The influence of modification technology on the structure and properties of products made of white wear-resistant cast iron

Wear-resistant white cast irons are used for manufacturing machine parts and components in various industries, including mining, mineral processing, and transportation of raw materials. Parts and mechanisms, such as impellers of pulp pumps, which are subjected to wear under conditions of low impact loads and are made of these cast irons, provide several times higher resistance to wear compared to parts made of conventional or alloyed steels. Currently, the primary method for producing slurry pump impellers is casting. However, the existing production technology has limitations that prevent consistent product quality. The structure of wear-resistant cast irons, which determines their wear resistance, depends on the chemical composition of the alloy, the crystallization parameters, and the heat treatment of the casting. While crystallization parameters can be considered stable under specific production conditions, modifying the melt before casting can influence the crystallization process. To improve the modification techniques for high-chromium wear-resistant cast iron (grade ICHKh28N2), experimental and industrial trials were conducted at the LLC NPP Tekhnologiya foundry and metallurgical laboratory. The study involved treating the melt with both well-documented modifiers (as referenced in scientific literature) and an innovative modifier developed by LLC NPP Tekhnologiya. The effectiveness of different modifiers was evaluated through microstructure analysis of the obtained samples and a series of hydroabrasive wear tests conducted on a specially designed test rig.