Thermal fatigue and wear of compacted graphite iron brake discs with various thermomechanical properties

The increase in payload capacity of trucks has heightened the demand for cost-effective yet high performance brake discs.In this work,the thermal fatigue and wear of compacted graphite iron brake discs were investigated,aiming to provide an experimental foundation for achieving a balance between their thermal and mechanical properties.Compacted graphite iron brake discs with different tensile strengths,macrohardnesses,specific heat capacities and thermal diffusion coefficients were produced by changing the proportion and strength of ferrite.The peak temperature,pressure load and friction coefficient of compacted graphite iron brake discs were analyzed through inertia friction tests.The morphology of thermal cracks and 3D profiles of the worn surfaces were also discussed.It is found that the thermal fatigue of compacted graphite iron discs is determined by their thermal properties.A compacted graphite iron with the highest specific heat capacity and thermal diffusion coefficient exhibits optimal thermal fatigue resistance.Oxidization of the matrix at low temperatures significantly weakens the function of alloy strengthening in hindering the propagation of thermal cracks.Despite the reduced hardness,increasing the ferrite proportion can mitigate wear loss resulting from low disc temperatures and the absence of abrasive wear.

Effect of FeSi additive in dual-chamber sample cup on thermal analysis characteristic values and vermiculating rate of compacted graphite iron

Thermal analysis plays a key role in the online inspection of molten iron quality.Different solidification process of molten iron can be reflected by thermal analysis curves,and silicon is one of important elements affecting the solidification of molten iron.In this study,FeSi75 was added in one chamber of the dual-chamber sample cup,and the influences of FeSi75 additive on the characteristic values of thermal analysis curves and vermiculating rate were investigated.The results show that with the increase of FeSi75,the start temperature of austenite formation TALfirstly decreases and then increases,but the start temperature of eutectic growth TSEF,the lowest eutectic temperature TEU,temperature at maximum eutectic reaction rate TEM,and highest eutectic temperature TERkeep always an increase.The temperature at final solidification point TEShas little change.The FeSi75 additive has different influences on the vermiculating rate of molten iron with different vermiculation,and the vermiculating rate increases for lower vermiculation molten iron while decreases for higher one.According to the thermal analysis curves obtained by a dual-chamber sample cup with 0.30wt.%FeSi75 additive in one chamber,the vermiculating rate of molten iron can be evaluated by comparing the characteristic values of these curves.The time differenceΔtERcorresponding to the highest eutectic temperature TERhas a closer relationship with the vermiculating rate,and a parabolic regression curve between the time differenceΔtERand vermiculating rateηhas been obtained within the range of 65%to 95%,which is suitable for the qualified melt.

Interface structure and mechanical property of the brazed joint of graphite and copper

A kind of self-made AgCuTiSn braze alloy powder was used to join graphite and copper. The whole brazing process was performed under vacuum circumstances at different temperatures （ 1 033 - 1 193 K） for several holding time （300 - 1 800 s ）. According to scanning electron microscope （SEM）, energy dispersive spectrometer （EDS） and electron probe X-ray microanalysis （ EPMA ） results, the reaction products of the interface are TiC, Ti3Sn, Cu（s. s）, Ag（s. s） and Cu-Sn compound. As the brazing parameters increase, the quantity of Ag（ s. s） in the braze alloy and C fibers on graphite/AgCuTiSn interface reduce, while that of Cu （ s. s） in the braze alloy improves. When the brazing temperature /s 1 093 K and holding time is 900 s, the joint can obtain the maximum room temperature shear strength 24 MPa.

Revealing the atomic mechanism of diamond–iron interfacial reaction

Diamond,with ultrahigh hardness,high wear resistance,high thermal conductivity,and so forth,has attracted worldwide attention.However,researchers found emergent reactions at the interfaces between diamond and ferrous materials,which significantly affects the performance of diamond-based devices.Herein,combing experiments and theoretical calculations,taking diamond–iron(Fe)interface as a prototype,the counter-diffusion mechanism of Fe/carbon atoms has been established.Surprisingly,it is identified that Fe and diamond first form a coherent interface,and then Fe atoms diffuse into diamond and prefer the carbon vacancies sites.Meanwhile,the relaxed carbon atoms diffuse into the Fe lattice,forming Fe_(3)C.Moreover,graphite is observed at the Fe_(3)C surface when Fe_(3)C is over-saturated by carbon atoms.The present findings are expected to offer new insights into the atomic mechanism for diamondferrous material's interfacial reactions,benefiting diamond-based device applications.

