Cast irons
EF420 Lecture 9
Overview of cast iron
Iron with 1.7 to 4.5% carbon and 0.5 to 3% silicon Lower melting point and more fluid than steel (better castability) Low cost material usually produced by sand casting A wide range of properties, depending on composition & cooling rate
Strength Hardness Ductility Thermal conductivity Damping capacity
Iron carbon diagram
d
Liquid g+ L
Austenite
L + Fe3C
910C
Carbon Steel
a+g
g + Fe3C
Cast Iron
723C
a
0%
a + Fe3C
0.8% ~2% ~3% 3
Production of cast iron
Pig iron, scrap steel, limestone and carbon (coke) Cupola Electric arc furnace Electric induction furnace Usually sand cast, but can be gravity die cast in reusable graphite moulds Not formed, finished by machining
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Types of cast iron
Grey cast iron - carbon as graphite White cast iron - carbides, often alloyed Ductile cast iron
nodular, spheroidal graphite
Malleable cast iron Compacted graphite cast iron
CG or Vermicular Iron
Effect of cooling rate
Slow cooling favours the formation of graphite & low hardness Rapid cooling promotes carbides with high hardness Thick sections cool slowly, while thin sections cool quickly Sand moulds cool slowly, but metal chills can be used to increase cooling rate & promote white iron
Effect of composition
S P Carbon equivalent CE C 3
A CE over 4.3 (hypereutectic) leads to carbide or graphite solidifying first & promotes grey cast iron A CE less than 4.3 (hypoeutectic) leads to austenite solidifying first & promotes white iron
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Grey cast iron
Flake graphite in a matrix of pearlite, ferrite or martensite Wide range of applications Low ductility - elongation 0.6% Grey cast iron forms when
Cooling is slow, as in heavy sections High silicon or carbon
Typical properties
Depend strongly on casting shape & thickness AS1830 & ASTM A48 specifies properties Low strength, A48 Class 20, Rm 120 MPa
High carbon, 3.6 to 3.8% Kish graphite (hypereutectic) High conductivity, high damping Low carbon, (eutectic composition)
High strength, A48 Class 60, Rm 410 MPa
Graphite form
Uniform Rosette Superimposed (Kish and normal) Interdendritic random Interdendritic preferred orientation See AS5094 designation of microstructure of graphite
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Matrix structure
Pearlite or ferrite Transformation is to ferrite when
Cooling rate is slow High silicon content High carbon equivalence Presence of fine undercooled graphite
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Properties of grey cast iron
Machineability is excellent Ductility is low (0.6%), impact resistance low Damping capacity high Thermal conductivity high Dry and normal wear properties excellent
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Applications
Engines
Cylinder blocks, liners,
Brake drums, clutch plates Pressure pipe fittings (AS2544) Machinery beds Furnace parts, ingot and glass moulds
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Ductile iron
Inoculation with Ce or Mg or both causes graphite to form as spherulites, rather than flakes Also known as spheroidal graphite (SG), and nodular graphite iron Far better ductility than grey cast iron See AS1831
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Microstructure
Graphite spheres surrounded by ferrite Usually some pearlite May be some cementite Can be hardened to martensite by heat treatment
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Production
Composition similar to grey cast iron except for higher purity. Melt is added to inoculant in ladle. Magnesium as wire, ingots or pellets is added to ladle before adding hot iron. Mg vapour rises through melt, removing sulphur.
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Verification
Testing is required to ensure nodularisation is complete. Microstructural examination Mechanical testing on standard test bars (ductility) Ultrasonic testing
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Properties
Strength higher than grey cast iron Ductility up to 6% as cast or 20% annealed Low cost
Simple manufacturing process makes complex shapes
Machineability better than steel
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Applications
Automotive industry 55% of ductile iron in USA
Crankshafts, front wheel spindle supports, steering knuckles, disc brake callipers
Pipe and pipe fittings (joined by welding) see AS2280
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Malleable iron
Graphite in nodular form Produced by heat treatment of white cast iron Graphite nodules are irregular clusters Similar properties to ductile iron See AS1832
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Microstructure
Uniformly dispersed graphite Ferrite, pearlite or tempered martensite matrix Ferritic castings require 2 stage anneal. Pearlitic castings - 1st stage only
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Annealing treatments
Ferritic malleable iron
Depends on C and Si 1st stage 2 to 36 hours at 940C in a controlled atmosphere Cool rapidly to 750C & hold for 1 to 6 hours Similar 1st stage above (2 - 36 h at 940C) Cool to 870C slowly, then air cool & temper to specification
For pearlitic malleable iron
Harden and temper pearlitic iron for martensitic castings
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Properties
Similar to ductile iron Good shock resistance Good ductility Good machineability
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Applications
Similar applications to ductile iron Malleable iron is better for thinner castings Ductile iron better for thicker castings >40mm Vehicle components
Power trains, frames, suspensions and wheels Steering components, transmission and differential parts, connecting rods
Railway components Pipe fittings AS3673
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Joining cast iron
Welding Braze-welding Brazing Soldering Mechanical connections
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Weldability
White cast iron - not weldable
Small attachments only
Grey cast iron - low weldability
Welding largely restricted to salvage and repair
Ductile and malleable irons - good weldability (inferior to structural steel)
Welding increasingly used during manufacture
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White cast iron
White fracture surface No graphite, because carbon forms Fe3C or more complex carbides Abrasion resistant Often alloyed Australian Standard DR20394 Wear resistant white cast irons
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Effects of alloy elements
Promote graphite (Si, Ni) Promote carbides (Cr) Affect matrix microstructure
Ferrite, pearlite, martensite or austenite
Corrosion resistance (Cr) Specific effects
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High chromium irons
12 to 28% chromium Less effect on hardenability than in steels Mo, Ni, Mn, and Cu also added for hardenability to give martensite
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Ni-hard irons
Grinding balls 1-2.2 Si, 5-7 Ni, 7-11 Cr M7C3 eutectic carbides in martensite
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Abrasion resistant irons
Pearlitic white irons
Cheap but wear more quickly
Martensitic white irons
More expensive but better wearing
ASTM A532-75A
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Can be heat treated
Stress relief up to 700C Tempering of martensite Subzero treatment to remove retained austenite Annealing for machining followed by QT
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Microstructures
Pearlite and ferrite in Fe3C matrix Austenite / martensite in Fe3C matrix M7C3 in a martensite matrix
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Abrasion resistance
Depends on cast iron Depends also on abrasive and environment
Eg Silicon carbide wears martensitic and pearlite equally Silica wears martensitic irons much less than pearlitic ones
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