Cast Steel Filtration Trials Using Ceramic-Carbon Filters

Trials of cast steel filtration using two types of newly-developed foam filters in which carbon was the phase binding ceramic particles have been conducted. In one of the filters the source of carbon was flake graphite and coal-tar pitch, while in the other one graphite was replaced by a cheaper carbon precursor. The newly-developed filters are fired at 1000C, i.e. at a much lower temperature than the currently applied ZrO2-based filters. During filtration trials the filters were subjected to the attack of a flowing metal stream having a temperature of 1650C for 30 seconds. Characteristic of the filters’ properties before and after the filtration trial were done. It was found, that the surface reaction of the filter walls with molten metal, which resulted in local changes of the microstructure and phase composition, did not affect on expected filter lifetime and filtration did not cause secondary contamination of cast steel.