Effects of alloy elements on ductility and thermal conductivity of compacted graphite iron

The infl uence of Si, Sn, Mo and Ni on the ductility and thermal conductivity of compacted graphite iron(CGI) was investigated. Metallographic observation and Differential Scanning Calorimetry(DSC) experiments were carried out to analyze the roles of various additions in the eutectoid reaction. The experimental results showed that the ductility of CGI is proportional to the ferrite fraction, so moderate Si content could dramatically improve the ductility by increasing the ferrite fraction. DSC measurements showed that Mo has moderate inhibition on eutectoid transformation during both the heating and cooling processes, while the sample without Sn obviously broadens the three-phase region. Vermicularity and ferrite are known to improve thermal conductivity, and the former plays a more important role. Besides, among the alloy elements investigated, Sn has the greatest negative effect on conductivity, followed by Ni and Mo having the smallest effects.

Numerical Simulation of Shrinkage Cavity Formation in Spheroidal Graphite Iron Castings Based on Micro Modeling

A micro-modeling method (MM) for the quantitative prediction of the shrinkage cavity formation in SGiron castings is proposed. The mathematical models describing the volume changes during the solidification ofspheroidal graphite cast iron are established based on the models of solidification kinetics. The shrinkage cavityformation of T-shaped SG iron castings is calculated with MM method. The calculated results are compared with theexperimental results. It is shown that the predicted size, shape and distribution of shrinkage cavity by MM methodare in good agreement with the measured results.

Compacted graphite iron-A material solution for modern diesel engine cylinder blocks and heads

The demands for improved fuel economy,performance and emissions continue to pose challenges for engine designers and the materials they choose. This is particularly true for modern diesel engines,where the primary path to achieving improved engine performance and emissions is to increase the Peak Firing Pressure in the combustion chamber. The resulting increase in thermal and mechanical loading has required a change from conventional grey cast iron to Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) in order to satisfy durability requirements without increasing the size or the weight of the engines. With at least 75% higher tensile strength,45% higher stiffness and approximately double the fatigue strength of conventional grey cast iron,CGI satisfies durability requirements and also provides the dimensional stability required to meet emissions legislation throughout the life of the engine. Currently,there are no CGI diesel engines running on the roads in North America. This is set to change considerably as new commercial vehicle and pick-up SUV diesel engines are launched with CGI cylinder blocks in 2008 and 2009. These initial programs will provide over 2 million CGI diesel engines when ramped to mature volume,potentially accounting for 10%-15% of the North American passenger vehicle fleet within the next four years.

Effect of Bi on graphite morphology and mechanical properties of heavy section ductile cast iron

To improve the mechanical properties of heavy section ductile cast iron, bismuth(Bi) was introduced into the iron. Five castings with different Bi content from 0 to 0.014 wt.% were prepared; and four positions in the casting from the edge to the center, with different solidifi cation cooling rates, were chosen for microstructure observation and mechanical properties test. The effect of the Bi content on the graphite morphology and mechanical properties of heavy section ductile cast iron were investigated. Results show that the tensile strength, elongation and impact toughness at different positions in the fi ve castings decrease with a decrease in cooling rate. With an increase in Bi content, the graphite morphology and the mechanical properties at the same position are improved, and the improvement of mechanical properties is obvious when the Bi content is no higher than 0.011wt.%. But when the Bi content is further increased to 0.014wt.%, the improvement of mechanical properties is not obvious due to the increase of chunky graphite number and the aggregation of chunky graphite. With an increase in Bi content, the tensile fracture mechanism is changed from brittle to mixture ductile-brittle fracture.

