Metallography of Cast irons
Cast iron is a group of iron-carbon alloys with a carbon content more
than 2% and upto 4.0 %.
Also they have Si = 1% - 3%.
In addition they have small amounts of Mn, P, S and Mg
They can be only cast and machined
They are very cheaper
They posses
Excellent damping capacity
Excellent wear resistance
Good thermal conductivity
Good strength, stiffness
But they are highly brittle
Types
White cast iron - Carbon present as carbide
Malleable cast iron
Grey cast iron - carbon as graphite
S.G (Spheroidal graphite ) iron
Composition
Magnesium --- --- --- 0.025 – 0.05
White Cast Iron
Pearlite
Cementite
Ledeburite
White Cast iron
Hard and wear resistant
Because of extreme brittleness and lack of machinability,
white irons find limited engineering applications.
Used to Make Malleable Cast Irons
Liners For Cement Mixers, Ball Mills
Certain Types of Drawing Dies
Extrusion Nozzles (abrasion resistance)
Working tables
Malleable Cast Iron
Malleabilisation Annealing:
900
FSG
SSG 740
ATION
NUCLE
Fe3C Fe + 3 C
Temper
carbon
Temper Ferrite
carbon
Temper Pearlite
carbon
Malleable cast iron exhibits good malleability and good ductility.
Due to the lower silicon content compared to other cast irons, it
exhibits good fracture toughness at low temperature.
Malleable cast iron applications
As a result of its good tensile strength and ductility, malleable cast iron
is used for electrical fittings and equipment, hand tools, pipe fittings,
washers, brackets, farm equipment, mining hardware, and machine
parts.
Grey Cast Iron
Flake form of graphites in a matrix of pearlite and ferrite.
Mechanical properties
1. High Compressive strength
2. High rigidity
3. Excellent damping
4. Excellent machinability
5. Good thermal conductivity
6. Low cost
7. Low tensile strength
8. Low ductility and toughness
Applications:
Machine tool structures (bed, frame and details)
Gas or water pipe for underground purpose
Manhole cover
Cylinder blocks and head for I.C engine
Brake drums, clutch plates
Furnace parts,
Piston ring
House hold application
Grey Cast Iron – Types of flakes
Type A : , Uniformly distribution, Random orientation
Type B : Rosette pattern, Random orientation
Type C : Super imposed, Random orientation
Type D : Interdentric segregation, Random orientation
Type E : Interdentric segregation, preferred orientation
Type ?
Size ?
Spheroidal Graphite Iron (SG Iron)
Inoculation with Mg causes graphite to form as spherulites, rather
than flakes
Far better ductility (10%) than grey cast iron
Also known as Ductile or nodular graphite iron
Machinability better than grey cast irons
Damping is slightly poorer than grey cast irons
Applications
Paper industry machinery
Internal combustion engine
Power transmission equipment
Farm implements and tractor
Valves and fittings
Steel mill rolls and roll equipment
Pipes, Pumps and compressors
Construction machinary
SG Iron – Nodule types
SG Iron – Nodule Size
Metallography of Cast Irons
Easy to prepare
Etchant is 2% Nital (in a 100 ml solution, 98 ml ethonol and 2 ml HNO3)
Must be seen before and after etching
Unetched microstructure and etched microstructure
Unetched = to know the type of cast iron, type and size of graphite
Etched = to know the matrix details
White Cast Irons
Unetched microstructure Etched microstructure
Microstructure in unetched condition shows nothing and in etched
condition reveals the presence of pearlite colonies and leduberite dots in
cementite matrix. So the sample is white cast iron.
Malleable Cast Irons
Unetched microstructure Etched microstructure
Microstructure in unetched condition shows irregular temper carbon
and in etched condition reveals the presence of temper carbon in ferrite
matrix. So the sample is ferritic malleable cast iron.
Grey Cast Irons
Unetched microstructure Etched microstructure
Microstructure in unetched condition shows graphite flakes of type A&
C with size 2 to 3.
In etched condition reveals the presence of graphite flakes in pearlite -
ferrite matrix. So the sample is grey cast iron.
SG Irons
Unetched microstructure Etched microstructure
Microstructure in unetched condition shows graphite nodules of type I
with size 5 to 6.
In etched condition reveals the presence of graphite nodules in pearlite -
ferrite matrix (Bulls eye structure). So the sample is SG iron.
