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ABSTRACT
Since the invention of ductile iron, its use has been successful because it has offered the design engineer superior value - higher quality, good hardness, good wear resistance, have tensile and yield strengths and good performance at lower cost. Its castability, machinability, damping properties, and economy of production are almost equal to those for which Gray Iron is famous, but ductile iron suffered greatly from poor welding problem which affects its mechanical properties. Hence, this work study the effect of pre-weld heating on some mechanical properties of welded ductile iron using pure nickel electrode with the sole aim of improving the poor welding problem associated with ductile iron and promoting the use of welded ductile iron in service.
Fourty-five specimen samples were made and divided into three groups labeled as follows: As-cast, as-welded, and preheated and welded. They were subjected to hardness test, impact test and tensile test. The results obtained showed that preheat treatment operation prior to welding prepares the ductile iron to be more receptive to welding conditions and more favorable for limiting martensite formation which embrittles ductile iron after welding.
Titolo originale
Effect of Pre-Weld Heating on Some Mechanical Properties of Ductile Iron
ABSTRACT
Since the invention of ductile iron, its use has been successful because it has offered the design engineer superior value - higher quality, good hardness, good wear resistance, have tensile and yield strengths and good performance at lower cost. Its castability, machinability, damping properties, and economy of production are almost equal to those for which Gray Iron is famous, but ductile iron suffered greatly from poor welding problem which affects its mechanical properties. Hence, this work study the effect of pre-weld heating on some mechanical properties of welded ductile iron using pure nickel electrode with the sole aim of improving the poor welding problem associated with ductile iron and promoting the use of welded ductile iron in service.
Fourty-five specimen samples were made and divided into three groups labeled as follows: As-cast, as-welded, and preheated and welded. They were subjected to hardness test, impact test and tensile test. The results obtained showed that preheat treatment operation prior to welding prepares the ductile iron to be more receptive to welding conditions and more favorable for limiting martensite formation which embrittles ductile iron after welding.
ABSTRACT
Since the invention of ductile iron, its use has been successful because it has offered the design engineer superior value - higher quality, good hardness, good wear resistance, have tensile and yield strengths and good performance at lower cost. Its castability, machinability, damping properties, and economy of production are almost equal to those for which Gray Iron is famous, but ductile iron suffered greatly from poor welding problem which affects its mechanical properties. Hence, this work study the effect of pre-weld heating on some mechanical properties of welded ductile iron using pure nickel electrode with the sole aim of improving the poor welding problem associated with ductile iron and promoting the use of welded ductile iron in service.
Fourty-five specimen samples were made and divided into three groups labeled as follows: As-cast, as-welded, and preheated and welded. They were subjected to hardness test, impact test and tensile test. The results obtained showed that preheat treatment operation prior to welding prepares the ductile iron to be more receptive to welding conditions and more favorable for limiting martensite formation which embrittles ductile iron after welding.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF WELDED DUCTILE IRON USING PURE NICKEL ELECTRODE
BY
OLUWASEGUN RICHARD, AJAYI (MSE/2009/005)
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO
DEPARTMENT OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, FACULTY OF TECHNOLOGY, OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE, OSUN STATE
IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (B.Sc.) DEGREE IN MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING.
MAY, 2014
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Information Cast iron has its earliest origins in China between 700 and 800 B.C. Until this period ancient furnaces could not reach sufficiently high temperatures. The use of this newly discovered form of iron varied from simple tools to a complex chain suspension bridge erected approximately 56 A.D. Cast iron was not produced in mass quantity until fourteenth century A.D. The next significant development in cast iron was the first use of coke in 1730 by an English founder named Darby. Coke could be used more efficiently than coal, thus lowering the cost and time necessary to yield a final product. This discovery, with stronger and more efficient cast iron alloys being produced, led to larger scale production of cast irons with varying properties. Due to this revolution, better casts were available for more versatile roles, such as James Watt's first steam engine, constructed in 1794. In 1810, Swedish chemist Bergelius, and German physicist Stromeyer discovered that by adding Silicon to the furnace, along with scrap and pig iron, consistently stronger cast iron can be produced. In 1885 Turner added ferrosilicon to white iron to produce stronger gray iron castings. This little knowledge about cast iron greatly restricted its use both domestically and in industrial-based engineering applications.
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In the later 20th century the major use of cast irons consisted of pipes, thermal containment units, and certain machine or building entities which were necessary to absorb continuous vibrations. According to Sharma (2010), Cast iron is an iron-carbon cast alloy containing other elements, and is made by re-melting pig iron, scrap, and other additions. Cast iron is made when pig iron is re-melted in small cupola furnaces (similar to the blast furnace in design and operation) and poured into molds to make castings. In order to distinctly differentiate cast iron from steel and cast steel, cast Iron is generally defined as an alloy of Iron with carbon content in the range (2.0-6.67%) and usually with more than 0.1 % Silicon which ensures the solidification of the final phase with a eutectic transformation 1 . It is therefore obvious that, with such high carbon content, cast iron is very brittle and has low ductility. Hence, cast iron cannot, or is practically difficult to be cold-worked. However, cast iron flows readily when fluid; it is easily cast into intricate shapes that can be machined after cooling and aging. It is the cheapest of the cast materials. Cast iron without the addition of alloying elements is weak in tension and shear, strong in compression and has low resistance to impact, deformation and wear resistance. Pierre (2000) records that with proper alloying, the corrosion resistance of cast irons can equal or exceed that of stainless steels and nickel-base alloys. Therefore, with those inherent properties, cast irons have become engineering materials with a wide range of applications, and are used in pipes, machines and automotive industry parts, such as cylinder heads (declining usage), cylinder blocks, and gearbox cases (declining usage). It is resistant to destruction and weakening by oxidation (rust). ________________________ 1 Eutectic Transformation is an invariant transformation, where liquid iron (at about 1,130 o C and 4.3% C) transforms to Ledeburite (i.e austenite at about 2.0%C, and cementite at about 6.67%C) 5
Further development and improvement were made in the area of cast irons which led to the discovery of the different classes of cast irons with different microstructural morphologies thus giving distinctively superb engineering properties and hence wide range of engineering applications.
These classes include white cast iron, gray cast iron, malleable cast iron, ductile/spheroidal cast iron, and compacted cast iron. White cast iron, as seen in figure 1.0, has large amount of carbide phases in the form of flakes or spheroids, surrounded by a matrix of either Pearlite or Martensite which is the result of metastable solidification. White cast iron has a white crystalline fracture surface because fracture occurs along the iron carbide plates with considerable strength and insignificant ductility.
Fig. 1.0; Microstructure of White Cast Iron
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Gray cast iron, as seen in figure 1.1, has graphite flakes surrounded by a matrix of either Pearlite or -Ferrite. Exhibits gray fracture surface due to fracture occurring along Graphite plates which is the product of a stable solidification with considerable strength and insignificant ductility. Gray cast iron is by far the oldest and most common form of cast iron. As a result, it is assumed by many to be the only form of cast iron, hence, the terms "cast iron" and "gray iron" are used interchangeably. Gray cast iron is named because its fracture surface has a gray appearance (due to the high volume fraction of graphite flakes). It contains carbon in the form of flake graphite in a matrix which consists of ferrite, pearlite or a mixture of the two.
Fig. 1.1; Microstructure of Gray Cast Iron
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Malleable cast iron, as seen in figure 1.2, is cast as white iron and then malleabilized or heat treated so as to impart ductility. Malleable cast iron consists of tempered Graphite in an -Ferrite or Pearlite matrix.
