The main difference between ferrosilicon inoculants and ferrosilicon lies in their applications and compositional properties.
Ferrosilicon is a basic ferroalloy composed of iron and silicon, primarily used for deoxidation in steelmaking, as an alloying additive, and in the smelting of metallic magnesium. It can also be used as an inoculant in cast iron, but requires specific proportions of elements such as aluminum and calcium to effectively promote graphitization.
Ferrosilicon inoculants are modified ferrosilicon specifically designed for cast iron. They typically contain added elements such as barium, calcium, and strontium, which more efficiently refine graphite, reduce white cast iron, and exhibit a slower decay rate. For example, the effect of barium silicon inoculant lasts for approximately 30 minutes, while that of ordinary ferrosilicon lasts only 5-8 minutes.
