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energy than Ductile Iron. Under plane strain conditions that could be expected in many component failures, the "shear
lip advantage" of steel would be absent, with dramatically lower fracture toughness.

To eliminate the differences in upper shelf fracture mode between cast steel and ferritic Ductile Iron, the Charpy test
was modified, using precracked and side- grooved samples to provide plane strain conditions at the initiation of crack
growth. Using the J-integral method, the dynamic stress intensity factor KID was calculated for both materials over a
temperature range including both brittle and ductile fracture modes. Figure 3.47 shows that the fracture toughness of
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cast steel was superior to that of ferritic Ductile Iron at temperatures above 90 F (32 C) but that the superiority was
much less than that suggested by the Charpy test. Due to a much lower ductile-to-brittle transition temperature, Ductile
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Iron exhibited superior fracture toughness below 90 F (32 C).

Figure 3.47 indicates that the fracture toughness of good quality ferritic Ductile Iron is excellent to temperatures as low
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as -80 F (-62 C), giving a KID of 37.5 ksi (square root) in. (41 MPa (square root) m), which corresponds to a critical flaw
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size of 0.5 in. (1.25 cm) for a design stress equal to the yield stress, applied under static fracture conditions. Above 0 F
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(- 18 C), the KID is 80 ksi (square root)in. (87 MPa (square root) m) giving a critical flaw size of 1.5 in. (3.75 cm). Both
flaw sizes can be detected and prevented by the quality assurance and production procedures practiced by competent
Ductile Iron foundries. Assuming such flaws can be avoided, ferritic Ductile Iron can be considered sufficiently tough to
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resist unstable crack propagation at temperatures as low as -80 F (-62 C).

Figure 3.48 illustrates the relationship between fracture toughness and nodule count for pearlitic Ductile Iron tested at
room temperature. This level of fracture toughness, at a temperature well below the transition temperature for pearlitic
irons, (see Figure 3.41) indicates that these irons are tougher than indicated by the notched Charpy test and have good
flaw tolerance at temperatures at which they are labeled "brittle" by the Charpy test. The relationship between fracture
toughness and modularity indicates that the nodules are playing a role in determining fracture toughness, possibly
through the relaxation of triaxial stresses through void formation at the crack tip.

Dynamic Tear Testing

The dynamic tear test, an accepted ASTM fracture test method, overcomes many of the shortcomings of the Charpy
test and is cheaper and more suitable than plane strain fracture toughness testing for production testing of ferrous
castings. This test has become widely accepted in the automotive industry and has been made mandatory for the
characterization of the fracture properties of castings used in critical applications. To ensure validity of test results, the
dynamic tear specimens are cast to size in the foundry and tested full size to replicate performance of an actual casting.
Figures 3.49, 3.50 and 3.51 illustrate dynamic tear behaviour for as-cast ferritic and pearlitic, and annealed ferritic
Ductile Irons respectively. When compared to similar Charpy data in Figure 3.41, the dynamic tear data in Figures 3.50
reveals a slightly higher transition temperature for the ferritic sample but significantly lower transition temperatures for
the pearlitic grades. Figure 3.49 is noteworthy for two features: the low transition temperature of the low phosphorus,
annealed ferritic iron, and the significant increase in transition temperature and reduction in upper shelf energy
produced by an increase in phosphorus content to 0.05 per cent.

Figure 3.51 compares the dynamic tear data for four ferritic cast irons. A full, ferritizing anneal reduces the fracture
transition temperature and increases the upper shelf energy of Ductile Iron, compared to an as-cast ferritic structure.

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