Analysis of ductile iron production on steel scrap base

The cast iron production (melting) process is commonly based on pig iron. However, economic and ecological factors necessitate that the melting process is more often based on steel scrap (with no pig iron at all). This kind of cast iron is called synthetic cast iron. This approach may, however, cause a decrease in the quality of the alloys obtained, particularly when ductile iron (DI) is produced. The following article presents an analysis of the product and some aspects of ductile iron produced exclusively on a base of steel scrap. The experiments and the charging materials are described. The results of the chemical analysis of the produced DI, the carburisation efficiency and microstructure of the obtained material are presented as well. The results of cast iron melted on a pig iron base are presented for comparison. A quantitative microstructure analysis is also presented.