Fig. 1.2; Microstructure of Malleable Iron
Ductile iron, as seen in figure 1.3, also called ductile cast iron or nodular cast iron is a type of cast iron which was invented in 1943 by Keith Millis (OSOWE, 2008). While most varieties of cast iron are brittle, ductile iron is a much more ductile material due to its nodular graphite inclusions. Ductile (Nodular) cast iron is an alloy of iron, carbon and silicon that has been melted and poured into a mould to form a shape. It has graphite nodules surrounded by a matrix of either -Ferrite, Bainite, or Austenite. The ductility is a result of the carbon forming spheres of graphite in the ferrite/pearlite matrix, rather than the flakes found in gray cast iron. The transformation from a flake to a sphere is achieved by treating the molten iron with magnesium prior to pouring. Ductile iron is characterized by having all of its graphite occurs in microscopic spheroids. Although this graphite constitutes about 10% by volume of ductile iron, its compact spherical shape minimizes the effect on mechanical properties.
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The shape of the graphite is established when the metal solidifies, and it cannot be changed in any way except by re-melting the metal. It has phenomenal strength and impact resistance compared to Gray Iron, along with many other advantages, created a rapid increase in the demand for ductile iron.
Fig, 1.3; Microstructure of Ductile Iron
The common grades of ductile iron differ primarily in the matrix structure that contains the spherical graphite. These differences are the result of differences in composition, differences in the cooling rate of the casting after it is cast, or as a result of heat treatment.
The matrix structure and hardness also can be changed by heat treatment. The high ductility grades are usually annealed so that the matrix structure is entirely carbon-free ferrite. The intermediate grades are often used in the as-cast condition without heat treatment and have a matrix structure of ferrite and pearlite. The ferrite occurs as rings around the graphite spheroids. Because of this, it is called bulls-eye ferrite.
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The high strength grades are usually given a normalizing heat treatment to make the matrix all pearlite, or they are quenched and tempered to form a matrix of tempered martensite. However, ductile iron can be moderately alloyed to have an entirely pearlitic matrix as-cast.
Chemical analysis of this ductile iron has shown that it contains the following constituent elements; TABLE 1.0: Chemical Composition of Ductile Cast Iron Element Composition (%) Element Composition (%) Carbon 3.00-4.00 Copper 0.01-0.02 Silicon 2.00-2.90 Vanadium 0.00-0.00 Maganese 0.20-0.50 Titanium 0.00-0.00 Phosphorous 0.01-0.04 Aluminium 0.00-0.07 Sulphur 0.02-0.03 Boron 0.00-0.03 Chromium 0.00-0.00 Tin 0.00-0.00 Molybdenum 0.00-0.00 Cobalt 0.00-0.00 Nickel 0.00-0.00 Iron 90.00-93.00
Ductile iron has been utilized in a wide variety of mechanical applications such as friction wedges (railway tracks), gear components and agricultural use due to its low cost, high tensile strength, fatigue resistance and wear resistance.
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Heat treatment may be defined as an operation or series of operations involving heating and cooling of metals / alloys in their solid state with the sole aim of impacting desirable properties (Umoru, 2012).
Heat treatment is an endeavor to obtain the maximum efficiency of the material under the demanding conditions of service. The operation of heating metal/materials to some pre determined temperature before engaging in actual welding is called preheating [3] . The details and the modes may be different in various situations but in general the purpose is to influence the cooling behavior after welding so that shrinkage stresses will be lower (relative to welding without preheating) and cooling rate will be milder thus making adequate preheating to prevent martensite formation in the heat affected zone and thereby provide improved toughness and ductility.
When a ductile iron is welded, it is heated up and the heated portion has a micro structure that is different from that of the base metal and this is called the Heat Affected Zone [HAZ] (J. E. RAMIREZ et. al 2005)
1.2 Statement of the Problem Since the invention of ductile iron, the welding of ductile iron has been studied and many papers have been published (Voigt et al., 2003). Ductile iron is a material which presents unique welding problems because of its strongly heterogeneous microstructure consisting of spheroidal graphite in a matrix of alloyed ferrite.
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Poor welding of ductile cast iron is due primarily to the formation of high carbon content martensite and massive iron carbide in the heat affected zone. Martensite formed in the heat affected zone is due to less than desirable preheat procedures.
The poor welding of ductile iron has been hitherto created a lot of problems with the use of the welded ductile iron in service owing to disparity in the mechanical properties of the base metal from the properties of the Heat Affected Zone.
The difference in the mechanical properties such as ductility, toughness and tensile strength is as a result due to high brittleness and hardness of the heat affected zone (HAZ) and the cold cracking susceptibility of welds. Due to the welding problem associated with ductile iron in ships, bridges, pressure vessels, industrial machinery, automobile, rolling stock, fabrication industries and many other fields, there exists a high interest to establish a welding procedure for ductile cast iron as this material has high mechanical properties as well as low cost.
1.3 Brief Review of Past Works According to Tadashi Kasuya et al. (2004), while searching the methods for predicting maximum hardness of Heat Affected Zone and selecting necessary Preheat temperature for Steel Welding concluded that the hard microstructure of the HAZ is responsible for the property deterioration of weld and cold cracking susceptibility. It has been established that the behavior, say mechanical, of cast iron, and its subsequent applications in engineering service areas, depend greatly on the morphology of its microstructure. From the research conducted by Radzikowska (1980), he explained that the matrix of gray, nodular, compacted and malleable cast irons can be pearlitic, ferritic-pearlitic, or ferritic which thus influences the mechanical properties of cast irons.
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Earlier research were reported on the welding of spheroidal graphite ductile iron comparing the mechanical properties obtained from making use of pure Ni electrode and a cheap Ni-Fe electrodes, M. Pascual et. al (2009) at a preheating temperature of 350 o C. It was revealed that the welding of the spheroidal ductile cast iron welded by means of arc welding techniques using nickel based electrode gave improved ductility and low hardness as relative to the welded ductile iron making use of cheap Ni Fe electrode. It was found that nickel can dissolve the graphite present in ductile iron (parent material) germinating as spherulites with a lower average size, fragile carbides and martensitic structures are not formed thus facilitating uniform compositions in the weldment towards providing a high ductility and low fragility.
According to PRADESHI Ram et. al 2012, most of the welding of cast iron is repair welding. Carbon pickup and resulting cracks are the main concerns when welding CI. The casting process is never perfect, especially when dealing with large components. Instead of scrapping defective castings, they can often be repaired by welding. Naturally, the very high carbon concentration of typical CIs causes difficulties by introducing brittle martensite in the heat-affected zone of weld. It is therefore necessary to preheat to a temperature of 450 C, followed by slow cooling after welding, to avoid cracking. The effect of preheat temperature on the microstructure obtained in the heat-affected zone HAZ and the carbide zone in the weld metal adjacent to HAZ has been studied in welds for the as ductile cast irons.
Studies have also been done on reducing the effect of non uniform heating and cooling in weld metal and in base metal which generates a harder Heat Affected Zone (HAZ), cold crack susceptibility and residual stress in weldment through a method of preheating thus slowing the heating and cooling rate of the base metal and weld heat affected zone (BIPIN KUMAR et al. 2010).
