DUCTILE IRON: TRAIL BLAZER IN ENGINEERING MATERIALS

SUBMITTED TO: DR. P.K. OKE

ABSTRACT: the role of engineering materials in the development of an economy cannot be

over-emphasized. They find applications from living being (as replacement to human body)
to non-living being. The need therefore is to develop materials that have low initial
cost/investment and eco-friendly. Ductile Iron seems to be a material that is gradually
becoming a material to reckon with. This report analyzes the areas of application and the
advantage over other materials.

INTRODUCTION: Ductile iron is not a single material but is part of a group of materials
which can be produced to have a wide range of properties through control of the
microstructure. The common defining characteristic of this group of materials is the
morphological structure of the graphite. In ductile irons, the graphite is in the form of
spherical nodules rather than flakes (as in grey iron), thus inhibiting the creation of cracks
and providing the enhanced ductility that gives the alloy its name. The formation of nodules
is achieved by addition of nodulizing elements, most commonly magnesium and less often,
cerium, into the melt (LaRoux, 1988).Yttrium has also been studied as a possible nodulizer.

Besides the requirement that the graphite be manipulated into the spheroidal shape, the ferrite
and pearlite ratios can be controlled through alloying, shakeout temperature control or post-
casting heat treatment to vary the relative amounts pearlite and ferrite from 0% pearlite and
100% ferrite, to 100% pearlite and 0% ferrite. The control of the pearlite and ferrite ratio
manipulates the tensile, yield and elongation characteristics of the ductile iron to produce
numerous standard grades of material.

ADVANTAGES OF DUCTILE IRON

PIPES USAGE: Ductile Iron is currently being preferred to other materials in the pipeline
industry due to the following reasons:

Installation of Ductile Iron pipe is simple. Unlike some pipe materials, Ductile Iron pipe
requires no complex line-and-grade drawings or laying schedules. It can be installed in a
wide variety of trench and standard laying conditions and can be easily cut in the field. Direct
tapping, even in straight lines, doesn't affect its integrity. And, once installed, Ductile Iron
pipe is virtually maintenance-free.
Ductile Iron not only retains all of Cast Iron's attractive qualities, such as machinability and
corrosion resistance, but also provides additional strength, toughness, and ductility. It is
lighter, stronger, more durable and more cost effective than Cast Iron.

Although its chemical properties are similar to those of Cast Iron, Ductile Iron incorporates
significant casting refinements, additional metallurgical processes, and superior quality
control.

Ductile Iron's graphite form is spheroidal, or nodular, instead of the flake form found in Cast
Iron. This change in graphite form is accomplished by adding an inoculant, usually
magnesium, to molten iron of appropriate composition during manufacture.

Figure 1: microstructure of ductile iron

The composition of ductile iron sample by weight percent is given below in table 1:

ELEMEN Fe C Si Mn Mg S P Mo
T

%Wt 94.019 3.60 2.0 0.3 0.5 0.01 0.007 0.014

Table 3.1: Chemical composition of ductile iron

APPLICATION:

1. WATER AND SEWER LINES: Much of the annual production of ductile iron is in
the form of ductile iron pipe, used for water and sewer lines. Since its introduction into
the marketplace in 1955, Ductile Iron pipe has been recognized as the industry standard for
modern water and wastewater systems (DIPRA, 2010). More than four decades of field
experience have proven its strength, durability, and reliability for transporting raw and
 potable water, sewage, slurries, and process chemicals. Ductile iron pipe is stronger and
easier to tap, requires less support and provides greater flow area compared with pipe
made from other materials. In difficult terrain it can be a better choice than PVC,
concrete, polyethylene, or steel pipe.
2. AUTOMOTIVE: Ductile iron is specifically useful in many automotive components,
where strength needs surpass that of aluminum but do not necessarily require steel.
3. INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS: Other major industrial applications include off-
highway diesel trucks, class 8 trucks, agricultural tractors, and oil well pumps
(Wikipedia, 2010)

CONCLUSION: The most important and distinguishing microstructural feature of all

Ductile Irons is the presence of graphite nodules which act as “ crack – arresters” and give
Ductile Iron ductility and toughness superior to all other cast irons, and equal to many cast
and forged steels.

The numerous, successful uses of Ductile Iron in critical components in all sectors of industry
highlights its versatility and suggest many additional applications.
The tensile properties of conventional Ductile Iron, especially the yield and tensile strengths
and elongation, have traditionally been the most widely quoted and applied determinants of
mechanical behaviour.
Therefore, Ductile iron can be used over its counterpart materials in the aforementioned
areas.
REFERENCE
a) I.C.H. Hughes, “Ductile Iron,” Metals Handbook, American Society of Metals, vol.
15, 9th edition, 1988.
b) Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association - DIPRA - Ductile Iron Pipe General
Information from http://www.dipra.org retrieved on 5th October, 2010.
c) Gillespie, LaRoux K. (1988), Troubleshooting manufacturing processes (4th ed.),
SME, p. 4-4
d) www.DI&ADI/Ductile iron Wikipedia encyclopedia.mht 2010 retrieved on 5th
October, 2010.