Cast Iron

Introduction
►Family of ferrous alloys
►Cast into desired shape  not worked
►2-4% C & 1-3% Si
►Properties & microstructures affected by chemical
composition, solidification rate, heat treatments
►Low cost
►Good hardness, wear resistance
►Better corrosion resistance than plain carbon steel 
effect of alloying elements
►Better damping property than steel  presence of
graphite
Structures
► Matrix  ferritic, bainitic, pearlitic
► Graphite  Graphitization
► Graphitization : Fe3C  3Fe + C
► Graphite
 Layered hexagonal structure with covalent bonding of atoms in each layer
 Density: 2.25 grams/cm3 at 20°C
 Layers easily slide against each other and make graphite a solid lubricant
 Soft and low strength
Classification
►White Cast Iron
►Gray Cast Iron
►Malleable Cast Iron
►Ductile Cast Iron
►High Alloy Cast Iron  Special purpose
Classification

Irregular
shape
nodule
/rosette
Classification
Classification
Effect of chemical composition
►% C
► % Si
► Cooling rate
Classification
Effect of chemical composition
Classification
Effect of chemical composition & cooling rate
Factor Affecting Graphitization
Factor Affecting Graphitization
►Metal cools across eutectic T from “A” or from
“B” will Fe3C or graphite form?
►γ + eutectic liquid at “A”
 fast cooling - γ + Fe3C (white cast iron)
 slow cooling - γ + graphite (gray cast iron)
►γ + graphite (gray cast iron) at point “B”
 α + Fe3C – pearlitic gray cast iron
 α + graphite – ferritic gray cast iron
Factor Affecting Graphitization
►Cast iron Carbon Equivalent: CE = %C +
1/3%Si
 CE = 4,3  eutectic
 CE < 4,3  hypoeutectic
 CE > 4,3  hypereutectic
►Cooling rate
►Gray and nodular cast iron:
 higher %C and %Si vs. white and malleable
Effect of Alloying Elements
►Silicon
 Silicon is added to cast irons in the range of 1% to 4% in
order to increase the amount of under-cooling required for
the formation of cementite and promote the formation of
graphite during solidification.
 Silicon promotes the precipitation of secondary graphite on
the primary graphite during the eutectoid transformation,
which results in large areas of ferrite (commonly called “free
ferrite”) around the graphite particles.
 Influence fluidity
 Graphitizer agent
 Cooling rate control to decomposed carbide eutectic
Effect of Alloying Elements
►Sulfur  restrict graphitization  promote pearlite
formation
 High sulfur tend to reduce fluidity and sometime responsible
for blow hole
►Manganese  restrict graphitization  promote
pearlite formation
 Manganese is carbide stabilizer
►Phosphorus
 Increase hardness, wear resistance
 Decrease machinability
Transformation of Cast Iron During
Solidification and Heat Treatment
Transformation of Cast Iron During
Solidification and Heat Treatment
Typical Mechanical Properties
White Cast Iron
►White cast iron mempunyai struktur carbida eutectic
►Shows a “white” crystalline fractured surface
►White cast iron terjadi pada laju pendinginan yang
cepat, dan pengaruh paduan yang mendorong
pembentukan carbida eutectic
►Low ductility, high hardness, high wear resistance 
low machinability
►Raw material for malleable cast iron
►High compressive stress
►Applications : engine bed, drawing dies, ball mill,
extrusion nozzle
White Cast Iron
Malleable Cast Iron
►Produced by annealing of white cast iron, which
transform eutectic carbides into graphite in ferritic
matrix  malleablization
►Malleable irons have good ductility and good strength.
►Matrix microstructure is dependent upon the cooling
rate from the graphitization annealing.
►Before the discovery of nodular irons, malleable irons
were the only ductile class of cast irons.
►Application : Rail road, hand tool, gear casing, farm
part, high pressure part
Malleable Cast Iron
Malleablization

