한국주조공학회

In order to experimentally investigate the effect of Ni or Cu addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of high Si Solution Strengthened Ferritic Ductile cast Iron (SSF DI), a series of lab-scale sand casting experiment were conducted by changing initial concentration of Ni up to 3.0wt% or Cu up to 0.9wt% in the alloy. It was found that increase in Ni or Cu content in the alloy leads to increase in strength properties and hardness as well as decrease in ductility. The higher Ni or Cu content the SSF DI has, the higher fraction of pearlite was observed. At similar levels of Ni or Cu contents in the alloy, higher pearlite area fraction was observed in the Cu-containing SSF DI than that in the Ni-containing SSF DI. When the effect of the microstructure on the mechanical properties of Nicontaining SSF DI was considered, Ni-containing SSF DI was found to have excellent strength and hardness as well as good elongation when the pearlite fraction was controlled less than 10%. As the pearlite fraction in the Ni-containing SSF DI exceeds 10%, however, it shows drastic decrease in elongation. Meanwhile, gradual increase in strength and hardness, and decrease in elongation with respect to increase in pearlite fraction were observed in Cu-containing SSF DI. The different microstructure-mechanical property relationships between Ni-containing and Cu-containing SSF DI were due to the combined effect of the relatively weak pearlite stabilizing effect of Ni compared to that of Cu in high Si SSF DI, and matrix strengthening effect caused by the different amounts of those alloying elements required for similar pearlite fraction.

Ductile cast iron, Alloy design, Microstructure, Tensile property and Brinell hardness.