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1.4 Aims and Objectives of the Research The aim of this research work is to study the effect of pre-weld heating on some mechanical properties of welded ductile iron by preheating at 410 o C prior to welding with electric arc welding using Ni filler electrode.
According to the study of the previous work reviews that effective preheat treatment operation is the primary means by which acceptable heat affected zone properties, minimum potential for hydrogen induced cracking and minimum residual stresses are created thus improving the ductility and toughness of the ductile cast iron.
Rajnovic et al. (2004), depending on the applied thermal conditions, it is observed that an attractive combination of both microstructural and mechanical properties can be obtained in ductile iron. With this in mind, the aim of this research work is therefore to focus on the production of a uniform microstructure in the weld and the base metal of the ductile iron with superb mechanical properties using preheat treatment operation at 410 o C prior to welding using the pure Ni filler metal electrode.
However, the objectives are: To machine the ductile iron to the required mechanical testing sizes. To perform metallographic operation. To perform some mechanical testing on the machined samples of the ductile iron. To isothermally heat treat (i.e. Preheat) the ductile iron samples. To perform welding operation on the ductile iron samples.
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At the end of the research work, the following objectives are expected to be achieved:
a. Machining of the ductile iron rods into the specific shapes and sizes of the mechanical testing sample using the lathe machine, the milling machine and the electric cutting machine.
b. Metallographic operation of the as-cast, as-welded and the preheated samples of the ductile iron to reveal its microstructural morphology and to perform mechanical testing on the machined samples.
c. Pre-weld heating operation at 410 o C of the spheroidal ductile iron prior to welding, performing metallographic operation of the preheated-welded spheroidal ductile iron to reveal its microstructural morphology and to determine some of its mechanical properties.
d. Evaluation of all the results on the mechanical properties of the samples of spheroidal ductile iron at the different stages of the research and to ascertain whether pre-weld heating improves the mechanical properties of welded ductile iron using nickel Ni electrode.
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1.5 Scope of the Research
This research work seeks to cover the extent of the effect of preheat treatment operation at temperatures of 410 on the mechanical properties of welded ductile cast iron making use of pure Ni electrode and therefore characterizing the microstructure as well as the mechanical properties of the parent (base) ductile iron and the preheated welded ductile iron with the sole aim of property comparison. To this end, no consideration will be given to the use of other heat-treatment procedures and other filler metal electrodes.
1.6 Justification for the Research Hitherto, the poor welding of ductile cast iron has created a lot of problems in the use of the ductile iron in service. The welding of ductile cast iron refers to the maximum hardness of the heat affected zone (HAZ) and the cold cracking susceptibility of welds which renders the heat affected brittle and more susceptible to fracture.
Therefore, if this research work records success, then the poor welding problems associated with the use of ductile cast iron in service would be drastically reduced and the use of the ductile cast iron will receive wider engineering applications with cost effectiveness, with improved properties such as high strength, high toughness, high wear resistance and sound damping. Hence, the tentacles of its application in the industrial sector will undoubtedly be extended.
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However, in a grey cast iron, if the cooling rate through the eutectoid temperature is sufficiently slow, then a completely ferritic matrix is obtained with the excess carbon being deposited on the already existing graphite. White cast irons are hard and brittle and they cannot be easily machined whereas grey cast irons are softer with a microstructure of graphite in transformed-austenite and cementite matrix. The graphite flakes have a low density and hence compensate for the freezing contraction, thus giving good casting free from porosity (Schelling and Eash 1957).
The flakes of graphite have a good damping characteristics and good machinability because the graphite acts as a chip breaker and lubricates the cutting tools. In applications involving wear, the graphite is beneficial because it helps to retain lubricants. However, the flakes of graphites also are stress concentrators, leading to poor toughness. The recommended applied tensile stress is therefore only a quarter of its actual ultimate tensile strength.
Sulphur in cast irons is known to favour the formation of graphite flakes. The graphite can be induced to precipitate in a spheroidal shape by removing the sulphur from the melt using a small quantity of calcium carbide.
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This is followed by a minute addition of magnesium or cerium which restricts the preferred growth directions and hence leads to isotropic growth resulting in spheroids of graphites. The calcium treatment is necessary before the addition of magnesium since magnesium also has an affinity for both sulphur and oxygen, whereas, its spheroidizing ability depends on its presence in the liquid iron. The magnesium is frequently added as an alloy with iron and silicon (Fe-Si-Mg) rather than as pure magnesium.
However, magnesium tends to encourage the precipitation of cementite, so silicon is also added (In the form of ferro-silicon) to ensure the precipitation of carbon as graphite. The ferro-silicon is known as an inoculant. Spheroidal graphite cast iron has excellent toughness and its used widely, for example in crankshafts. The latest breakthrough in cast irons is where the matrix of spheroidal graphite cast iron is not pearlite, but bainite.
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However, in grey cast irons, if the cooling rate through the eutectoid temperature is sufficiently slow, then a completely ferritic matrix is obtained with the excess carbon being deposited on the already existing graphite. White cast irons are hard and brittle and they cannot easily be machined whereas grey cast irons are softer with a microstructure of graphite in transformed-austenite and cementite matrix. The graphite flakes have a low density and hence compensate for the freezing contraction, thus giving good castings free from porosity (Schelling and Eash, 1957). The flakes of graphite have good damping characteristics and good machinability as the graphite acts as a chip-breaker and lubricates the cutting tools. In applications involving wear, the graphite is beneficial because it helps retain lubricants. However, the flakes of graphite also are stress concentrators, leading to poor toughness. The recommended applied tensile stress is therefore only a quarter of its actual ultimate tensile strength. Sulphur in cast irons is know to favour the formation of graphite flakes. The graphite can be induced to precipitate in a spheroidal shape by removing the sulphur from the melt using a small quantity of calcium carbide. However, magnesium tends to encourage the precipitation of cementite, so silicon is also added in the form of ferro-silicon to ensure the precipitation of carbon as graphite. The ferro- silicon is known as an inoculants. Spheroidal graphite cast iron has excellent toughness and is used widely, for example in crankshafts. The latest breakthrough in cast irons is where the matrix of spheroidal graphite cast iron is not pearlite but bainite. 19
2.2 Ductile Cast Iron Ductile cast iron is an alloy of iron, carbon and silicon that has been melted and poured into a mould to form a shape. The ductility is a result of the carbon forming spheres of graphite in the ferrite/pearlite matrix, rather than the flakes found in grey cast iron. This transformation from a flake to a sphere is achieved by treating the molten iron with magnesium prior to pouring. Ductile cast iron has become a popular cast metal material which is widely applied in modern industrial production, because of its low cost and desirable properties such as good castability, convenient machining property, better wear resistance, etc (Xin Tong et al.,2009). Spheroidal graphite cast iron (SGCI) is a FeC alloy structural material. Due to its attractive properties, such as high castability, excellent wear resistance and relatively low cost as compared with alloy steels of equivalent mechanical properties, SGCI is widely used in automotive components, like crankshafts and bearing journals.
A. Roula and G.A. Kosnikov (2008) investigated the manganese distribution and effect on graphite shape in advanced cast irons. The manganese contribution to a change of the graphite shape (in nodular graphite cast irons) has never been revealed. They made obvious the negative action of this element on the nodularization of graphite.
