What is the material of cast iron?

What is the material of cast iron?

Cast iron is an iron-carbon alloy with a carbon content greater than 2.11%. It is made of industrial pig iron, scrap steel and other steel and alloy materials through high-temperature melting and casting.

In addition to iron, carbon in other cast irons is also precipitated in the form of graphite. If the precipitated graphite is flaky, this cast iron is called gray cast iron or gray cast iron, worm-like cast iron is called vermicular graphite cast iron, flocculent cast iron is called malleable cast iron or cast iron, and spherical cast iron is called nodular cast iron.

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Ductile iron castings have been used in almost all major industrial sectors requiring high strength, high ductility, high toughness, high wear resistance, heat and mechanical shock resistance, high and low temperature resistance, corrosion resistance and dimensional stability. To meet these variations in service conditions, ductile iron is available in many grades, offering a wide range of mechanical and physical properties.

According to the provisions of ISO1083, most ductile iron castings are mainly produced in non-alloyed state. Obviously, this range includes high-strength grades with a tensile strength greater than 800 N/mm2 and an elongation of 2%.

At the other extreme are high ductility grades with elongation greater than 17% and correspondingly lower strength (minimum 370N/mm2). Strength and elongation are not the basis for designers to choose materials, other decisively important properties include yield strength, modulus of elasticity, abrasion and fatigue strength, hardness and impact properties.

Additionally, corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, and electromagnetic properties can be critical to designers. To meet these special applications, a group of austenitic ductile irons, commonly known as nickel-resistant ductile irons, was developed. These austenitic ductile irons are primarily alloyed with nickel, chromium and manganese and are listed in international standards.

Pearlescent ductile iron castings have the characteristics of medium and high strength, medium toughness and plasticity, high comprehensive performance, good wear resistance and vibration damping, and good casting process performance. Its properties can be changed by various heat treatments. Mainly used for crankshafts, camshafts, connecting shafts, connecting rods, gears, clutch discs, hydraulic cylinders and other parts of various power machinery.