Nature 175, 348 - 349 (19 February 1955); doi:10.1038/175348a0

Deposit of Spheroidal Graphite

B. VASSILIOU, E. W. ROBERTS & G. R. RIGBY

British Ceramic Research Association, Queens Road, Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent. Oct. 15.

THE superior mechanical properties of nodular cast iron, in comparison with other cast iron, are believed to be due to the graphite which is present in a spheroidal form. Small additions of various metals, and suitable heat treatment, induce or inhibit the formation of this variety of graphite, and recently the presence of hydrogen in the gas atmosphere has been demonstrated to have a marked influence¹. No generally accepted explanation of this phenomenon has been advanced; but several investigators have suggested that the presence of foreign particles is necessary in order to induce nucleation or growth of the spherulites by an epitaxis or by screw dislocation mechanism².

1. Hultgren, A. , and östberg, G. , J. Iron and Steel Inst., 351 (1954).
2. Hilbert, M. , and Lindblom, Y. , J. Iron and Steel Inst., 388 (1954).
3. Morrogh, H. , J. Iron and Steel Inst., 378 (1954).