and of associated casting defects; filters help to prevent
1. For a given liquid iron composition, the silicon content
such defects but increase the production cost of the
of the HPI ingots has no influence on the quantity or the
castings. Slag often reduces the yield of treatment and
composition of the slag formed.
alloying materials; for example, light materials such as
2. The physical characteristics of the HPI ingots (rough
graphite added to trim the melt composition may remain
and/or oxidized surface) has no significant effect on
entrapped in the slag. Therefore, using charge materials
the quantity or composition of the slag formed.
that generate a large volume of slag such as steel scrap
2003 Keith Millis Symposium on Ductile Cast Iron

3.- The concentration of oxygen in solution in the liquid

iron is small and depends on the temperature of the
liquid metal.
4.- HPI is the charge material forming the smallest quantity
of slag (typical: 0.12% of its weight).
5.- Ductile Iron returns generate a large amount of slag (up
to 4% of its weight).
6.- The quantity of slag generated by steel scrap varies
from ~ 0.6% to 12% of its weight, depending on the
quality of the scrap; average quality steel scrap
generates about 5 to 6% slag.
7.- The composition of the slag depends on the
composition of the charge; D.I. returns slag contains a
significant amount of MgO while slags formed by D.I.
returns and steel scrap are enriched with MnO.
8.- Partially substituting steel scrap by HPI in Ductile Iron
melts results in significant savings which are
accompanied by quality improvement.

REFERENCES

1. L.S. Darken and R.W. Gurry, Physical Chemistry

of Metals, Mc Graw-Hill, New York, 1953.
2. L. Coudurier, D.W. Hopkins and I. Wilkomirsky,
Fundamentals of Metallurgical Processes, Pergamon
Press, Oxford, 1978.
3. E.C. Muratore, personal communication.
4. J.D. Mullins, Take Another Look at your Charge
Material Cost, Rio Tinto Iron and Titanium Inc., Montréal,
May 1994.
5.- M. Gagné and E.C. Muratore, Improving the
Consistency of Pearlitic Ductile Iron, presented at the
Ductile Iron Society meeting, Los Angeles, November
1995.