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2.3 The Ductile Iron Family
Ductile iron is not exclusively a single material, but a family of materials offering a wide range of properties obtained through microstructure control. The common features that all ductile irons share is the roughly spherical shape of the graphite nodules. These nodules act as crack-arresters and make ductile iron ductile. This feature is essential to the quality and consistency of ductile iron, and is measured and controlled with a high degree of assurance by competent ductile iron foundries. With a high percentage of graphite nodules present in the structure, mechanical properties are determined by the ductile iron matrix.
The importance of matrix in controlling mechanical properties is emphasized by the use of matrix name to designate the following types of ductile iron.
2.3.1 Ferritic Ductile Iron
Graphite spheroids in a matrix of ferrite provides an iron with good ductility, good impact resistance and with a tensile and yield strength equivalent to a low carbon steel. Ferritic ductile iron can be produced as-cast but may be given an annealing heat treatment to assure maximum ductility and low temperature toughness.
2.3.2 Ferritic Pearlitic Ductile Iron
These are the most common grade of ductile iron and are normally produced in the as-cast condition. The graphite spheroids are in a matrix containing both ferrites and pearlite. Properties are intermediate between ferritic and pearlitic grades, with good machinability and low production cost.
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2.3.3 Pearlitic Ductile Iron
Graphite spheroids in a matrix of pearlite results in an iron with high strength, good wear resistance and moderate ductility and impact resistance. Machinability is also superior to steels of comparable physical properties.
The preceding three types of ductile irons are the most common and are usually used in the as-cast condition, but ductile iron can also be alloyed and/or heat treated to provide the following grades for a wide variety of additional applications.
2.3.4 Martensitic Ductile Iron
Using sufficient alloy additions to prevent pearlite formation and a quench-and-temper heat treatment produces this type of ductile iron. The resultant tempered martensite matrix develops very high strength and wear resistance but with lower levels of ductility and toughness.
2.3.5 Bainitic Ductile Iron
This grade of ductile iron can be obtained through alloying and/or heat treatment to produce a hard, wear resistance material.
2.3.6 Austenitic Ductile Iron
By proper alloying, this grade of ductile iron can be obtained which offers good corrosion resistance, good magnetic properties, and good strength and dimensional stability at elevated temperatures.
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2.3.7 Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI)
ADI, the most recent addition to the ductile iron family, is a sub-group of ductile irons produced by given conventional ductile iron a special austempering heat treatment. Nearly twice as strong as pearlitic ductile iron, ADI still retains high elongation and toughness. This combination provides a material with superior wear resistance and fatigue strength.
In order to use Ductile Iron with confidence, the design engineer must have access to engineering data describing the following: Mechanical properties: elastic behavior, strength, ductility, hardness, fracture toughness and fatigue properties. Physical properties: thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, heat capacity and density. Magnetic and electrical properties are also of interest in many applications. A relationship exists between the mechanical and physical properties of conventional Ductile Irons, with respect to the microstructure and indicates how composition and other production parameters affect properties through their influence on microstructure.
2.4 Physical Properties Of Ductile Iron
The behavior of conventional ductile iron is determined mainly by its physical and mechanical properties such as density, thermal expansion and conductivity, specific heat, thermal resistivity, electrical resistivity, magnetic properties, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. 23
2.4.1 Density
The generally accepted value for the room temperature desity of ductile iron is 7.1 g/cm 3. Density is affected primarily by the percentage of graphitized carbon ( fuller, 1977), densities varying from 6.8 g/cm 3 to 7.4 g/cm 3 for high carbon ferritic and low carbon pearlitic irons respectively. Density of typical cast steel 7.8 g/cm 3 is almost 10% higher than that of ductile iron. The replacement of a steel casting or forging with a lighter ductile iron improves the strength of the component: weight ratio, reducing energy savings and lifetime costs, especially in reciprocating components such as automotive crankshafts.
2.4.2 Thermal Expansion
The coefficient of linear thermal expansion of ductile iron depends primarily on the microstructure, although it is influenced to a minor extent by temperature and graphite structure. In unalloyed ductile iron, composition has only a slight influence on thermal expansion, but alloyed austenite ductile irons can exhibit significantly different expansion behavior.
2.4.3 Thermal Conductivity
The thermal and electrical conductivities of Gray and Ductile Irons are influenced strongly by graphite morphology (Fuller, 1977). The conductivity is higher in Gray Iron because of the semi-continuous nature of the graphite flakes. Because of the influence of flake graphite on the conductivity, the volume fraction of graphite plays an important role in Gray Iron, but not in Ductile Iron. In addition to graphite shape, microstructure, composition and temperature also influence thermal conductivity. Ferritic Ductile Irons have a higher thermal conductivity than pearlitic grades while quenched and tempered irons have values between those of ferritic and pearlitic irons.
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2.4.4 Specific Heat
Specific heat is the amount of energy required to increase the temperature of a unit mass of a body by unit temperature. Generally specific heat increases with temperature, reaching a maximum whenever a phase transformation occurs.
2.4.5 Electrical Resistivity
Ductile Irons, with discontinuous spherical graphite, have lower electrical resistivity than Gray Irons which have semi-continuous flake graphite. Resistivity is primarily affected by the addition of silicon and nickel both of which increase resistivity.
2.4.6 Magnetic Properties
The magnetic properties of Ductile Irons are determined mainly by their microstructures. The spheroidal shape of the graphite particles in Ductile Irons gives them higher induction and higher permeability than Gray Irons with a similar matrix. Ferritic Ductile Irons are magnetically softer than paerlitic grades because they have higher permeability and lower hysteresis loss. For maximum permeability and minimum hysteresis loss, ferritic low phosphorus irons should be used.
2.4.7 Wear Resistance
Mechanical wear may be defined as surface deterioration and/or material loss caused by stresses which arise from contact between the surfaces of two bodies. Wear is primarily mechanical in nature but chemical reactions may also be involved.
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Wear is a complex phenomenon and may involve one or more of the following mechanisms: Abrasive wear caused by the removal of material from one body due to contact with a harder body. Abhesive or frictional wear caused by the relative sliding contact of two bodies. Fretting or fatigue wear resulting from cyclic stresses caused by the relative motion of two contacting bodies
2.5 Mechanical Properties of Ductile Iron
These are the properties which determine the performance of Ductile Iron in service and serve as a good indication of the strength or weakness of the material.
2.5.1 Tensile Properties
The tensile properties of conventional Ductile Iron, especially the yield and tensile strengths and elongation, have traditionally been the most widely quoted and applied determinants of mechanical behavior. Most of the world-wide specifications for Ductile Iron describe properties of the different grades of Ductile Iron primarily by their respective yield and tensile strengths and elongation. Hardness values, usually offered as additional information and impact properties, specified only for certain ferritic grades, complete most specifications. Although not specified, the modulus of elasticity and proportional limit are also vital design criteria.
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2.5.1.1 Evaluation of Tensile Properties
Some of the tensile properties that have been evaluated for Ductile Iron are tensile and yield strengths, modulus of elasticity, poisson ratio, Elongation and Proportionality limit.
(a) Tensile Strength
The tensile strength or ultimate tensile strength (UTS) is the maximum load in tension which a material will withstand prior to fracture. It is calculated by dividing the maximum load applied during the tensile test by the original cross sectional area of the sample. Tensile strengths for conventional Ductile Irons generally range from 414 MPa for ferritic grades to over 1380 MPa for martensitic grades.
(b) Yield Strength
The yield strength or proof stress is the stress at which a material begins to exhibit significant plastic deformation. The sharp transition from elastic to plastic behavior exhibited by annealed and normalized steels gives a simple and unambiguous definition of yield strength. For Ductile Iron, the offset method is used in which the yield strength is measured at a specified deviation from the linear relationship between stress and strain.
