The main factors affecting the mechanical properties of compacted graphite irons both at room temperatures and at elevated temperatures are composition, structure (nodularity and matrix), and section size. This article presents a comparison between some properties of flake graphite (FG), compacted graphite (CG), and spheroidal graphite (SG) irons in a table. It discusses the effects of composition, structure, and section size on the mechanical properties of compacted graphite irons. The compressive and shear properties, modulus of elasticity, impact properties, fatigue strength, and elevated-temperature properties of compacted graphite irons are also reviewed.

According to the ISO 16112 standard for compacted graphite cast irons (CGIs), the graphite particles in CGIs shall be predominantly in the vermicular form when viewed on a two dimensional plane of polish. This article begins with a schematic illustration of compacted graphite microstructures with nodularity. It describes the tensile properties, hardness and compressive properties, and impact properties of CGI. The article concludes with a discussion on the fatigue strength and thermal conductivity of CGI.

The morphology of the graphite particles in compacted graphite iron (CGI) is intermediate to the graphite particles found in gray iron or ductile iron. This article discusses the castability and product design of compacted graphite iron. The introduction of modern measurement and control technologies has made CGI a viable material for high-volume series production. The article describes the production of compacted graphite iron castings and the process control that depends on the production volume of components made from compacted graphite iron. It also discusses the process control for high-volume CGI commonly based on thermal analysis.

Compacted graphite iron (CGI) invariably includes some nodular (spheroidal) graphite particles, giving rise to the definition of the microstructure in terms of percent nodularity. This article discusses the graphite morphology and mechanical and physical properties of CGI. The mechanical and physical properties of CGI with ferritic and pearlitic matrix structures are summarized in a table. The article describes the standards for CGI, with the definition of the grades based on the minimum tensile strength. It also provides information on the applications of compacted graphite iron castings.

This article describes the modification and inoculation of cast iron, and schematically illustrates the major effects of inoculation in gray cast irons. Inoculation could be considered as a common liquid-state treatment for all commercial cast irons (gray/compacted/ductile irons), while modification is essential to produce compacted graphite iron (intermediate level) and ductile iron. The article discusses the most important aspects of a gray cast iron inoculation treatment and the factors influencing its inoculation efficiency. It describes the modification and inoculation of ductile cast iron and compacted graphite cast iron.

This article describes different methods by which the composition of cast iron can be analyzed. It provides particular emphasis on the methods for evaluating the graphitization potential of a melt with prescribed limits on carbon, silicon, and alloying elements. The article discusses the effect of cooling rate on the graphitization of a given composition by chill and wedge tests. Thermal analysis of cooling curves gives excellent information about the solidification and subsequent cooling of cast iron alloys. The article presents some applications of the cooling curve analysis and explains the evaluation of carbon-silicon contents, graphite shape, graphite nucleation, and contraction-expansion balance. It illustrates the use of an immersion steel sampling device for compacted graphite iron production and provides information on the ferrite-pearlite ratio in ductile iron.

Cast irons have been widely used by engineers in applications that require low cost, excellent castability, good damping capacity, ease of machining, and wear resistance. This article discusses the classification of wear for cast irons: adhesive wear, abrasive wear, and erosive wear. Typical wear applications for a variety of cast iron grades are listed in a table. The article reviews the general wear characteristics of gray irons, compacted graphite (CG) irons, and ductile irons. It discusses the typical compositions and properties of white and chilled iron castings. Gray cast iron is the dominant material for both brake drums and disk brake rotors. The article reviews brake lining chemistry effects, graphite morphology effects, and external abrasive effects on brake drums. It concludes with information on cast iron grinding balls.

Gray cast iron is one of the most tolerant of metals when used with poorly designed filling systems. Good filling systems are necessary for the production of sound and acceptable ductile iron castings. This article presents an outline description of well-designed filling systems for all varieties of cast iron and all varieties of molds. It discusses the general conditions for the filling system layout, including the downsprue, sprue/runner junction, and runner. Both gray cast iron and compacted graphite iron exhibit a growth of graphite in direct contact with the liquid metal. The article concludes with a discussion on feeding of ductile iron.

A wide range of mechanical properties can be obtained with a given composition of cast iron, depending on the microstructural constituents that form during solidification and subsequent solid-state processing. This article discusses the mechanical properties of gray iron and provides some general property comparisons with malleable, ductile (nodular), and compacted graphite irons. The mechanical properties of gray iron are determined by the combined effects of its chemical composition, processing technique in the foundry, and cooling rates during solidification. The article provides information on the classification of gray irons based on ASTM International specification A48/A48M. It discusses the loading effect, surface effect, notch sensitivity, and environmental effect on the mechanical properties of gray iron. The chemical composition ranges of some of the more widely used heat-resistant gray irons suitable for elevated-temperature service are presented in a table.

The International Committee of Foundry Technical Associations has identified seven basic categories of casting defects: metallic projections, cavities, discontinuities, defective surfaces, incomplete casting, incorrect dimension, and inclusions or structural anomalies. This article presents some of the common defects in each of the seven categories in a table. It discusses common defects determined during the examination of samples of ductile cast iron in Elkem's research facility in Norway. The article reviews common defects, such as shrinkage cavities, blowholes, hydrogen pinholes, nitrogen defects, and abnormal graphite morphology, found in gray iron. It concludes with a discussion on surface defects in compacted graphite iron.

