Effect of austempering parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of horizontal continuous casting ductile iron dense bars

In the present research, the orthogonal experiment was carried out to investigate the influence of different austempering process parameters （i.e. austenitizing temperature and time, and austempering temperature and time） on microstructure and mechanical properties of LZQT500-7 ductile iron dense bars with 172 mm in diameter which were produced by horizontal continuous casting （HCC）. The results show that the major factors influencing the hardness of austempered ductile iron （ADI） are austenitizing temperature and austempering temperature. The fraction of retained austenite increases as the austenitizing and austempering temperatures increase. When austenitizing temperature is low, acicular ferrite and retained austenite can be efifciently obtained by appropriately extending the austenitizing time. The proper austmepering time could ensure enough stability of retained austenite and prevent high carbon austenite decomposition. The optimal mechanical properties of ADI can be achieved with the fol owing process parameters： austenitizing temperature and time are 866 ＆#176;C and 135 min, and austempering temperature and time are 279 ＆#176;C and 135 min, respectively. The microstructure of ADI under the optimal austempering process consists of ifne acicular ferrite and a smal amount of retained austenite, and the hardness, tensile strength, yield strength, elongation and impact toughness of the bars are HBW 476, 1670 MPa, 1428 MPa, 2.93%and 25.7 J, respectively.

A Bidimensional Finite Element Study of Crack Propagation in Austempered Ductile Iron

Austempered ductile iron(ADI)is composed of an ausferritic matrix with graphite nodules and has a wide range of applications because of its high mechanical strength,fatigue resistance,and wear resistance compared to other cast irons.The amount and size of the nodules can be controlled by the chemical composition and austenitizing temperature.As the nodules have lower stiffness than the matrix and can act as stress concentrators,they influence crack propagation.However,the crack propagation mechanism in ADI is not yet fully understood.In this study,we describe a numerical investigation of crack propagation in ADIs subjected to cyclic loading.The numerical model used to calculate the stress intensity factors in the material under the given conditions is built with the aid of Abaqus commercial finite element code.The crack propagation routine,which is based on the Paris law,is implemented in Python.The results of the simulation show that the presence of a nodule generates a shear load on the crack tip.Consequently,even under uniaxial tensile loading,the presence of the nodule yields a non-zero stress intensity factor in mode II,resulting in a deviation in the crack propagation path.This is the primary factor responsible for changing the crack propagation direction towards the nodule.Modifying the parameters,for example,increasing the nodule size or decreasing the distance between the nodule and crack tip,can intensify this effect.In simulations comparing two different ADIs with the same graphite fraction area,the crack in the material with more nodules reaches another nodule in a shorter propagation time(or shorter number of cycles).This suggests that the high fatigue resistance observed in ADIs may be correlated with the number of nodules intercepted by a crack and the additional energy required to nucleate new cracks.In summary,these findings contribute to a better understanding of crack propagation in ADIs,provide insights into the relationship between the presence of nodules and the fatigue resistance of these materials,and support studies that associate the increased fatigue resistance with a higher number of graphite nodules.These results can also help justify the enhanced fatigue resistance of ADIs when compared to other cast irons.

Effect of alloying elements on austempered ductile iron(ADI) properties and its process:Review

Austempered ductile iron(ADI) parts have a unique combination of high strength and toughness with excellent design flexibility and low cost. These excellent properties are directly related to its microstructure called "ausferrite" that is the result of austempering heat treatment applied to ductile irons. Alloying elements increase ADI austemperability and change speeds of austempering reactions. Thus, they can affect ADI resultant microstructure and mechanical properties. In this paper, the effects of alloying elements on ADI mechanical properties, microstructural changes, two-stage austempering reactions, processing windows, austemperability, and other aspects are reviewed.