►Two stage annealing of WCI

Malleable Cast Iron
Malleablization – stage 1
►Heating to 870 C – 954 C  minimum distortion
►Holding time  min 20 h  graphitization is slow
►Fast cooling to 760 C
►Changes during stage 1
 Decomposition of iron carbides  dissolves in 
 Carbon in  & remained carbides diffuses to graphite 
Graphite nucleation  initial graphitization
 Temper-carbon nodule graphite is formed
 Time to finish  dissolution rate of carbides & diffusion rate
of carbon
 Factor influence nucleation of graphite : chemical
composition, heating rate, section size, pretreatment
Malleable Cast Iron
Malleablization – stage 2

►Slow cooling through eutectoid temperature

►Remained C dissolves in  precipitated and join
with the existing temper-carbon nodule graphite
► transform to ferrite (ferritic)  slow cooling
► transform to pearlite (pearlitic)  faster
cooling (air cooled)
►Graphitization is completed  all carbides are
decomposed
Malleable Cast Iron
Microstructure

Temper-carbon
nodule graphite
Gray Cast Iron
►Gray cast irons form graphite flakes during
solidification.
►The gray iron microstructure is due to slow
solidification rates and silicon alloying that promotes
graphite formation
►Gray irons get their name from their dull gray fracture
features.
►Gray irons typically have low ductility and moderate
strength, but they have high thermal conductivity
►Excellent vibration damping properties.
Gray Cast Iron
►Great machinability and wear resistance
►Cheap
►Easy to cast, into large complex shape
►Can be alloyed
►Application : gear cover, cylinder blocks,
cylinder bores, piston ring
Gray Cast Iron
Gray Cast Iron
Type of graphite flakes – ASTM A 247
► Type A – uniform distribution and random orientation.
► Type B – rosette groupings and random orientation.
► Type C – superimposed flake size and random orientation.
► Type D – interdendritic segregation and random orientation.
► Type E – interdendritic segregation and preferred orientation

A B C

D E
Gray Cast Iron
Type of graphite flakes – ASTM A 247
► Type A graphite flake structures are generally the preferred
structures.
► Type B graphite flake structures may result when there is poor
inoculation and nucleation.
► Type C graphite flake structures are typically found in
hypereutectic gray irons where the graphite flakes are the first to
precipitate from the melt.
► Types D and E graphite flake structures are typically found
where undercooling of melt is the greatest (edges, parting lines,
thin sections, etc…).
► During melting operation, can be added by innoculant (Ca, Ti,
Al, etc)  reduce flake size and improve its distribution
Gray Cast Iron
Microstructures
Nodular Cast Iron
►Ductile Cast Iron, Spherulic Graphite Iron
►Nodular cast irons form graphite spheres during
solidification.
►The nodular iron microstructure is due to slow
solidification rates and magnesium or cerium
alloying that promotes spherical graphite
formation.
►Mg  deoxidize & desulphurize molten iron
Nodular Cast Iron
►Graphite spheroid grow directly from the melt
►Nodular irons typically have high ductility and strength.
►Superior machinability, good wear resistance
►Nodular irons were first discovered in the 1940’s.
►Heat treatment :
 Stress relieving : remove internal stress
 Annealing : increases ductility & machinability
 Normalizing & tempering: developing higher strength
 Tempering: Quench & tempering, austempering &
martempering
Nodular Cast Iron
Nodular Cast Iron
Microstructures
Nodular Cast Iron
Modified NCI
►Austempered Ductile Iron
 Excellent hardness, wear resistance, strength and ductility 
matrix: bainitic
 Low cost, flexible in design
 Alloyed cast iron
 Process from austempering treatment
 Application : gear, heavy machinery, automotive, etc
 New developed material
 Confirm to ASTM 897
High Alloy Cast Iron

►Abrasion-resistant alloy cast iron

 Chilled Cast Iron  mottled cast iron
 White Cast Iron
 Chromium White Cast Iron
 Nickel-Chromium Cast Iron
High Alloy Cast Iron
►Heat-Resistant Alloy Cast Iron
 Chromium Iron
 High Silicon Iron
 High Nickel Iron

►Corrosion-Resistant Alloy Cast Iron

 High Silicon Iron
 High Chromium Iron
 High Nickel Iron