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Cast Irons and Alloy Cast Iron

Cast iron is a cheap alloy. Ordinary cast iron is an alloy containing
a total of up to 10% of the elements carbon, silicon, manganese, sulphur
and phosphorus; the balance being iron. Alloy cast irons, contain also
varying amounts of nickel, chromium, molybdenum, vanadium and
copper.
Graphitization
Cementite (Fe
3
C) is a metastable compound, and under some
circumstances it can be made to dissociate or decompose. Thus, the true
equilibrium diagram for iron and carbon is not that presented in Fe-Fe
3
c
phase diagram but rather as shown in Figure 11.1. Figure 11.1 extends to
100 wt% carbon such that graphite is the carbon-rich phase, instead of
cementite at 6.7 wt% C. This tendency to form graphite is regulated by:
1-Composition: Graphite formation is promoted by the presence
of silicon and to less degree phosphorus, nickel and copper. If silicon
content is lower than 1 wt% graphitization may not takes place.
2-Cooling rate: Slower cooling rates during solidification favor
graphitization. While higher rate of cooling during solidification tends to
favor the formation of cementite. This effect is illustrated by casting a
'stepped bar' of cast iron of a suitable composition (Fig. 11.2). Here, the
thin sections have cooled so quickly that solidification of cementite has
occurred, as indicated by the white fracture and high Brinell values. The
thicker sections, having cooled more slowly, are graphitic and
consequently softer.
3-Heattreatment






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Types of Cast Iron
1-White Cast Iron
If silicon content is lower and the cooling rates during
solidification are higher, the resulting structure will contain cementite, and
the fracture surface will appears bright .Since white cast iron is extremely
hard and brittle is not used as such but they are made as the first step for
conversion into the malleable iron.
It is possible to form white cast iron structure on the surface layers
of grey cat iron by chilling the surface. This is called chilled iron and is
used for making wear resistance surfaces for iron rolls and ploughs
2-Grey Cast Iron
If silicon content is higher and the cooling rates during
solidification are lower, complete graphitization takes place and the
FIGURE 11.1 The
true equilibrium iron
carbon phase diagram
with graphite instead
of cementite as a stable
phase.


FIGURE 11.2 The effect of
thickness of cross-section on
the rate of cooling, and hence
upon the microstructure of a
grey cast iron.



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resulting structure will contain graphite flakes only. Then it is called grey
cast iron, the fracture surface may be dull and grey.
The important engineering properties of grey cat iron are;
1. High compressive strength.
2. Moderate tensile strength
3. Good wear resistance
4. High damping capacity
The shortcoming of grey iron is the brittleness du to the flake form
of graphite which introduces sharp notches at the edges. The most
important applications of cast iron are machine beds, ingot moulds, lamp
spots and others.
3-Spheroidal-graphite (SG) Cast Iron
Also known as nodular cast iron or ductile cast iron. In SG cast
iron the graphite flakes are replaced by spherical particles of graphite as
shown in Fig. 11.6, so that the sharp stress raisers are eliminated. The
formation of this spheroidal graphite is effected by adding small amounts
of cerium or magnesium to the molten iron just before casting.
4-Compacted-graphite (CG) Iron
The mechanical properties of this type is intermediate between
those of ordinary grey flake-graphite irons and those of SG iron. The
graphite flakes produced are short and stubby and have rounded edges as
shown in figure 11.7. CG iron is produced when molten iron of near-
eutectic composition is treated with a single alloy containing appropriate
amounts of magnesium, titanium and cerium. CG has good resistance to
scaling and 'growth' at high temperatures, so CG iron attractive as a heat-
resisting material and it was developed originally for the manufacture of
ingot moulds and vehicle brake components.
5-Malleable Cast Irons
The names of the two original malleabilising processes, the
Blackheart and the White heart, refer to the color of a fractured section
after heat treatment has been completed. Another process used for