Cementite Decomposition in Spherical Graphite Iron by Electropulsing

The influence of electropulsing on cementite decomposition in the spherical graphite iron has been studied. The results indicated that the cementite was decomposed in a short time by high current density electropulsing. With increasing electropulsing time, the in situ nucleation of graphite in cementite was accompanied with the quick decomposition of cementite. The dislocation accumulation adjacent to the cementite and the quick diffusion of carbon atom by electropulsing were main reasons for the quick decomposition of cementite. The in situ nucleation of graphite in the cementite resulted from the dislocation climbing crossing the cementite lamellae.

Influence of cooling rate and antimony addition content on graphite morphology and mechanical properties of a ductile iron

Cooling rate and inoculation practice can greatly affect the graphite morphology of ductile irons. In the present research, the effects of the cooling rate and antimony addition on the graphite morphology and mechanical properties of ductile irons have been studied. Three ductile iron castings were prepared through solidification under cooling conditions S （slow）, M （medium） and F （fast）. The cooling rates around the equilibrium eutectic temperature （1,150 ℃） for these cooling conditions （S, M and F） were set at 0.21 ℃.min1, 0.32℃.min1 and 0.37℃-min-1, respectively. In addition, four ductile iron castings were prepared by adding 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.03% and 0.04% （by weight） antimony, respectively under the slow cooling condition. The results show that the nodularity index, tensile strength and hardness of the ductile iron castings without antimony addition are all improved with the increase of cooling rate, while the ductile iron casting solidified under the medium cooling rate possesses the largest number of graphite nodules. Furthermore, for the four antimony containing castings, the graphite morphology and tensile strength are also improved by the antimony additions, and the effect of antimony addition is intensified when the addition increases from 0.01% to 0.03%. Moreover, the rare earth elements （REE）/antimony ratio of 2 appears to be the most effective for fine nodular graphite formation in ductile iron.

Experimental and FEM Study of Coated and Uncoated Tools Used for Dry Milling of Compacted Graphite Cast Iron

Compacted graphite cast iron （CG1） has been the material for high-power diesel engines recently, but its increased strength causes poor machinability. In this study, coated and uncoated carbide tools were used in dry milling experiment and FEM simulation to study the machinability of CGI and wear behaviour of tools. The experimental and FEM simulation results show that coated tool has great advantage in dry milling of CGI. SEM and EDS analysis of tool wear indicate the wear morphology and wear mechanism. Adhesive wear is the main mechanism to cause un- coated tool wear, while abrasive wear and delamination wear are the main mechanism to cause coated tool wear. Stress and temperature distribution in FEM simulation help to understand the wear mechanism including the reason for coat- ing peeled off.

Mixed graphite cast iron for automotive exhaust component applications

Both spheroidal graphite iron and compacted graphite iron are used in the automotive industry. A recently proposed mixed graphite iron exhibits a microstructure between the conventional spheroidal graphite iron and compacted graphite iron. Evaluation results clearly indicate the suitability and benefits of mixed graphite iron for exhaust component applications with respect to casting, machining, mechanical, thermophysical, oxidation, and thermal fatigue properties. A new ASTM standard specification(A1095) has been created for compacted, mixed, and spheroidal graphite silicon-molybdenum iron castings. This paper attempts to outline the latest progress in mixed graphite iron published.

Precipitation and evolution of nodular graphite during solidification process of ductile iron

The quantity and morphology of spheroidal graphite have an important effect on the properties of ductile iron, and the characteristics of spheroidal graphite are determined by the solidification process. The aim of this work is to explore the precipitation and evolution of graphite nodules in hypoeutectic, eutectic, and hypereutectic ductile irons by thermal analysis, liquid quenching and metallographic technique. Results show that hypoeutectic ductile iron has the longest solidification time and the lowest eutectic temperature;eutectic ductile iron has the shortest solidification time;hypereutectic ductile iron has the highest eutectic temperature. After solidification is completed, hypoeutectic ductile iron has the lowest nodule count, nodularity and graphite fraction;eutectic ductile iron has the highest nodule count, nodularity and the smallest nodule diameter;hypereutectic has the highest nodule diameter and graphite fraction. The nucleation and growth of graphite nodules in hypereutectic ductile iron starts before bulk eutectic crystallization stage, however, the precipitation and evolution of graphite nodules of hypoeutectic and eutectic ductile irons mainly occur in the eutectic crystallization stage. The graphite precipitated in eutectic crystallization of hypoeutectic, eutectic, and hypereutectic ductile irons, are 61%, 68% and 43% of total graphite volume fraction, respectively. Simultaneously, there are plenty of austenite dendrites in hypoeutectic and hypereutectic ductile irons, which are prone to shrinkage defects. Therefore, the eutectic ductile iron has the smallest shrinkage tendency.