Effect of sub-zero cooling on microstructure and mechanical properties of a low alloyed austempered ductile iron

The effect of sub-zero cooling on microstructure and mechanical properties of a low alloyed austempered ductile iron has been investigated. Austempering of samples was performed at 325℃and 400℃after austenitizing at 875℃and 950℃. The sub-zero treatments were carried out by cooling down the samples to -30℃, -70℃and -196℃. The changes in volume fraction of austenite and mechanical properties were determined after cooling to each temperature. The austenite volume fraction of samples which were austenitized at 875℃and austempered at 325℃remained unchanged, whilst it reduced in samples austenitized at 950℃and 875℃for austempering temperature of 400℃. In these specimens, some austenite transformed to martensite after subzero cooling. Mechanical property measurements showed a slight increase in strength and hardness and decrease in elongation and toughness due to this transformation behavior.

Effect of shot peening process on fatigue behavior of an alloyed austempered ductile iron

Shot peening is one of the most common surface treatments to improve the fatigue behavior of metallic parts. In this study the effect of shot peening process on the fatigue behavior of an alloyed austempered ductile iron (ADI) has been studied. Austempering heat treatment consisted of austenitizing at 875℃ for 90 min followed by austempering at three different temperatures of 320, 365 and 400℃. Rotating-bending fatigue test was carried out on samples after shot peening by 0.4-0.6 mm shots. XRD and SEM analysis, micro hardness and roughness tests were carried out to study the fatigue behavior of the samples. Results indicate that the fatigue strengths of samples austempered at 320, 365 and 400℃ are increased by 27.3%, 33.3% and 48.4%, respectively, after shot peening process.

Effect of austenitization temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of low-carbon-equivalent carbidic austempered ductile iron

The wear resistances of austempered ductile iron （ADI） were improved through intxoduction of a new phase （carbide） into the ma- txix by addition of chromium. In the present investigation, low-caxbon-equivalent ductile iron （LCEDI） （CE = 3.06%, and CE represents cax- bon-equivalent） with 2.42% chromium was selected. LCEDI was austeintized at two difl＇erent temperatures （900 and 975~C） a^ld soaked for 1 h and then quenched in a salt bath at 325~C for 0 to 10 h. Samples were analyzed using optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Wear tests were carded out on a pin-on-disk-type machine. The efl＇ect of austenization temperature on the wear resistance, impact strength, and the mi- crostructure was evaluated. A stxucture-property correlation based on the observations is established.

Design and control of chemical compositions for high-performance austempered ductile iron

This paper presents the effects of chemical compositions of austempered ductile iron （ADI） on casting quality, heat treatment process parameters and mechanical properties of final products. Through experiment and production practice, the impacts of carbon equivalent on ADI and its mechanical properties have been studied. Proper content ranges for carbon and silicon have been obtained to avoid ADI casting shrinkage and graphite fioatation, as well as to achieve the optimal mechanical properties. According to the impact of silicon content on austenite phase transformation, the existing form of carbon in ADI has been analyzed, and also the formula and diagram showing the relationship between austenitizing temperature and carbon content in austenite have been deduced. The chemical composition range for high performance ADI and its control points have been recommended, to serve as a reference for production process.

Dry sliding wear of Ni alloyed austempered ductile iron

Measurements of dry sliding wear are presented for ductile irons with composition Fe-3.56C-2.67Si- 0.25Mo-0.5Cu and Ni contents of 0.8 and 1.5 in wt.% with applied loads of 50, 100 and 150 N for austempering temperatures of 270, 320, and 370 ℃ after austenitizing at 870 ℃ for 120 min. The mechanical property measurements show that the grades of the ASTM 897M： 1990 Standard can be satisfied for the selected austempering conditions. The results show that wear resistance is independent of austempedng temperature with an applied load of 50 N, but there is a strong dependence at higher austempering temperatures with applied loads of 100 and 150 N. Observations indicate that wear is due to subsurface fatigue with cracks nucleated at deformed graphite nodules.

Effect of Graphite Nodule Diameter on Water Embrittlement of Austempered Ductile Iron

Effects of graphite nodule diameter on the water embrittlement of austempered ductile iron (ADI) is studied. The water embrittlement mechanism is discussed. Due to water adhesion, local embrittlement occurs on the surface of ADI specimen, resulting in early fracture and significant reduction in tensile strength and elongation. The water embrittlement is the cracking of stress induced martensite formed during tensile deformation caused by hydrogen diffusion decomposed from water and as a result tensile strength and elongation of ADI are remarkably reduced. The segregation of alloying elements in ductile iron is weakened with decreasing nodule diameter, reducing the residual austenite in grain boundaries, then decreasing the amount of stress induced martensite during tensile plastic deformation and finally restraining ADI water embrittlement.

