In the family of iron-based alloys, ductile iron enjoys the highest rate of development, finding application in various industries. Ductile iron or the cast iron with spheroidal graphite can be manufactured by various methods. One of them is the Inmold spheroidization process characterized by different technological solutions, developed mainly to increase the process efficiency. So far, however, none of the solutions has been based on the use of a reactor made outside the casting mould cavity. The method of spheroidization inside the casting mould using a reaction chamber developed at the Foundry Research Institute is an innovative way of cast iron treatment. The innovative character of this method consists in the use of properly designed and manufactured reactor placed in the casting mould cavity. Owing to this solution, the Inmold process can be carried out in moulds with both horizontal and vertical parting plane. The study presents the results of examinations of the microstructure of graphite precipitates and metal matrix of castings after spheroidization carried out by the Inmold process using a reactor and mould with vertical parting plane. Special pattern assembly was made for the tests to reproduce plates with wall thicknesses of 3; 5; 7; 10; 20 and 30 mm. The content of residual magnesium was determined for all tested castings, while for castings of plates with a wall thickness equal to or larger than 10 mm, testing of mechanical properties was additionally performed.

The article presents the results of the research on the influence of the shape of reaction chamber on spheroidisation of cast iron produced with use of the inmold method. The amounts of nodular graphite precipitates in castings produced with the use of different reaction chambers have been compared.

The effectiveness of cast iron spheroidization with FeSiMg master alloy by the traditional method and using a reaction chamber placed in the cavity of foundry mould was compared. The method of cast iron treatment in mould cavity using a reaction chamber is an innovative technology developed by the Foundry Research Institute in Krakow. The effectiveness of the spheroidization process carried out by both methods was checked on a series of test castings. The article also presents the results of metallographic examinations and mechanical testing, including the discussion of magnesium yield and its assimilation rate.