Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
The effect of twin/tilt initiated in the process of graphite growth making the graphite curling and change from flake to vermicular and spheroidal is discussed. With the developing of the solidification process,the modifying elements enrich in the front of solid-liquid interface, the amount of twin defects in the graphite increases,its tilt fashion changes and the graphite formed varies from flake to vermicular and spheroidal. The modifying elements promote the formation of twin/tilt. When the modifying elements are insufficient for spheroidizing,the tilt orientation of twins is changeable,and the graphite formed is twisted. When the modifying elements are sufficient enough, the tilt orientation of twins becomes singular, and the graphite formed tends to be round. According to the energy and kinetics consideration of the formation of twin/tilt boundary, it is predicted that the twin plane would firstly adopt (10Tm), especially the (10T2) plane. This result coincides well with the experimental observations. It is proposed that the formation of SG can be divided into two steps: growth of graphite nucleus into spherulite by twin/tilt mechanism and brancing on it in a spiral mode.