Influence of austenization temperature on the erosion behavior of austempered ductile irons

The erosion behavior of austempered ductile irons austenized at different temperatures was studied. The results indicate that the erosion rate well correlates with the mechanical properties. At high impact angles, increasing ductility and mechanical energy density results in decreasing erosion rate, whereas increasing hardness reduces the erosion rate at low impact angles. 2008 University of Science and Technology Beijing. All rights reserved.

Impact toughness and fracture toughness of austempered ductile iron

The Impact toughness and fracture toughness of Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) are described. The notched and un-notched Charpy impact toughness of ADI at room temperature are somewhat lower than that of steel castings or forged steel pieces, however, they are approximately three times higher than that of normal pearlitic ductile iron. The impact toughness of ADI decreases with decreasing temperature; but at-40℃ it still maintains about 70% of the value at room temperature. The properties of fracture toughness are important in safety design and failure analysis. In this study all fracture toughness data of ADI are higher than that of conventional ductile iron, and are equivalent to or better than that of steel castings or forged steel pieces with the tensile strength equivalent to ADI.

Development of a New Electrode for Arc Wclding of Austempercd Ductile Iron(ADI)

The effect of Ca,Ba,Bi and Al on the amount of carbide in ductile iron weld metal,the microstructural characteristics of ADI weld metal and the effect of heat treatment process on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ADI weld metal have been studied.On this basis the optimum composition of weld and the optimum heat treatment process of ADI weld metal were de- termined and a new electrode for arc cold-welding (i.e.,without preheat) of ADI was developed.The ductile iron welded joint free from eutectic carbide can be produced by using this electrode before austempering and the weld metal obtained after austempering has a microstructure and mechanical properties similar to those of ADI.The mechanical properties of welded joints can match the require- ment of ADI.

CARBIDE FORMATION IN AUSTEMPERED DUCTILE IRON ALLOYED WITH NICKEL AND COPPER

Carbide formation in austempered ductile iron (ADI) alloyed with Ni and Cu has been studied by use of TEM. The results show that η carbide precipitates in the bainitic ferrite when austempered at 350℃.for 6h, but no carbide was found at the austenite/.ferrite interfaces. When austempered at 300℃, two kinds of. s carbides appear in the bainitic ferrite when austempering time reached I h, and X carbide also precipitates at the austenite /ferrite interfaces when austempering time was extended up to 6h. The bainitic. ferrite and the retained austenite follow the Nishiyama- Wasserman relationship,

Mechanical Property Stability of Cu-Mo-Ni Alloyed Austempered Ductile Iron

The aim of present work is to investigate the influencing factors on mechanical property stability of Cu-Mo-Ni alloyed austempered ductile iron （ADI）. The results show that after austenitized at 900℃ for 2 h followed by austempered at 370℃for another 2 h, the mechanical property of the alloyed ADI can reach the Germanite GGG-100 standard, i.e. σb≮1000 MPa,δ≮5%, at 95% confidence level. And the satisfactory mechanical properties were obtained when the alloyed ADI was austenitized at 850℃ to 1 000 ℃ for 1-4 h, and austempered at 355℃ to 400℃ for another 1 h to 4 h. The microstructures, including nodule number, white bright zone content （martensite-containing interdendritic segregation zone） and retained austenite content, can significantly influence the mechanical properties of the ADI. In order to obtain the good combinations of strength and ductility, the volume fraction of white bright zone should he less than 5%, and the retained austenite contents maintain hetween 30 % and 40%. The application of inoculation techniques to increase graphite nodule number can effectively reduce the white bright zone content in the structure.

