This chapter defines low-temperature and cryogenic steels and describes their alloy classifications and their ambient and low-temperature properties. These steels include ferritic carbon and low alloy steels, martensitic low alloy steels, martensitic high alloy steels, and austenitic high alloy steels.

This chapter describes the physical properties of steels used for castings. The properties covered include density, modulus of elasticity, Poisson's ratio, shear modulus, thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, specific heat, thermal diffusivity, electrical resistivity, and magnetic properties.

The design stresses for most pressure-containing structural application, which are based upon minimum mechanical properties designated in the specifications published by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). This chapter reviews metallurgical characteristics and their influence on the properties and performance of structural carbon and low alloy steels and contains a summary of the relevant features of the ASTM product specifications.

This chapter covers the basics of weldability of cast steels such as carbon and low alloy steels, corrosion-resistant high alloy steels, nickel-base alloys, heat-resistant high alloy steels, and wear-resistant high austenitic manganese steels. It provides an overview of weld overlay and hard facing; cast-weld construction; and plasma arc cutting and plasma arc welding. The chapter discusses different types of welding processes. These include shielded metal-arc welding, air carbon arc cutting process, gas tungsten-arc welding, gas metal-arc welding process, flux-cored arc welding, submerged arc welding, and electroslag and electro-gas welding.

Cast irons, like steels, are iron-carbon alloys but with higher carbon levels than steels to take advantage of eutectic solidification in the binary iron-carbon system. Like steel, heat treatment of cast iron includes stress relieving, annealing, normalizing, through hardening, and surface hardening. This chapter introduces solid-state heat treatment of iron castings, covering general considerations for heat treatment and discussing the processes, advantages, and disadvantages of heat treatment of cast iron.

This article provides an overview of austenitic manganese steels. It describes the standard composition ranges of commercial products and explains how various alloying elements affect mechanical properties, processing, and performance. The article also discusses special grades of manganese steels and the types of applications for which they have been developed.

This chapter discusses ferrous metals, including low-carbon steels, stainless steels, and cast irons. It also provides information on hardening and hardenability and the tempering process.

This chapter introduces the metallographer to the various types of steels and cast irons and explains how they are classified and defined. Classification and designation details are provided for plain carbon steels, alloy steels, and gray, white, ductile, and malleable cast irons.

This article discusses the steps in the primary processing of stainless steels: melting, refining, remelting, casting, and hot rolling. It provides information of the major categories of defects in hot rolled stainless steels, namely hot mill defects, inclusion-related defects, and hot ductility-related defects.

This chapter discusses the crystal structures of steel and cast iron, the iron-iron carbide equilibrium diagram, microconstituents or phases in the iron-iron carbide phase diagram, the iron-carbon carbide-silicon equilibrium diagram of cast irons, and the influence on microstructure by base elements and alloying elements. Graphitization, cooling rates, and heat treatment effects are covered. There also is discussion on inoculation benefits, flake graphite types and typical applications, evolution of cast iron types, ASTM specification A247 for graphite shapes, and selection of the best molding process. A large table lists typical material choices for various applications.

Iron and steel castings require cleaning as they come out of the shakeout units to remove any burned sand and sand that may remain stuck from the mold. This chapter presents the casting cleaning operation sequence. The sequence includes shot blasting; decoring or removal of cores from castings; degating or removal of runners, gates, and feeders; and flash removal and automation. The chapter also presents the objectives of heat treatment and discusses its processes. The chapter describes product quality control. Quality checks are grouped into three categories: material checks, product checks, and functional checks.

This chapter provides a brief overview of iron and steel manufacturing and the major equipment involved in the process as well as identifying where casting fits into the overall process. In addition, it provides an overview of cast iron manufacturing, including the processes involved in converting pig iron into cast iron and steel.

This chapter describes the processes involved in heat treatment of carbon and low alloy steel, high strength low alloy steels, austenitic manganese steels, martensitic stainless steels, and austenitic stainless steels. In addition, precipitation hardening and quench hardening of carbon steel is also covered.

Steels for hot-work applications, designated as group H steels in the AISI classification system, have the capacity to resist softening during long or repeated exposures to high temperatures needed to hot work or die cast other materials. These steels are subdivided into three classes according to the alloying approach: chromium hot-work steels, tungsten hot-work steels, and molybdenum hot-work steels. This chapter discusses the composition, characteristics, applications, advantages, and disadvantages of each of these steels.

This chapter describes the definitions, designation, chemical composition, room-temperature properties, elevated-temperature properties, and corrosion resistance of cast high alloy steels and stainless steels. In addition, the corrosion resistance of cast corrosion-resistant alloys is also covered.

This chapter covers the friction and wear behaviors of cast irons. It describes the microstructure and metallurgy of gray, white, malleable, and ductile cast irons, their respective tensile properties, and their suitability for applications involving friction, various types of erosion, and adhesive and abrasive wear.

Inclusions and chemical segregation are factors in many process-induced failures involving steel parts. Inclusions are nonmetallic compounds introduced during production; segregation is a type of chemical partitioning that occurs during solidification. This chapter discusses the origins of segregation and inclusions and their effect on the mechanical properties and microstructure of steel. It explains how to identify various types of inclusions and characteristic segregation patterns, such as banding. It also describes the effect of hot work processing on solidification structure and the chemical variations produced by interdendritic segregation.

Nickel-base castings are produced from a group of alloys with compositions that are typically greater than 50% Ni and less than 10% iron. This chapter presents the casting compositions of nickel-base alloys. It then provides an overview of heat treatment, mechanical properties, and applications of nickel-base castings.