Investigations of Solidification Structures of High Carbon Alloy Cast Steel Containing RE-V-Ti

The solidification microstructural characteristics of rare earth (RE) and vanadium and titanium-treated high carbon alloy cast steel, whose chemical compositions are 0.90 wt.% C, 3.0 wt.% Si, and 1.0 wt.% Mn, were investigated by means of optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA), and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). The alloys were prepared in an induction furnace. The results showed that compound additions of RE-V-Ti could obviously refine the solidification structures and decrease the diameter of grains. The average grain diameter of untreated high carbon alloy cast steel was 80 μm. The average grain diameter of high carbon alloy cast steel containing RE-V-Ti decreased to 40 μm. Finally, the reasons that RE-V-Ti refined the solidification structure were analyzed in detail.