This deviation, usually 0.2% is included in the definition of yield strength or proof stress in international specifications and is often incorporated in the yield strength terminology,e.g.0.2% yield strength. Yield strengths for ductile iron typically range from 275MPa for ferritic grades to over 620MPa for martensitic grades.
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(c) Modulus of Elasticity
Past researches have shown that, at low tensile stresses, there is a linear or proportional between stress and strain. This relationship is known as Hookess Law and the slope of the straight line is called the Modulus of Elasticity or Youngs Modulus. Usually the initial stress-strain behavior of Ductile Iron lies between those of mild steel and gray Iron. Annealed or normalized mild steels exhibit elastic behavior until the yield point, where plastic deformation occurs suddenly and without any initial increase in flow stress. Ductile Iron exhibits a proportional or elastic stress-strain relationship similar to that of steel but which is limited by the gradual onset of plastic deformation. The Modulus of elasticity of Ductile Iron varies from 162 170 GPa.
(d) Poissons Ratio
Poissons Ratio is the ratio of lateral elastic strain to longitudinal elastic strain produced during a tensile test. A commonly accepted value is 0.275.
(e) Elongation
Elongation is defined as the permanent increase in length, expressed as a percentage of a specified gauge length marked in a tensile test bar which is produced when the bar is tested to failure. Elongation is used widely as the primary indication of tensile ductility and is included in many Ductile Iron specifications. Although shown as the uniform elongation in Figure 2.2, elongation also includes the localized deformation that occurs prior to fracture.
28
Figure 2.2; Typical stress-strain curve for Ductile Iron. Source: www.ductile.org/didata/section3/figures
29
iii. Manganese; The presence of manganese leads to pearlite and carbide formation. This causes an increase in hardness and difficulty in machinability of Ductile Iron. iv. Nickel: It is preferred ferrite strengthener for ferrite Ductile Irons requiring maximum low temperature toughness. v. Phosphorus: It is present as an impurity element in Ductile Iron and has a strong embrittling effect at levels as low as 0.02 percent. vi. Silicon: A reduction in silicon level reduces both the yield and tensile strengths of the ferritic iron but it enhances toughness at low temperature conditions.
(g) Environment
The performance of any material in service is controlled mainly by the prevailing environmental conditions. Like some steels, the ambient temperature tensile properties of certain grades of Ductile iron can be reduced significantly by prolonged exposure to certain environments. Past researches have shown that tensile strength and elongation followed similar trends, but the loss of strength and ductility begins at lower hardness levels of about 175 BHN and then increases slowly. 30
2.5.2 Hardness
Hardness may be defined as a measure of a materials resistance to localized plastic deformation. Hardness usually implies a resistance to deformation and for metals; it is the measure of their resistance to permanent or plastic deformation. There are three general types of hardness measurements depending on the manner in which the test is conducted and these are: Scratch Hardness Indentation Hardness Rebound or Dynamic Hardness Only indentation hardness is of major engineering interest for metals. Hardness tests are performed more frequently than any other mechanical test for several reasons:
They are simple and inexpensiveordinarily no special specimen need be prepared, and the testing apparatus is relatively inexpensive. The test is nondestructivethe specimen is neither fractured nor excessively deformed; a small indentation is the only deformation. Other mechanical properties often may be estimated from hardness data, such as tensile strength.
The hardness of Ductile Iron is usually and best measured by the Brinell Hardness test, wherein a 10mm diameter hardened steel or tungsten carbide ball is pressed into a flat surface of the workpiece. Hardness is expressed as a Brinell Indentation Diameter (BID) or a Brinell Hardness Number (BHN). Hardness may also be described as BHN/3000 to indicate that the force applied to the ball is 3000kg which is the normal value for ferrous materials.
31
The size of the Brinell indentation and its related volume of plastic deformation is large relative to the scale of the microstructure and as a result, an average hardness is obtained which exhibits good reproducibility for similar microstructures.
2.5.2.1 Brinell Hardness Test In Brinell tests, as in Rockwell measurements, a hard, spherical indenter is forced into he surface of the metal to be tested. The diameter of the hardened steel (or tungsten carbide) indenter is 10.00 mm (0.394 in.). Standard loads range between 500 and 3000 kg in 500-kg increments; during a test, the load is maintained constant for a specified time (between 10 and 30 s). Harder materials require greater applied loads. The Brinell hardness number, HB, is a function of both the magnitude of the load and the diameter of the resulting indentation.
This diameter is measured with a special low-power microscope, utilizing a scale that is etched on the eyepiece. The measured diameter is then converted to the appropriate HB number using a chart; only one scale is employed with this technique.
Maximum specimen thickness as well as indentation position (relative to specimen edges) and minimum indentation spacing requirements are the same as for Rockwell tests. In addition, a well-defined indentation is required; this necessitates a smooth flat surface in which the indentation is made.
32
2.5.2.2 Rockwell Hardness Test
The Rockwell tests constitute the most common method used to measure hardness because they are so simple to perform and require no special skills. Several different scales may be utilized from possible combinations of various indenters and different loads, which permit the testing of virtually all metal alloys (as well as some polymers). Indenters include spherical and hardened steel balls having diameters of and in. (1.588, 3.175, 6.350, and 12.70 mm), and a conical diamond (Brale) indenter, which is used for the hardest materials.
With this system, a hardness number is determined by the difference in depth of penetration resulting from the application of an initial minor load followed by a larger major load; utilization of a minor load enhances test accuracy. On the basis of the magnitude of both major and minor loads, there are two types of tests: Rockwell and superficial Rockwell. For Rockwell, the minor load is 10 kg, whereas major loads are 60, 100, and 150 kg. When specifying Rockwell and superficial hardnesses, both hardness number and scale symbol must be indicated. The scale is designated by the symbol HR.
2.5.3 Impact Fracture
Prior to the advent of fracture mechanics as a scientific discipline, impact testing techniques were established so as to ascertain the fracture characteristics of materials. It was realized that the results of laboratory tensile tests could not be extrapolated to predict fracture behavior; for example, under some circumstances normally ductile metals fracture abruptly and with very little plastic deformation.
33
Impact test conditions were chosen to represent those most severe relative to the potential for fracturenamely, (1) deformation at a relatively low temperature, (2) a high strain rate (i.e., rate of deformation), and (3) a triaxial stress state (which may be introduced by the presence of a notch).
2.5.3.1 Impact Testing Techniques
Qualitatively, the fracture behavior of materials may be determined using Charpy and Izod impact testing techniques. On the basis of the temperature dependence of measured impact energy (or appearance of the fracture surface), it is possible to ascertain whether or not a material experiences a ductile-to-brittle transition and the temperature range over which such a transition occurs. Two ASTM 4 standardized tests, the Charpy and Izod, were designed and are still used to measure the impact energy, sometimes also termed notch toughness. The Charpy V-notch (CVN) technique is most commonly used in the United States. For both Charpy and Izod, the specimen is in the shape of a bar of square cross section, into which a V-notch is machined.
As shown in figure 2.3, the load is applied as an impact blow from a weighted pendulum hammer that is released from a cocked position at a fixed height h. Upon release, a knife edge mounted on the pendulum strikes and fractures the specimen at the notch, which acts as a point of stress concentration for this high-velocity impact blow.
