How to Repair Surface Defect of Gray Cast Iron Components

Using New Method

Muki S. Permana
*
and Rochim Suratman
**


Mechanical Engineering Department
*)
University of Pasundan, Bandung Indonesia, mkpermana@yahoo.com, Ph. 022- 2019352
**)
Bandung Institute of Technology, Bandung - Indonesia, rochim-s@bdg.centrin.net.id, Ph. 022-2502265



Abstract
Repair of the gray cast iron component containing surface defect is often necessary in many
industries. From the economic point of view, repair process will decrease production cost at a
significant level. The repair cost is much cheaper compared to the new imported component
which is very expensive. Based on the industrial data, the components to be repaired are
numerous. For example, one of the industries has 52 cylinder heads to be repaired during months
of April and May 2004.

This paper presents an overview a newly developed method on how to repair the surface defect of
gray cast iron components instead of welding. Four methods of repairing have been developed
i.e. Pouring, Powder Filling, Droplet Spray and Turbulence Flow Casting (TFC). TFC method
has been proven to the aim of the present work. The experiment results showed that the
metallurgical bonding at the joint was excellent since the fracture location occur at the weld pool
where the tensile strength was about 200 MPa. TFC method, as a new repair solution, is powerful
since the joint area after repair process is free of cracks and brittleness. The utilization of TFC
can minimize the cooling rate, preventing the formation of the undesirable white cast iron.
Moreover, the homogeneity in properties at the area of repaired was back to the original
characteristics or like new. Through the appropriate selection of parameters, TFC method can be
able to repair defects without resulting in the presence of white cast iron, martensite, cracks and
porosities.

Keywords: Repair, gray cast iron, microstructural effect, joint strength, preheating
temperature, pouring time, crack, brittleness, Turbulence Flow Casting (TFC)


1. Introduction
Gray cast iron has been utilized as a structural material in many industries, for example,
automobile components, by virtue of its excellent damping capacity, castability, and
machinability [1]. The components may contain surface defects during casting or under service
conditions [2]. Casting defects can be in the forms of blowhole, porosity, distortion or
metallurgical defects as segregation, while operational defects are crack, wear, and broken [3]. To
ensure the components still have good performance to be reused in the field, such defects are
usually repaired by fusion welding [4]. Common methods generally applied are arc welding and
oxyacetylene welding using nickel as filler metals [5-7]. However, repairing these materials with
such conventional welding methods is problematic and difficult especially cracking occurs due to
the brittleness. These processes also require long exposure time at high temperature or high
pressure, leading to graphite coarsening and high residual stress near joint. Cracking in vicinity of
joint occurs as a result of combination of contraction strain, white cast iron at fusion zone, and
high carbon martensite in HAZ which is accompanied by micro-cracks (fissures) [4]. While
cracking can, in principle, be avoided by selection of an alternative consumable composition, this
will generally involve a reduction in deposit hardness which may be unacceptable in terms of
service properties. Where such a material change is inapplicable, the most common preventive
measure is to apply preheat and post-heat performed continually from early till end of process on
the basis that the cooling rate after welding can be reduce with a concomitant reduction in the
differential contraction strain. But, in this way is impractical because welder must do the repair in
very hot condition. Moreover, it is required muffle furnace for heating the bigger product which
is very expensive besides have to be safe. Furthermore, the latter mechanism of cracking can
normally be overcome by reducing travel speed with attention to arc extinction procedure to
avoid cracking.
From the literatures, therefore, some researchers [8-9] try to repair gray cast iron components
by other method, among others are diffusion welding by Ni-powder spray welding and solid-state
welding by diffusion bonding performed at elevated temperature and high contact pressure
simultaneously. But, area of joints resulted from these methods is very low strength and
containing porosities. Other development methods, from recent literatures, are ultrasonic insert
casting [10], friction welding [11], and impact-electric current discharge joining [1]. The first
mentioned method is actually still referred to the diffusion bonding, except using ultrasonic wave
instead of temperature and contact pressure to remove oxide layer so that joining can occur. From
way of same approach, the author also have tried to build another method of droplet spray and
burning-in by pouring molten metal into the surface defect which previously have been given by
oxide-removal like borax but its result was not optimal. The last two methods is not applicable
for joining the bigger components also they are only proper for cylindrical shapes. Thereby, it can
be concluded that instead of using diffusion welding method, it would be better if we remain to
use fusion welding method in repair process to guarantee the nature of mechanical properties
required, but how to do that? In view of the above, it should be developed a new fusion method
to eliminate embrittlement effect, dilution control and lower repair time and even using similar
metal to restore the physical and mechanical properties of the components. Therefore, the
continuity and originality of materials at area of joint will back to the characteristic prior to the
components undergo defect or failure. Nevertheless, as comparison, this paper conducts all repair
methods mentioned above including new method developed in present work correlating with
metallurgical aspect in consequence of the methods applied.

2. Experimental Details

2.1. Material
The chemical composition of gray cast iron is 3.6 mass%C, 2 mass%Si, 0.6 mass%Mn, 0.06
mass%P, 0.05 masst%S. The microstructure of gray cast iron prior to repair can be seen in fig. 1.