Successive Boronizing and Austempering for GGG-40 Grade Ductile Iron

Boronizing and austempering were successively applied to a GGG-40 grade ductile iron in order to combine the advantages of both process in a single treatment. This new procedure formed a 30 μm thick boride layer on the surface with subsurface matrix structure consisted of acicular ferrite and retained austenite. Reciprocating wear tests showed that successive boronizing and austempering exhibited considerably higher wear resistance than conventional boronizing having a subsurface matrix structure consisting of ferrite and pearlite.

Mechanical properties of vanadium-alloyed austempered ductile iron for crankshaft applications

This study focused on the development of austempered ductile iron(ADI)with desirable combination of mechanical properties for crankshaft applications by the combined effect of vanadium(V)alloying and an optimized heat treatment process.The produced unalloyed GGG60,0.15%V-alloyed GGG60(V-15),and 0.30%V-alloyed GGG60 samples were subjected to austenitizing at 900℃for 1 h and subsequent austempering processes at 250,300,and 350℃for 15,30,60,90,and 180 min.As a result of these austempering processes,different bainitic structures were obtained,which led to the formation of diverse combinations of mechanical properties.The mechanical properties of the austempered samples were tested comprehensively,and the results were correlated with their microstructures and the stability of the retained austenite phases.From the microstructural observations,the V-alloyed samples exhibited a finer microstructure and a more acicular ferrite phase than unalloyed samples.The V addition delayed the coarsening of the acicular ferrite structures and considerably contributed to the improvement of the mechanical properties of GGG60.Moreover,the X-ray diffraction results revealed that the retained austenite volume and the carbon enrichment of austenite phases in ADI samples were remarkably affected by the addition of vanadium.The increase in volume fraction of retained austenite and its carbon content provided favorable ductility and toughness to V-15,as confirmed by the elongation and impact test results.Consequently,the dual-phase ausferrite microstructure of V-15 that was austempered at 300℃for 60 min exhibited high strength with substantial ductility and toughness for crankshaft applications.

Microstructure and abrasive wear resistance of an alloyed ductile iron subjected to deep cryogenic and austempering treatments

To further improve the mechanical performance of a new alloyed austempered ductile iron（ADI）, deep cryogenic treatment（DCT） has been adopted to investigate the effect of DCT time on the microstructure and mechanical behaviors of the alloyed ADI Fe-3.55 C-1.97 Si-3.79 Ni-0.71 Cu-0.92 Mo-0.64 Cr-0.36 Mn-0.30 V（in wt.%）. With increasing the DCT time, more austenite transformed to martensite and very fine carbides precipitated in martensite in the extended period of DCT. The amount of austenite decreased in alloyed ductile irons, while that of martensite and carbide precipitation increased. The alloyed ADI after DCT for 6 h had the highest hardness and compressive strength, which can be attributed to the formation of more plate-like martensite and the finely precipitated carbides. There was a gradual decrease in hardness and compressive strength with increasing the DCT time to 12 h because of the dissolution of M3 C carbide. After tempering, there was a decrease in mechanical properties compared to the direct DCT sample, which was caused by the occurrence of Ostwald ripening of precipitated carbides. The optimum wear resistance was achieved for the alloyed ADI after DCT for 6 h. The wear mechanism of the alloyed ADI in associating with DCT is mainly consisted of micro-cutting wear and some plastic deformation wear.

Effects of Cu， Ni， Mn and Mo on the austemperability， microstructures and mechanical properties of ADI weld metal

Effect of Cu. ni. Mn and,mo on the austemperability, Inicroslruclures and Inechanlcal properlies of auslempered duclile iron(ADI) weld metal have been investigated it has been demonslrated foal Mn and.Mo obviously enhance the austemperablity of weld metal. but a exdcess of Mn or Mo impairs the mechanical properties of ADI weld metal because of the formation or carbide at cell boundaries. Cu and Ni can improve the plasticity of ADI weld metal by suppressing the formation of carbide and by increaxsing the amount of austemite,.in order to obtain the weld having both the high austemperability and exceptional combination of mechanical properties. it is advantageous that welds is alloyed withe tWo Or more elements in relalivelv.small amounts.