4. ASTM Standard E 23, Standard Test Methods for Notched Bar Impact Testing of MetallicMaterials.)
34
Figure 2.3; Impact testing Machine
35
2.5.3.2 Ductile-To-Brittle Transition
One of the primary functions of Charpy and Izod tests is to determine whether or not a material experiences a ductile-to-brittle transition with decreasing temperature and, if so, the range of temperatures over which it occurs. The ductile-to-brittle transition is related to the temperature dependence of the measured impact energy absorption.
It is possible to ascertain whether or not a material experiences a ductile-to-brittle transition and the temperature range over which such a transition occurs. Low-strength steel alloys typify this behavior, and, for structural applications, should be used at temperatures in excess of the transition range. Furthermore, low-strength FCC metals, most HCP metals, and high-strength materials do not experience this ductile-to-brittle transition.
36
2.5.4 Preheat Treatment Operation
The heat treatment of spheroidal graphite irons can considerably alter the microstructure of the matrix, with little or no effect on the size and shape of the graphite achieved during casting. The matrix microstructures resulting from heat treatment can vary from ferrite-pearlite to tempered martensite.
Preheating involves raising the temperature of the base metal in the region to be welded to a predetermined temperature prior to carrying out the welding process. Preheating may be applied to help prevent cold-cracking, reduce hardness in the heat- affected zone, reduce residual stresses, and reduce distortion.
The operation of heating metal to some pre determined temperature before engaging in actual welding is called preheating. The details and the modes may be different in various situations but in general the purpose is to influence the cooling behavior after welding so that shrinkage stresses will be lower (relative to welding without preheating) and cooling rate will be milder. When a ductile iron is welded, it is heated; the heated portion has a micro structure that is different from that of the base metal and this is called the Heat Affected Zone [HAZ]
(J. E. RAMIREZ et al., 2005).
Preheat treatment operation in welding refers to the heating of a part in a furnace prior to welding operation to ensure a slow enough cooling rate so that the part's distortion and HAZ is minimal.
Pre-heating prepares metal to make it more receptive to welding. The importance of preheating increases with the thickness of the base metal because of the rapid self quench capability, and with the rigidity of the welded structure because of the derived constraints. In general the higher the preheat temperature and the lower the heat input, the conditions are more favorable for limiting martensite formation and its hardness, 37
hopefully contributing to higher quality welds. If the entire part is already at an elevated temperature before welding, after welding the heat affected zone will have no place to release the 'extra' heat because the area adjacent to the HAZ will be at relatively the same temperature. Thus a slow cooling rate of the HAZ, prevents a brittle, martensitic weld from forming.
2.5.5 Welding Welding, in engineering, any process in which two or more pieces of metal are joined together by the application of heat, pressure, or a combination of both. Most of the processes may be grouped into two main categories: pressure welding, in which the weld is achieved by pressure; and heat welding, in which the weld is achieved by heat. Heat welding is the most common welding process used today.
Welding is used in ships, bridges, pressure vessels, industrial machinery, automobile, rolling stock and many other fields. Problems associated with welding are common issues in these fields. Welding of steel refers to the maximum hardness of the heat affected zone (HAZ) and the cold cracking susceptibility of welds. When steel is welded non uniform heating and cooling in weld metal and in base metal generates harder Heat Affected Zone (HAZ), cold crack susceptibility and residual stress in weldment. The best way to minimize above difficulties is to slow the heating and cooling rate of the base metal and weld heat affected zone. However there are many methods for reducing the effects of above problems and one of them is preheating and/or post heating.
38
Due to their high carbon content, all cast irons have a common factor affecting their welding. During the welding of cast irons, the iron immediately adjacent to the weld metal is heated to its fusion or melting point. After welding, the entire heat-affected zone cools very rapidly. During this heating and cooling, some of the graphitic carbon dissolves and diffuses into the iron, and, as a result, carbides tend to form at the edge of the fusion zone, and high-carbon martensite and bainite tend to form in the remainder of the heat-affected zone. The formation of these hard, brittle microconstituents increases the susceptibility to cracking.
The lower surface-to-volume ratio of the nodular graphite in Ductile Iron as compared to that for the flake graphite in Gray Iron results in less carbon dissolution and the formation of fewer carbides and less high-carbon martensite. Welding involves the fusion of both a filler metal (welding consumable) and the base metal adjacent to the weld zone. the high carbon content of Ductile Iron can lead to the formation of carbides in the fusion zone (FZ) and martensite in both the FZ and heat affected zone (HAZ) adjacent to the FZ unless correct procedures are followed. however, with the use of appropriate materials and procedures, Ductile Iron castings can be successfully joined to other Ductile Iron castings and to steel by fusion welding.
During welding, rapid heating and cooling take place which produce severe thermal cycle near weld line region. Thermal cycle cause non uniform heating and cooling in the material, thus generating harder heat affected zone, residual stress and cold cracking susceptibility in the weld metal and base metal. Detrimental residual stresses commonly result from differential heating and cooling.
39
Due to contraction of metal along the length of the weld is partially prevented by the large adjacent body of cold metal. Hence residual tensile stresses are set up along the weld. The properties of welds often cause more problem than the base metal properties, and in many cases they govern the overall performance of the structure. These all are a problem in the process of production. To get rid of these problems heat treatment before welding (Preheating) is employed. Effective preheat are the primary means by which acceptable heat affected zone properties and minimum potential for hydrogen induced cracking are created.
2.5.6.1 ARC WELDING Several methods have been employed successfully to arc-weld Ductile Iron to itself and other materials with acceptable properties in both the weld and base metal. the properties of shielded metal arc welded Ductile Irons were greatly improved by the introduction over 40 years ago of the high-Ni and Ni-Fe electrodes. these electrodes produce high-nickel fusion zones that are relatively soft and machinable but have adequate tensile strength, ductility and fatigue strength. The short arc metal inert gas (MIG) welding process, by virtue of its controlled, low heat input, reduced harmful structureal changes in the base metal HAZ. combining the benefits of Ni-base filler wire with the short-arc MIG process has resulted in welds with tensile properties that are equivalent to the base Ductile Iron and fatigue strengths that are 65% and 75% respectively of the fatigue limits of unwelded pearlitic and ferritic Ductile Irons.
40
2.5.6.2 Welding Of Ductile Iron Welding of the cast iron is commonly characterized by calculation of the carbon equivalent (CE). By CE no-crack temperature for the cast iron is determined. No-crack temperature is the preheating temperature, above which the cooling rates will be lowered enough that the material will not cause formation of any cracks due to welding. CE is calculated using the weight percents of the elements in the chemical composition according to Equation 1;
The no-crack temperature is correlated with the CE by the equation 1. The lower the no-crack temperature is the more weldable the cast iron is. Here the preheating is determined by CE and main structure of the cast iron to be welded. Additionally, the thickness of the material will be another factor determining the cooling rate after welding. Increased thickness causes an increase in cooling rates thus welding of the thicker pieces will be lower requiring increased preheating temperatures.
2.5.6.3 Welding Of Cast Iron Ab Pascual et al. have studied welding nodular cast iron with oxyacetylene (OAW) and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) using 98.2% Ni and Fe-Cr-Ni alloy filler materials respectively. They have concluded that welding ductile cast iron with or without preheat is possible but preheating almost always increases weld quality and ductility. OAW results very poor weld metal properties whereas SMAW yields an amount of ductility in the weld metal.