2.2. Methods
In the experiments, five different methods applied were SMAW (shielded metal arc welding),
burning-in, Ni-spray welding, droplet spray and flow casting, are presented. The SMAW method
was performed using specimens prepared in the dimensions of 50 x 15 x 15 mm, at seven
different preheating temperatures of room temperature, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600
0
C and
900
0
C for post-heat temperature.









Fig. 1 Microstructure of gray cast iron prior to repair, etched with nital 3%.

The electrode material used was ENiFe-Cl with diameter of 3.2 mm. Single-V grooves was
machined and the butt joints were then continuously welded with SMAW multipass welding
process. The experimental welding machine was operated on AC at 100-120 A. The welding
speed was 0.34 cm/s and interpass temperature was about 600
0
C. The second method is burning-
in using molten gray cast iron as filler metal poured into surface defect of specimen which has
dimension 120 x 50 x 25 mm. The specimen was initially preheated by oxyacetylene flame up to
temperature 500
0
C, then surface defect was covered with borax powder and the powder was
melted by oxyacetylene flame to its melting temperature about 750
0
C. At this condition, the
surface was filled with molten gray cast iron at pouring temperature about 1350
0
C and
subsequent post-heated at about 900
0
C. The third method is Ni-spray welding method which was
performed using the same specimens with the SMAW experiment. Preheating and post-heating
temperatures were also same as SMAW welding experiment. The powder material used for this
experiment was standard commercial nickel UTP HA-7 with compositions; 0.75wt%C,
3.5wt%Fe, 3.5wt%Si, 7.7wt%Cr, 1.8wt%Br, and the remaining is Ni. The conditions of the
powder and process were spherical particle shape, grain size range of 106 +20m, melting point
1000
0
C, and neutral flame adjustment. The fourth method is droplet spray method which was
used combinations of SMAW machine and oxyacetylene equipments. The material and size of
electrode used for this experiment was same as observation by SMAW method. The last method
resulted from this work is flow casting method. J oining occurs as a result of convection heat
transfer of molten flow into the sand mold which melts the existing base metal inside the mold
and subsequent solidification. Preheating and post-heating continually took place during repair
process. The variations of preheating temperature were in between room temperature till 700
0
C.
Schematic representation of those five methods of experiment is described in fig. 2.
Torch
Molten
metal
Stove for Preheat
& PWHT
Specimen
Inlet
outlet
Sand mold
Powder cup
oxygen & acetylene
valve adjuster
Droplet of molten metal
Arc
Torch
- +
Electrode FC-20
Specimen
Burning-in Flow Casting
Flame Spray
Droplet Spray

















Fig. 2. Schematic representation for five methods of experiments.

3. Results and Discussion
Observation resulted from SMAW experiment proved that microstructure at the interface
showed carbide networks as white cast iron along the fusion zone even applying variation of
preheating temperature. The microstructure can be seen from Fig, 3.









Fig. 3. Microstructure shows carbide networks in the fusion zone resulted from SMAW
experiment.
Fusion zone
The microstructure resulted from the second experiment of burning-in method using similar
filler metal of gray cast iron is showed by fig. 4a. The mechanism of joining from this experiment
is diffusion bonding. Borax powder covered the surface defect prior to filling was aimed to
protect the surface from oxidation when specimen was heated to elevated temperature, but in fact
borax trapped on the surface when solidification of filler metal in weld pool occur. Since the
difficulty of this work, so this experiment can not be applied for repairing surface defect in the
field.
Ni-powder spray method is better than previously experiment method but successful repair
process significantly depend on:
- A proper gas pressure at neutral flame
- The distance between torch tip to surface defect
- J oining temperature because it is not allowed more than 1000
0
C to avoid fluid flow of
base metal during repair process.
- Duration heat transfer from torch to the base metal
- Flame pressure should be controlled to avoid bubble gas which probably trapped in
the interface.
The microstructure from this experiment is showed in fig. 4b. Droplet spray method is very
easy to practice and less time consuming. The disadvantage, there are still porosities about 3 5
% in the interface but lower than porosities resulted from Ni-powder spray about 10 20 %. This
method can be developed to become practical purpose in the field. The microstructure from this
experiment is showed in fig. 4c. Finally, the excellent method to handle repair process of cast
iron components is flow casting method. The microstructure from this experiment is showed in
fig. 4d. From this picture can be observed that either base metal or weld pool has similar material
and microstructure, so it can be predicted that mechanical properties for both is also the same.



















Fig. 4. Microstructure of gray cast iron resulted from different methods.
Weld Base Metal Interface
150 m
Flow Casting
(d)
(b) (c)
Burning-In Flame Spray Droplet Spray

Here can be seen the component of cylinder heads before and after repaired by flow casting
method.













Fig. 5. Cylinder heads, before and after repair by flow casting method.


Conclusions
The five main points that can be concluded from this work are:
1. SMAW method for repair gray cast iron showed carbide networks at the fusion zone.
2. Burning-in method should be developed in order to be used in the field
3. Flame spray method is better method than SMAW but lower joint strength.
4. Droplet spray can be developed for practical purpose since easy to practice and shorter
repair time consume.
5. Recommendation for repairing gray cast iron components is Turbulence Flow Casting
method.

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Professor Harsono Wiryosumarto of Bandung Institute of
Technology on his encouragement and for helpful discussions. Acknowledgement are also made
to forging and casting department of PT. Pindad (Persero), Indonesia, for their permission in
using induction furnace and all equipments used for this work.
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