Effect of Ce-Mg-Si and Y-Mg-Si nodulizers on the microstructures and mechanical properties of heavy section ductile iron

Effect of Ce-Mg-Si(light RE) and Y-Mg-Si(heavy RE) nodulizers on the microstructures and mechanical properties of heavy section ductile iron was investigated to develop the material of spent-nuclear-fuel containers. Two as-casts were treated by the same quality percentage of light RE and heavy RE, respectively. Four positions were chosen to stand for different solidification cooling rates of specimens. The tensile strength, elongation and impact toughness of specimens treated by heavy RE were all higher than those of the specimens treated by light RE. With the decrease of cooling rate, the mechanical properties of two specimens decreased, and the fracture morphology changed from ductile fracture to brittle fracture. The improving effect of mechanical properties between heavy RE and light RE was obvious due to the better anti-degradation property of heavy RE. While the solidification process lasted for more than 250 min, the improving effect was not obvious due to serious spheroidalization decaying.