41
Furthermore, using Ni electrodes is another factor increasing the ductility which hinders the carbide formation. El-Banna has studied welding ductile cast iron in as- cast and fully ferritized states using SMAW process with ENiFe-CI filler material. He has worked on different preheating temperatures and again concluded that ductile cast iron can successfully be welded with or without preheating using Ni based electrodes but in order to achieve certain mechanical properties a preheating temperature of 200- 300C is required. Additionally he stated that Rm values required from the base materials can only be met in ferritized components. In as-welded specimens ledeburitic carbide structures and local melting around the graphite nodules are observed. With application of preheating various pearlite and martensite ratios instead of carbide were formed.
Again in a study carried out by El-Banna et al. restoration properties of pearlitic cast iron using SMAW with various filler materials as Ni, Fe-Ni alloy, Ni-Cu alloy, stainless and ferritic steel is studied. Also subcritical annealing at 677C is applied. Effect of heat input, preheating and filler materials was examined. When using the ferritic filler material, preheating at 300C becomes the best option for narrowing the melt region and HAZ with discontinuous carbide and bainite. It is seen that PWHT has reduced the maximum hardness values slightly and finally multipass welding lowers the width of melt region and microhardness of HAZ. Using filler materials with Ni content can overcome carbide formation however; with ferritic filler a continuous carbide network is observed around the fusion line and HAZ yielded a martensitic structure. Pouranvari carried out a study on welding cast iron using SMAW with Ni based electrodes.
42
He also applied PWHT to the welded pieces. Due to possibility of increasing amount and continuity of carbides preheating is not used and formation of cracks was not reported. Material was fully annealed and a nearly uniform hardness profile is achieved. Again nickel based filler is used to prevent ledeburitic carbide formation in the structure of the weld piece but due to dilution very high carbon contents are come across which cannot be compensated with Ni. This excess amount precipitated as graphite in fusion zone. In PMZ ledeburitic and martensitic structure formation occurs, constructing a hard and brittle network among fusion line. Voigt et al. have studied general HAZ structures of ductile cast irons. SMAW with ENi-CI filler material used with about 300C of preheating. Sub-critical annealing and full annealing is applied to the specimens. In as weld specimens carbides are formed surrounding the graphite nodules and in intercellular regions between nodules. It is concluded that this formation cannot be effectively prevented in PMZ.
2.5.6.4 HAZ Heat affected zone
Cast iron is generally considered as a difficult material to be welded. This is basically due to two reasons: inherent brittleness of the cast iron and the effect of weld thermal cycle on the metallurgical structure of the cast iron. Typically, four distinct regions are formed when cast iron is welded, as follows:
Fusion zone (FZ) which is melted during welding process and is resolidified upon cooling. Partially melted zone (PMZ) which is the area immediately outside the FZ where liquation can occur during welding.
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Heat affected zone (HAZ) which is not melted but undergoes microstructural changes. Base metal (BM) which its structure remains unaffected during weld thermal cycle. The possibility of performing a welding process without building up a thermal gradient in the parent metal is almost negligible. The temperature and the speed of the welding process is very influential in deciding the spread of heat into the parent metal. The thermal gradient will get compressed by the high power welding at high speed (Houldcroft and John, 1988).
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3.2.2 Metallographic preparation of samples The metallographic preparation of samples was performed by creating a flat surface on the samples of the As-cast, As-welded and preheated respectively, grinded on the Beulah strip grinding machine and then polished on a polishing machine. The photomicrographs of the microstructure were also taken to get information on the graphite morphology and matrix features, obtained through a computer-based image analyzing system.
3.2.3 Mechanical property testing The ductile iron rods were carefully machined to the required sizes and shapes of the tensile, impact and hardness specimen using the Lathe machine as seen in figure 3.2 and 3.2.1. The tensile specimen is such that the tensile-testing machine can grip it easily on both ends while the impact specimen is machined with a notch of 2mm at the mid-point of the specimen.
3.2.3.1 Tensile Strength Testing A computerized tensometer was used to carry out the tensile strength test on the samples and the graphs plotted instantaneously. Tensile tests was performed on the machined samples with circular cross section. Test pieces were screwed into or gripped in jaws of the automated tensile testing machine and stretched by moving the grips apart at a constant rate while measuring the load and the grip separation. This data is plotted as load vs extension and then converted to engineering stress (load/original area) vs engineering strain (fractional change in length over the test section assuming the deformation is uniform). 45
A milling machine was used in creating a groove along the longitudinal axis of the test sample followed by metal arc welding of the grooved portion of the ductile iron samples.
3.2.3.2 Impact Strength Testing Impact strength is measured by allowing a pendulum to strike a grooved machined test piece and measuring the energy absorbed in the break (AS1544). The Izod test is at ambient temperature while the temperature controlled Charpy test (AS1544.2) uses typically 10x10mm, rectangular cross section samples cut at specified orientations to the material axes. The absorbed energy decreases at lower temperatures.
46
3.2.3.3 Hardness Testing Hardness is not an intrinsic property of a material. During the Hardness Test, a flat surface was made on the specimen and then grinding and polishing was done on the surface. The compression attachment was assembled in the machine, one compression die was inserted, and a Brinell ball bolster, the mercury on the hardness-testing machine was set to zero, the polished surface was held against the Brinell ball and the load was applied with the quick-acting handle.
3.2.4 Pre-weld heating of samples A pre-weld heating of the Spheroidal ductile iron was performed on the third group of fifteen samples in an electric furnace to a temperature of 410 o C before engaging in actual welding so as to influence the cooling behavior after welding and lowering the shrinkage stresses that are relative to welding without preheating and thus makes the cooling rate milder.
3.2.5 Welding of the samples Welding involves the fusion of both a filler metal (welding consumable) and the base metal adjacent to the weld zone. The high carbon content of Ductile Iron can lead to the formation of carbides in the fusion zone (FZ) and martensite in both the FZ and heat affected zone (HAZ) adjacent to the FZ unless correct procedures. A welding current of 140 A, with a root gap of 1.5 mm was used in order to obtain a good weld penetration using an electrode containing 97.6 % Ni.
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3.3 Equipment/facility Equipment used for this research are as follows: 1 Lathe Machine 2 Milling Machine 3 Electric Arc Welding 4 Muffle Furnaces 5 Grinding Machine 6 Polishing Machine 7 Metallurgical Microscope 8 Fatigue Testing Machine 9 Impact Testing Machine 10 Tensile Testing Machine 11 Vernier Calliper
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3.4 Availability Of The Equipment Some of the major equipments used for this research work are as listed in Table 2.1, with their respective places of availability indicated. Table 2.1: Equipments to Be Used and Their Places of Availability S/N EQUIPMENT PLACE AVAILABLE 1 Lathe Machine Mech. Engineering Workshop, O.A.U., Ile-ife 2 Milling Machine FIIRO, Lagos. 3 Electric Arc Welding FIIRO, Lagos. 4 Muffle Furnaces M.S.E Laboratory, O.A.U., Ile-ife 5 Grinding Machine M.S.E Laboratory, O.A.U., Ile-ife 6 Polishing Machine M.S.E Laboratory, O.A.U., Ile-ife 7 Metallurgical Microscope M.S.E Laboratory, O.A.U., Ile-ife 8 Fatigue Testing Machine M.S.E Laboratory, O.A.U., Ile-ife 9 Impact Testing Machine M.S.E Laboratory, O.A.U., Ile-ife 10 Tensile Testing Machine CERD, O.A.U, Ile-fe 11 Vernier Calliper M.S.E Laboratory, O.A.U., Ile-ife
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CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Experimental Results
The results of the Tensile strength, Impact strength and Hardness of the ductile iron samples are as presented on Table 4.1, Table 4.2 and Table 4.3 respectively. The stress- strain curve for the as-cast, as-weld and pre-weld heated samples are presented on Fig 4.1, Fig 4.2 and Fig 4.3 respectively. The microstructure of the as-cast, as-weld and pre-weld heated samples are presented on Fig 4.4, Fig 4.5 and Fig 4.6 respectively.
