XXII INTERNATIONAL MATERIALS RESEARCH CONGRESS

EFFECT OF HEATING RATE ON THE AUSTENITIZING TEMPERATURE OF

AUSTEMPERED DUCTILE IRON
1 2 3 1
O. Vázquez-Gómez , L. R. Olmos-Navarrete , H. J. Vergara-Hernández , J. A. Barrera-Godínez , E.
1
López-Martínez .
1
Departamento de Ingeniería Metalúrgica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
México, Edif. D Fac. Quim., Circuito de la investigación científica s/n, Cd. Universitaria México D. F.
2
04510, MÉXICO, e-mail: info.fq@servidor.unam.mx; Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de
Hidalgo, Av. Francisco J. Mujica s/n Ciudad Universitaria, Morelia, Michoacán, C. P. 58030 MÉXICO;
3
Posgrado en Ciencias en Metalurgia. Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia. Av. Tecnológico 1500, Lomas de
Santiaguito, 58820, Morelia, Michoacán., MÉXICO, e-mail: difusión@itmorelia.edu.mx.

Austempered ductile iron (ADI) is an alloyed and heat treated ductile iron. ADI has
shown superior mechanical properties than ductile cast iron as a result of the
microstructural formation of “ausferrite”. The microstructure consists of aggregates of
plates of bainitic ferrite sheaves and retained austenite along with nodules graphite. In
order to achieve the microstructural formation of “ausferrite”, the austenitizing process
of the as-received material in the austempering cycle is required. Despite its
importance, the austenitizing process has received relatively little attention due to the
carbon concentration in austenite priori austempering transformation dependence of
austenitizing temperature [1,2]. In this work, the kinetics of austenite formation in samples
of ductile iron ASTM A 536 grade 65-45-12 were determined as a function of heating
rate during continuous heating tests. The microstructural evolution was characterized
through dilatometric analysis of cylindrical samples (7 mm × 20 mm) which were
continuously heated in a protective atmosphere with constant heating rates ranging
from 2 to 50 °C/min. The critical temperatures were determined from the derivative of
the relative length change as a function of temperature. It was found that the critical
temperatures values were sensitive to the heating rate. This implies that special care
must be taken when designing the austenitizing step. Finally, the volume fraction of
retained austenite was measured using X-ray diffraction with CuKα radiation. The
carbon concentration in the austenite was calculated from its lattice parameter using a
relationship described by Dyson and Holmes.
Keywords: Austempered Ductile Iron, heating rate, austenitizing temperature, volume fraction of retained
austenite.

References:
L. C. Chang. An Analysis of Retained Austenite in Austempered Ductile Iron, Metallurgical and
Materials Transactions A, 34A (2), pp. 211-217, 2003.
L. C. Chang, I. C. Hsui, L. H. Chen, T. S. Lui. Effects of heat treatment on the erosion behavior of
Austempered ductile iron. Wear, 260 783-793, 2006.

Presenting author’s email: ovazquezg@comunidad.unam.mx