A reliable and consistent production technology for high volume compacted graphite iron castings

The demands for improved engine performance,fuel economy,durability,and lower emissions provide a continual challenge for engine designers.The use of Compacted Graphite Iron(CGI)has been established for successful high volume series production in the passenger vehicle,commercial vehicle and industrial power sectors over the last decade.The increased demand for CGI engine components provides new opportunities for the cast iron foundry industry to establish efficient and robust CGI volume production processes,in China and globally.The production window range for stable CGI is narrow and constantly moving.Therefore,any one step single addition of magnesium alloy and the inoculant cannot ensure a reliable and consistent production process for complicated CGI engine castings.The present paper introduces the SinterCast thermal analysis process control system that provides for the consistent production of CGI with low nodularity and reduced porosity,without risking the formation of flake graphite.The technology is currently being used in high volume Chinese foundry production.The Chinese foundry industry can develop complicated high demand CGI engine castings with the proper process control technology.

Complex(Mn,X)S compounds-major sites for graphite nucleation in grey cast iron

Despite the cubic system, the ability of sulphides to nucleate graphite can be enhanced by inoculating elements which transform them in complex compounds with a better lattice matching to graphite, a low coagulation capacity, good stability and adequate interfacial energy. （Mn,X）S compounds, usually less than 5.0 μm in size, with an average 0.4-2.0 μm well defined core （nucleus）, were found to be important sites for graphite nucleation in grey irons. A three-stage model for the nucleation of graphite in grey irons is proposed： （1） Very small microinclusions based on strong deoxidizing elements （Mn, Si, Al, Ti, Zr） are formed in the melt; （2） Nucleation of complex （Mn,X）S compounds at these previously formed micro-inclusions; （3） Graphite nucleates on the sides of the （Mn,X）S compounds with lower crystallographic misfit. AI appears to have a key role in this process, as Al contributes to the formation of oxides in the first stage and favors the presence of Sr and Ca in the sulphides, in the second stage. The 0.005-0.010% Al range was found to be beneficial for lower undercooling solidification, type-A graphite formation and carbides avoidance.

Eutectic solidification mode of spheroidal graphite cast iron and graphitization

The shrinkage and chilling tendency of spheroidal graphite (abbreviated SG) cast iron is much greater than that of the flake graphite cast iron in spite of its higher amount of C and Si contents. Why? The main reason should be the difference in their graphitization during the eutectic solidification. In this paper, we discuss the difference in the solidification mechanism of both cast irons for solving these problems using unidirectional solidification and the cooling curves of the spheroidal graphite cast iron. The eutectic solidification rate of the SG cast iron is controlled by the diffusion of carbon through the austenite shell, and the final thickness is 1.4 times the radius of the SG, therefore, the reduction of the SG size, namely, the increase in the number, is the main solution of these problems.

PHASE STRUCTURE FACTOR AND INTERFACE CONJUNCTION FACTOR OF CAST IRON AND ITS COMPOSITION DESIGN

Theempiricalelectrontheory of solidsand molecules( EET) and theimproved TFDtheory wereapplied tocalculatethe phasestructurefactorsand interfaceconjunction factorsofcom mon alloying elementsincastiron. Akind of Si- Mo- Cu ductileiron with rareearth Mg asnodularizer was designed accordingtothese valenceelectron structure parameters. Actual applicationtestsshow thatthelongevity of thisiron is 1.5 timesof thatof high manganesesteel. This accordance of theoretical results and actual effectsshows the composition design methodcan beused in othercastiron research.