Table 4.2 Impact Test Results Samples As-Cast As-Weld Pre-weld heated
1
2
3
4
5
5.20
8.88
6.25
6.70
6.43
4.80
5.00
4.00
5.30
5.00
9.20
8.30
9.70
9.40
8.70 Mean 6.70 4.82 9.06 Impact Strength
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Table 4.3 Hardness Test Results Samples As-Cast As-Weld Pre-weld heated
1
2
3
4
5
245
233
230
282
236
330
480
290
380
520
189
163
174
176
173 Mean 245 397 175 Hardness (BHN)
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Figure 4.1 Tensile Stress Vs Tensile Strain curve of the As-Cast samples of Ductile Iron
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 T e n s i l e
S t r e s s Tensile Strain As-Cast Ductile Iron 53
Figure 4.2 Tensile Stress Vs Tensile Strain curve of the As-Weld samples of Ductile Iron
54
Figure 4.3 Tensile Stress Vs Strain curve of the Pre-weld heated samples of Ductile Iron
-50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 T e n s i l e
S t r e s s Tensile Strain Pre-weld heated-welded 55
(a)
(b)
Figure 4.4 (a) Photomicrograph of the as-cast ductile iron without using Nital etchant (b) Photomicrograph of the as-cast ductile iron using Nital etchant.
56
(
(c) (d) Figure 4.5 (a) and (b) Photomicrographs of the fusion zone and heat affected zone of the asweld ductile iron without using Nital etchant (c) and (d) Photomicrographs of the fusion zone and Heat Affected zone of the asweld ductile iron using Nital etchant.
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(c) (d)
Figure 4.6 (a) and (b) Photomicrographs of the fusion zone and heat affected zone of the pre- weld heated samples of ductile iron without using Nital etchant (c) and (d) Photomicrographs of the fusion zone and Heat Affected zone of the pre-weld heated samples of ductile iron using Nital etchant. 58
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
Table 4.1 shows the tensile test result performed on the ductile iron samples and it is observed that the tensile strength of the as-weld samples of ductile iron is very high having 735 MPa with least elongation which showed reduced impact strength and ductility compared to that of the as-cast samples having tensile strength having 446 MPa which showed good tensile strength, improved impact strength and ductility as shown on the stress-strain graph in Figure 4.2 and Figure 4.1.
Also it can be seen on table 4.1 that the tensile strength of the pre-weld heated samples of ductile iron has 411 MPa which is very close to that of the as-cast samples of ductile iron having 446 MPa but with improved mechanical properties as it resulted in increased elongation, hence improved ductility and impact strength as shown on the stress-strain graph in Figure 4.3 and Figure 4.1 respectively.
Table 4.2 shows the impact test result performed on the ductile iron samples and it is observed that the impact strength of the as-welded samples of ductile iron is low due to its high tensile strength and low ductility while the impact strength of the preheated samples of ductile iron is improved over the as-cast impact strength due to improved ductility.
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Table 4.3 shows the hardness test result performed on the ductile iron samples and it is observed that the hardness value of the as-welded samples of ductile iron is highest signifying brittleness while the hardness value the preheated samples of ductile iron is least as compared to the as-cast impact strength.
The as-weld samples of ductile iron behaved very hard, signifying brittleness due to the rapid cooling of the as-weld ductile iron after the welding operation suggesting the presence of ledeburite carbides and martensitic phases within its matrix which are results of metastable solidification.
The figure 4.4 (a) and (b) are the photomicrographs, at a magnification of X200, of the microstructures of the as-cast ductile iron without using etching and the microstructure of the as-cast ductile iron after etching which reveals bull-eye spheroids of graphites in the matrix of ferrite. Bull-eye spheroids of graphites are formed when ferrites form rings around the spheroidal graphites.
The photomicrograph at a magnification of X200 shown in figure 4.5 (a) and (b) are the fusion zone and heat affected zone microstructures of the as-weld ductile iron without etching which show spheroids of graphites and the figures 4.5 (c) and (d) are the fusion zone and heat affected zone microstructures of the as-weld ductile iron with etching with nital which reveals ledeburite carbides and martensite phases in the matrix of ferrite.
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The photomicrograph at a magnification of X200 shown in figure 4.6 (a) and (b) are the fusion zone and heat affected zone microstructures of the pre-weld heated ductile iron without etching which reveal no change in microstructure when heated to 410 as compared with the as-cast samples and the figures 4.6 (c) and (d) are the fusion zone and heat affected zone microstructures of the as-weld ductile iron using nital etchant which reveal reduced graphite sizes in the matrix of ferrite.
The influence of thermal treatment on welded ductile iron shows that the pre-weld heated samples of the as-cast ductile iron has uniform distribution of phases with dissolved graphite present in the matrix and low average size of fragile carbides and martensite structures were not formed. The thermal treatment resulted in relieving residual stress and diminishing the cooling rate.
Table 4.3 shows the hardness of the parent ductile iron is found to be 245BHN.The photomicrograph of the as-weld ductile iron shows a typical microstructure of the weld joint welded with a Ni electrode without preheating. From the figure it is found that the HAZ is visually darker due to less amount of ferritic matrix structure resulting from the dissolution of ferrite in nickel. The hardness of HAZ was found to be 397 BHN (138 % higher than that of parent metal).
From the table it is found that the pre-weld heated ductile iron hardness value is less with the weld bead containing ferritic structure with a high concentration of small graphite nodules distributed uniformly in the matrix resulting due to the dissolution of graphite in nickel. Though the bead had higher ductility due to the uniform distribution of graphite nodules.
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Hardness obtained in the HAZ was 175 BHN. The ductility was increased twice and the rest of values were very similar. The mode of failure observed from tensile test was found to be ductile in the bead.
The typical microstructure of a pre-weld heated cast iron using a Ni electrode reveals that there is no change in the microstructure with the preheating at 410 and that graphite in form of smaller spherolytes grew in the bead region and got distributed uniformly. This smaller spherolyte forms may be due to nickel metal, which absorbs carbon dissolving it in its metallic matrix. It is found that the ductility is increased and hardness diminished. It is also found that the yield limit is not affected significantly.
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CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 CONCLUSION It can be concluded from the thesis result that the As-welded ductile iron results in the formation of carbides and martensite phases in the matrix of ferrites which embrittles the welded ductile iron thus making it hard.
Preheat treatment operation prior to welding prepares the Ductile Iron to be more receptive to welding conditions, having no microstructural changes in the ferritic matrix thus increasing the ductility of the welded piece through minimizing hard and fragile microstructures and achieving a tensile strength close to that of the as-cast.
5.1 RECOMMENDATION It is therefore recommended that effective preheat treatment operation should be performed on ductile irons prior to welding using high purity Ni electrodes as it showed better welding, enhanced ductility and better uniform distribution of graphite.