The cast alloys crystallizing in Fe-C-V system are classified as white cast iron, because all the carbon is bound in vanadium carbides. High
vanadium cast iron has a very high abrasion resistance due to hard VC vanadium carbides. However, as opposed to ordinary white cast
iron, this material can be treated using conventional machining tools. This article contains the results of the group of Fe-C-V alloys of
various microstructure which are been tested metallographic, mechanical using an INSTRON machine and machinability with the method
of drilling. The study shows that controlling the proper chemical composition can influence on the type and shape of the crystallized
matrix and vanadium carbides. This makes it possible to obtain a high-vanadium cast iron with very high wear resistance while
maintaining a good workability.
The ecological factor is very important in shaping properties of alloys. It leads to a limitation or elimination, from the surroundings, of harmful elements from the heavy metals group. The so-called eco-brasses group comprises common lead-free brasses containing 10 to 40% of zinc and arsenic brasses of a high dezincification resistance. Among standardized alloys, CW511L alloy ( acc. to EN standard) or MS-60 alloy (acc. to DIN) can be mentioned. Investigations were performed on two different kinds of metal charges: ingots cast by gravity and the ones obtained in the semi-continuous casting technology with using crystallizers. The casting quality was analysed on the basis of the microstructure images and mechanical properties. The investigations also concerned increasing the corrosion resistance of lead-free alloys. This resistance was determined by the dezincification tendency of alloys after the introduction of alloying additions, i.e. aluminium, arsenic and tin. The investigations focused on the fact that not only alloying additions but also the production methods of charge materials are essential for the quality of produced castings. The introduced additions of aluminium and tin in amounts: 0÷1.2 wt% decreased the dezincification tendency, while arsenic, already in the amount of 0.033 wt%, significantly stopped corrosion, limiting the dezincification process of lead-free CuZn37 brass. At higher arsenic contents, corrosion occurs only within the thin surface layer of the casting (20 μ).
The research focuses on assessing the metal content, mainly copper, lead, iron and also silver in metallurgical slag samples from the area
where historical metallurgical industry functioned. In the smelter located in Mogiła, near Krakow (southern Poland), whose operation is
confirmed in sources from 1469, copper was probably refined as well as silver was separated from copper. Based on the change of
chemical and soil phase content and also taking cartographic and historical data into account, considering the restrictions resulting from
the modern land use the area was determined whose geochemical mapping can point to the location of the 15th century Jan Thurzo’s
smelter in Mogiła near Krakow. Moreover, using the same approach with the samples of this kind here as with hazardous waste, an
attempt has been made to assess their impact on the environment. Thereby, taking the geoenvironmental conditions into account, potential
impact of the industrial activity has been assessed, which probably left large scale changes in the substratum, manifested in the structure,
chemical content and soil phase changes. Discovering areas which are contaminated above the standard value can help to identify
historical human activities, and finding the context in artefacts allows to treat geochemical anomalies as a geochronological marker. For
this purpose the best are bed sediments, at present buried in the ground, of historical ditches draining the area of the supposed smelter.
Correlating their qualities with analogical research of archeologically identified slags and other waste material allows for reconstructing
the anthropopressure stages and the evaluation of their effects. The operation of Jan Thurzo’s smelter is significant for the history of
mining and metallurgy of Poland and Central and Eastern Europe.
Cast axes are one of the most numerous categories of bronze products from earlier phases of the Bronze Age found in Poland. They had multiple applications since they were not only used objects such as tools or weapons but also played the prestigious and cult roles.
Investigations of the selected axes from the bronze products treasure of the Bronze Age, found in the territory of Poland, are presented
in the hereby paper. The holder of these findings is the State Archaeological Museum in Warsaw. Metallurgical investigations of axes with bushing were performed in respect of the casting technology and quality of obtained castings. Macroscopic observations allowed to document the remains of the gating system and to assess the range and kind of casting defects. Light microscopy revealed the microstructure character of these relicts. The chemical composition was determined by means of the X-ray fluorescence method with energy dispersion (ED-XRF) and by the scanning electron microscopy with X-ray energy dispersion analysis in micro-areas (SEM-EDS). The shape and dimensions of cores, reproducing inner parts of axes were identified on the basis of the X-ray tomography images. Studies reconstructed production technology of the mould with gating system, determined chemical composition of the applied alloys and casting structures as well as revealed the casting defects being the result of construction and usage of moulds and cores.
The work presents experiment results from the area of copper casting technology and chosen examples of alloyed copper. At present,
copper casting technology is applied in many branches of industrial manufacturing, especially in the sector of construction,
communications, arms and power engineering. Alloyed copper, containing slight additions of different elements and having special
physio-chemical properties, is used in a special range of applications. Copper technology and alloyed copper analyses have been presented,
these materials being used for cast manufacturing for power engineering. The quality of casts has been assessed, based on their
microstructure analysis, chemical content and the cast properties. During the research, special deoxidizing and modifying agents were
applied for copper and chosen examples of alloyed copper; also exemplary samples were tested with the help of metallographic analysis,
electrical conductivity and gaseous impurities research.