The solidification of hypoeutectic cast iron starts with the nucleation and growth of austenite dendrites, while that of hypereutectic iron starts with the crystallization of primary graphite in the stable system or cementite in the metastable system. This article begins with a discussion on the nucleation and growth of austenite dendrites. It describes the nucleation of lamellar graphite, spheroidal graphite, and austenite-iron carbide eutectic. The article reviews three main graphite morphologies crystallizing from the iron melts during solidification: lamellar (LG), compacted or vermicular (CG), and spheroidal. It discusses the metastable solidification of austenite-iron carbide eutectic and concludes with information on gray-to-white structural transition of cast iron.

This article discusses criteria that can be used for the classification of cast iron: fracture aspect, graphite shape, microstructure of the matrix, commercial designation, and mechanical properties. It addresses the main factors of influence on the structure of cast iron, including chemical composition, cooling rate, and heat treatment. The article describes some basic principles of cast iron metallurgy. It discusses the main effects of the chemical composition of ductile iron and compacted graphite (CG) iron. The composition of malleable irons must be selected in such a way as to produce a white as-cast structure and to allow for fast annealing times. Some typical compositions of malleable irons are presented in a table. The article concludes with information on special cast irons.

From the point of view of economics and ecology, thin-wall ductile iron (TWDI) castings can compete in terms of mechanical properties with the light castings made of aluminum alloys. This article discusses the effect of technological factors on the cooling rate and physicochemical state of the liquid metal for preparing thin-wall castings with good mechanical properties and performance while avoiding casting defects. It describes a variety of defects that may appear during the production of TWDI castings, such as casting skin anomalies (e.g., flake graphite, graphite segregation), graphite clusters, exploded graphite, slag inclusions, shrinkage porosity, eutectic chill and secondary carbides, and cold shuts. The article reviews the tensile, fatigue, impact, and wear properties of TWDI castings. It provides information on the production and applications of TWDI castings.

Unlike gray iron, which contains graphite flakes, ductile iron has an as-cast structure containing graphite particles in the form of small, rounded, spheroidal nodules in a ductile metallic matrix. This article discusses the raw materials that are used for ductile iron production and outlines the most common and important requirements for controlling the composition of ductile iron. Treatment to produce ductile iron involves the addition of magnesium to change the form of the graphite, followed by or combined with inoculation of a silicon-containing material to ensure a graphitic structure with freedom from carbides. The article describes the methods of magnesium treatment, control of magnesium content, and inoculation. It concludes with a discussion on the metallurgical controls of ductile iron production.

The control of the solidification process of cast iron requires understanding and control of the thermodynamics of the liquid and solid phases and of the kinetics of their solidification, including nucleation and growth. This article addresses issues that allow for the determination of probability of formation and relative stability of various phases. These include the influence of temperature and composition on solubility of various elements in iron-base alloys; calculation of solubility lines, relevant to the construction of phase diagrams; and calculation of activity of various components. It discusses the role of alloying elements in terms of their influence on the activity of carbon, which provides information on the stability of the main carbon-rich phases of iron-carbon alloys, that is, graphite and cementite. The article reviews the carbon solubility in multicomponent systems, along with saturation degree and carbon equivalent.

This article discusses the production process, testing methods, quality control, and common defects found in heavy-section ductile iron (DI) castings, along with analyses of industrial examples. The common defects include shrinkage defects, graphite-particle-related defects, and chunk graphite defects. The recommended chemical compositions for certain section thicknesses in ductile iron grades are presented in a table. The article illustrates the relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties of DI by using either industrial examples or castings produced under laboratory conditions.

The high-alloy irons can be categorized into two main groups: the high-alloy graphitic irons (covering both gray and ductile grades) and the high-alloy white irons. High-alloy irons are used in applications with demanding requirements, such as high resistance to wear, heat, and corrosion, or for combined properties. This article discusses the specification and selection of high-alloy irons. The common alloying elements and their effect on the stable and metastable eutectic temperatures are listed in a table. The article provides information on the compositions, properties and applications of high-alloy graphitic irons and high-alloy white irons.

This article presents typical wear applications for a variety of cast iron grades in a table. In general, wear is classified according to three major types: adhesive (frictional) wear (sliding and rolling) caused by contact of one metallic surface with another; abrasive wear caused by contact with metallic (shots, swarf) or nonmetallic abrasive materials; and erosive wear. The article discusses general wear characteristics of gray iron, compacted gray iron, and ductile iron. It provides information on the brake lining chemistry effects, graphite morphology effects, normal cast iron wear, local cast iron wear, and external abrasive effects on brake drums and disk brake rotors made of gray cast iron. The article concludes with a discussion on the application of cast iron for grinding balls.

Solidification of cast iron alloys brings about volumetric changes. This article describes direct measurements of volume changes with an illustration of the analysis of volumetric changes during solidification of cast iron with the use of a specially designed riser combined with a furnace. It provides a discussion on the dilatometer analysis that is generally used to measure linear displacement as a function of temperature for all types of materials, and the problems associated with volume-change measurements. The article presents a graphical representation of a consequence of the anisotropy, where the calculated volume change is illustrated as a function of temperature. It concludes with a review of kinetic of graphite expansion.

Metallographic techniques for ductile irons are similar to those for other cast irons but more difficult than for steels, because graphite retention is a challenging task. This article presents recommended procedures to prepare ductile irons. It discusses three contemporary approaches for preparing ductile cast iron specimens with a wide range of phases and constituents as well as variations in graphite morphologies. A wide variety of matrix microstructures can be obtained in ductile irons. Examples are presented using a variety of etchants. Control of the nodularity of graphite in ductile irons is critical to their performance. The article presents details concerning the characterization of the graphite nodules.