The forty years of vermicular graphite cast iron development in China (Part Ⅰ)

In China, the research and development of vermicular graphite cast iron (VGCI) as a new type of engineering material, were started in the same period as in other developed countries; however, its actual industrial application was even earlier. In China, the deep and intensive studies on VGCI began as early as the 1960s. According to the incomplete statistics to date, more than 600 papers on VGCI have been published by Chinese researchers and scholars at national and international conferences, and in technical journals. More than ten types of production methods and more than thirty types of treatment alloy have been studied. Formulae for calculating the critical addition of treatment alloy required to produce VGCI have been put forward, and mechanisms for explaining the formation of dross during treatment were brought forward. The casting properties, metallographic structure, mechanical and physical properties and machining performance of VGCI, as well as the relationships between them, have all been studied in detail. The Chinese Standards for VGCI and VGCI metallographic structure have been issued. In China, the primary crystallization of VGCI has been studied by many researchers and scholars. The properties of VGCI can be improved by heat treatment and addition of alloying elements enabling its applications to be further expanded. Hundreds of kinds of VGCI castings have been produced and used in vehicles, engines, mining equipment, metallurgical products serviced under alternating thermal load, machinery, hydraulic components, textile machine parts and military applications. The heaviest VGCI casting produced is 38 tons and the lightest is only 1 kg. Currently, the annual production of the VGCI in China is about 200 000 tons. The majority of castings are made from cupola iron without pre-treatment, however, they are also produced from electric furnaces and by duplex melting from cupola-electric furnaces or blast furnace-electric furnace. Examples of typical applications for VGCI castings are introduced in this paper. In China, the technologies such as rapid testing of the molten metal and non-destructive testing of casting microstructure still need to be improved. Several proposals are put forward in this paper in order to improve the production of VGCI. Generally speaking, in China, the research, production, and application of vermicular graphite cast iron are at the same level as in other developed countries and in some fields China even takes lead. (332 references and 5 Tables)

Edge and lithium concentration effects on intercalation kinetics for graphite anodes

Graphite interfaces are an important part of the anode in lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),significantly influencing Li intercalation kinetics.Graphite anodes adopt different stacking sequences depending on the concentration of the intercalated Li ions.In this work,we performed first-principles calculations to comprehensively address the energetics and dynamics of Li intercalation and Li vacancy diffusion near the no n-basal edges of graphite,namely the armchair and zigzag-edges,at high Li concentration.We find that surface effects persist in stage-Ⅱ that bind Li strongly at the edge sites.However,the pronounced effect previously identified at the zigzag edge of pristine graphite is reduced in LiC_(12),penetrating only to the subsurface site,and eventually disappearing in LiC_(6).Consequently,the distinctive surface state at the zigzag edge significantly impacts and restrains the charging rate at the initial lithiation of graphite anodes,whilst diminishes with an increasing degree of lithiation.Longer diffusion time for Li hopping to the bulk site from either the zigzag edge or the armchair edge in LiC_(6) was observed during high state of charge due to charge repulsion.Effectively controlling Li occupation and diffusion kinetics at this stage is also crucial for enhancing the charge rate.

Influence of fading on characteristics of thermal analysis curve of compacted graphite iron

In general, during the production of compacted graphite iron (CGI), the active residual magnesium reduces and the effect of inoculation fades after magnesium treatment. In this paper, characteristics of the thermal analysis curve of CGI are compared with those of ductile iron and grey cast iron. The fading effect on the compacted graphite percentage and thermal analysis curve were also studied. Results indicate that the undercooling of CGI is as low as that of ductile iron, but CGI shows evident recalescence. In fading process, the magnesium element acts with oxygen. For a decrease in magnesium content, both the compacted graphite percentage and the austenitic liquidus temperature increase. The temperature of eutectic undercooling (TEU) decreases before the flake graphite appears. After that, TEU increases quickly, up to as high as 20℃, and then gradually decreases. The evolution of recalescence degree is opposite to that of TEU.