High prices of tin and its limited resources, as well as several valuable properties characterising Cu-Sn alloys, cause searching for materials of similar or better properties at lower production costs. The influence of various nickel additions to CuSn10 casting bronze and to CuSn8 bronze of a decreased tin content was tested. Investigations comprised melting processes and casting of tin bronzes containing various nickel additions (up to 5%). The applied variable conditions of solidification and cooling of castings (metal and ceramic moulds) allowed to assess these alloys sensitivity in forming macro and microstructures. In order to determine the direction of changes in the analysed Cu-Sn-Ni alloys, the metallographic and strength tests were performed. In addition, the solidification character was analysed on the basis of the thermal analysis tests. The obtained results indicated the influence of nickel in the solidification and cooling ways of the analysed alloys (significantly increased temperatures of the solidification beginning along with increased nickel fractions in Cu-Sn alloys) as well as in the microstructure pattern (clearly visible grain size changes). The hardness and tensile strength values were also changed. It was found, that decreasing of the tin content in the analysed bronzes to which approximately 3% of nickel was added, was possible, while maintaining the same ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and hardness (HB) and improved plasticity (A5).
This preliminary study characterizes the bronze metalworking on a defensive settlement of the Lusatian culture in former Kamieniec
(Chełmno land, Poland) as it is reflected through casting workshop recovered during recent excavations. Among ready products, the ones
giving evidence of local metallurgy (e.g. casting moulds and main runners) were also identified. With the shrinkage cavities and dendritic
microstructures revealed, the artifacts prove the implementing a casting method by the Lusatian culture metalworkers. The elemental
composition indicates application of two main types of bronzes: Cu-Sn and Cu-Pb. Aside these main alloying additions, some natural
impurities such as silver, arsenic, antimony and nickel were found which may be attributed to the origin of the ore and casting technology.
The collection from Kamieniec was described in terms of its structure and composition. The investigations were made by means of the
energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ED-XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with an energy dispersive Xray
analysis system (EDS) and optical microscopy (OM). In order to fingerprint either local or non-local profile of the alloys, the ED-XRF
data-set was statistically evaluated using a factor analysis (FA).
The paper discusses issues related to the technology of melting and processing of copper alloys. An assessment was made of the impact of titanium and iron introduced in the form of pre-alloy - Ti73Fe master alloy on the microstructure and selected properties of pure copper and copper-silicon alloy. There are known examples of the use of titanium and iron additive to the copper alloy. Titanium as an additive introduced to copper alloys to improve their properties is sometimes also applicable. In the first stage of the study, a series of experimental castings were conducted with variable content of Ti73Fe master alloy entering copper in quantities of 5 %, 15 %, 25 % in relation to the mass of the metal charge. In the second stage, a silicon additive was introduced into copper in the amount of about 4 % by weight and 0.5 % and 1 % respectively of the initial Ti73Fe alloy. Thermodynamic phase parameters were modelled using CALPHAD method and Thermo-Calc software, thus obtaining the crystallization characteristics of the test alloys and the percentage of structural components at ambient temperature. Experiments confirmed the validity of the use of Ti73Fe master alloy as an additive. The pre-alloy used showed a favourable performance, both in terms of addition solubility and in the area of improvement of strength properties. Changes were achieved in the microstructure, mainly within the grain, but also in the developed dendrites of the solid solution. Changes occur with the introduction of titanium with iron into copper as well as to two-component silicon bronze.
As part of the studies conducted in the field of broadly understood casting of non-ferrous metals, selected results on the impact of variable additions of copper and silicon in aluminium were presented. A series of melts was carried out with copper content kept constant at a level of 2% (1st stage) and 4% (2nd stage) and variable contents of silicon introduced into aluminium. The crystallization characteristics of the examined alloys and the percentage of structural constituents at ambient temperature were obtained by modelling the thermodynamic parameters of individual phases with the CALPHAD method. The microstructure of the obtained alloys was examined and microhardness was measured by the Vickers-Hanemann method. The alloy properties were assessed based on the results of mechanical tests, including ultimate tensile strength (UTS), hardness (BHN) and elongation (E). The machinability of the tested alloys was analyzed in a machinability test carried out by the Keep-Bauer method, which consisted in drilling with a constant feed force.
The obtained results clearly indicate changes in the images of microstructure, such as the reduction in grain size, solution hardening and precipitation hardening. The changes in the microstructure are also reflected in the results of mechanical properties testing, causing an increase in strength and hardness, and plasticity variations in the range of 4 ÷ 16%, mainly due to the introduced additions of copper and silicon. The process of alloy strengthening is also visible in the results of machinability tests. The plotted curves showing the depth of the hole as a function of time and the images of chips produced during the test indicate an improvement in the wear resistance obtained for the tested group of aluminium alloys with the additions of copper and silicon.