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manufacturing pearlitic malleable iron. In all three processes the original
casting is of white iron, which will be very brittle before heat-treatment.
a)Blackheart Malleable
Iron castings are manufactured from white iron of which the following
composition is typical: 2.5%Carbon, 1.0%Silicon, 0.4%Manganese, 0.08%
Sulphur and 0.1% Phosphorus. White iron castings placed in white-iron boxes
filling sand or small gravels to reduce the distortions and oxidation. The steps of
heat treatment can be summarized as following:
1. Heating the castings by slowly rate to between 850-950C and
stabilized the temperature at this range for long time depending on
composition and geometry of casting. In this step, all eutectic
cementite transforms to graphite (temper carbon) .
2. Cooling the castings by slowly rate to the eutectoid temperature.
3. Cooling the castings by very slowly rate from the eutectoid
temperature to 680C . At this step austenite transforms to ferrite
and temper carbon instead of pearlite, and diffusion process led
to compact the temper carbon particles in rosettes form.
So the final structure of blackheart malleable cast iron consisting
of rosettes of temper carbon in a matrix of ferrite as shown in figure 11.8.
Blackheart malleable castings find particular application in the automobile
industries.
b)White heart Malleable
Iron castings are manufactured from white iron of which the
following composition is typical: Carbon 3.3%, Silicon 0.6%, Manganese
0.5%, Sulphur 0.25% and Phosphorus 0.1%. In this process the castings
are heated in contact with some oxidizing material, such as haematite ore,
for between 70 and 100 hours at a temperature of about 1000C. During
annealing, the carbon at the surface of the casting is oxidised by contact
with the hematite ore, and lost as carbon dioxide. This causes more carbon
to diffuse outwards from the core, and, in turn, this is lost by oxidation.
Thus, after treatment a thin section may be completely ferritic, and on

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fracture present a steely white appearance; hence the name 'whiteheart'.
Heavier sections will not be completely decarburised, and so, whilst the
outer layer is ferritic, the inner zone containing some pearlite, and at the
extreme core some nodules of temper carbon. Thin-sectioned components
requiring high ductility are often made in the form of white heart
malleable castings. Examples include fittings for gas, water, air and steam
pipes; bicycle- and motorcycle-frame fittings, parts for agricultural
machinery and parts for textile machinery.
c) Pearlitic Malleable
The raw material similar in composition to that of blackheart
malleable iron. Iron is used it is first malleabilised. It is then reheated to
900C so that carbon will dissolve in the austenite present at that
temperature. Subsequent treatment consists air-cooling to produce a
pearlitic matrix. The final structure will consist of rosettes of temper
carbon in a matrix of pearlite.
Alloy Cast Irons
The microstructural effects which alloying elements have on a
cast iron are, in most cases, similar to the effects these elements have on
the structure of a steel.
1-Martensitic irons
Martesitic irons, which are very useful for resisting abrasion,
usually contain 4-6% nickel and about 1% chromium. Such an alloy is Ni-
hard, is martensitic in the cast state, whereas alloys containing rather less
nickel and chromium would need to be oil-quenched in order to obtain a
martensitic structure Figure11.9.
2-Austenitic irons
Austenitic irons usually contain between 10 and 30% nickel and up
to 5% chromium. These are corrosion-resistant, heat-resistant, non-
magnetic alloys. Some of them are treated to produce structures containing
spheroidal instead of flake graphite Fig.11.10.

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FIGURE 11.9 A martensitic alloy cast
iron. Graphite in a matrix of martensite.
600x


FIGURE 11.10An austenite alloy cast iron
(Ni-resist). Graphite and carbides in an
austenite matrix 100x


FIGURE 11.8 Blackheart
malleable cast iron.
'Rosettes' of temper carbon
in a matrix of ferrite.60x


FIGURE11.7 A compacted
graphite cast iron.100x


FIGURE 11.3 Grey cast
iron.Graphite flakes in a
matrix of pearlite 100x



FIGURE 11.4 Grey cast
iron. Graphite flakes in a
matrix of ferrite 500x



FIGURE 11.5 White iron: the
light cementite regions are
surrounded by pearlite 400x


FIGURE 11.6 A spheroidal-
graphite cast iron.x100