Focus on Iron

The forgotten iron malleable cast iron

Malleable irons are a class of cast irons with mechanical
strength properties that are intermediate to those of
grey or ductile cast irons. The microstructure provides
properties that make malleable irons ideal for applications
where toughness and machinability are required, and for
components that are required to have some ductility or be
malleable so that they can be bent or flexed into position
without cracking.

further differentiating pearlitic grades with the letter P

in the designation.
Whiteheart grades are designated with a W in
both the EN(4) standard and the ISO(5) standard and
grades range from those with strengths of 270MPa
to 570MPa and corresponding elongation values of
10 to 3% - note that there is a cast section thickness
consideration also.

They are often used as the material of choice for small castings or castings
with thin cross sections which, in other irons, would tend to have chill
(carbides in the surface layers due to the rapid cooling rates in thin sections).
Castings of less than a gram in weight are successfully sand cast in
malleable iron. Another significant aspect is that the malleable properties can
exist to the surface of the casting as opposed to in ductile (SG) irons where
the cast surface can contain flake graphite, creating a situation where thin
malleable iron castings can be stronger than SG.
The lower silicon gives malleable iron better fracture toughness properties
in low temperature environments than the standard nodular iron grades
because the ductile to brittle transformation temperature is lower than many
other ductile iron alloys.
Malleable iron is first cast as white iron, with all the graphite as carbide in
the structure, as opposed to flakes of graphite in grey cast iron or nodules
(spheroids) of graphite in ductile cast iron. The iron is then heat treated
(annealed) to produce the properties and metallurgy required. The annealing
process breaks down the carbide to irregular graphite nodules, termed
temper nodules(1).

Applications for malleable cast iron

Types of malleable cast iron

There are two types of malleable iron, whiteheart (or decarburised) and
blackheart (non-decarburised).
Blackheart malleable irons are available with a ferritic (softer and more
ductile) or a pearlitic (harder, less ductile). Both are produced by annealing in
a non-decarburising atmosphere to produce a microstructure of either ferrite
(or pearlite) and graphite so can be readily heat treated in standard heat
treatment furnaces. There should be no flake graphite in the structure(2).
Whiteheart malleable cast irons are annealed in a decarburising
atmosphere which reduces the carbon content of the surface layers to
produce a carbon gradient from the edge (fully ferritic) to the centre (pearlite
and graphite nodules). Therefore specialist heat treatment furnaces are
required where the atmosphere can be carefully controlled.
Since a pre-requisite of the production of malleable irons is that the iron
must initially solidify white, this does necessarily place section thickness
limits on the production. Thicker sections require the base metal to have low
carbon and low silicon levels or alloying with a carbide stabiliser(3).
Blackheart ferritic and pearlitic grades combine high strength with
ductility and are often selected as they are readily machinable whilst having
significant ductility or are chosen for their good castability combined with
toughness and machinability.
The microstructure of a ferritic malleable iron should consist of temper
carbon in a matrix of ferrite. Pearlitic or martensitic malleable irons contain a
controlled amount of combined carbon, either as lamellar pearlite or tempered
martensite(2). The latter can be produced with a wide range of mechanical
properties depending on the heat treatment, alloying and melting practice.
Welding of pearlitic or martensitic grades is difficult as the high temperatures
required can lead to the formation of white iron which is brittle. These grades
can be welded if the surface layers are heavily decaburised. Brazing is also
possible.
Blackheart grades range from those with tensile strengths of 300MPa
(M/mm2), with minimum elongation levels of 10%, to those with strengths of
800MPa (M/mm2) with elongations of 1%. In the EN(4) blackheart grades are
designated with a B in the material symbol with the ISO standard(5) standard

308

Malleable irons remain the material of choice for

pipe fittings but some further examples of malleable
iron castings are shown in the images in this article
which have been provided by Pennine Castings. The
castings have been produced in greensand using high
speed, vertically parted, boxless moulds and have
then been heat treated by the foundry.
Stephen Lown FICME, general manager of Pennine
Castings Ltd said: Malleable iron is a very underrated material. We successfully produce a wide
variety of castings in malleable iron. Its properties
offer casting designers many options, reliable high
strength in thin sections can enable weight savings
and therefore cheaper castings. Its ability to be welded
to other ferrous materials makes it ideal for complex
brackets that need to be integral to steel castings or
fabrications. Because all malleable iron is annealed,
machinists can be confident not to encounter carbides
leading to expensive tooling damage.

End lugs for roller shutter doors (ductile iron castings of the same
section thickness in this application would tend to crack

Pan handle (the same design can be used for pans of varying
diameters as the casting can be bent to shape during assembly)

FTJ December 2012

Focus on Iron

Top left: Lindapter beam

clamp
Bottom left: Jockey
wheel bracket which is
then welded onto trailer
towbar
Top right: Part of
adjuster mechanism for
lorry cab seats
Bottom right: Cloth
carrier used in textile
industry

The iron, when left white has a hardness of

400HB, making it ideal for castings in high wear
environments such as plough blades and media for
shakeout drums. Also, when in the white brittle state,
the castings can easily be removed from runner
systems, the savings often outweighing the cost of
annealing; creating a cheaper alternative to SG.
Casting designers and buyers should look again at
malleable it may be the forgotten iron but it can offer

Hollow nipple casting used as explosive warnings on tracks in

railway safety systems with Rawl anchor bolt

Pliers for working lead on roofs where the ductility

provides a spring grip with some give

FTJ December 2012

surprising design possibilities and cost savings. www.penninecastings.co.uk

References

1. Manual of Foundry Technology, Institute of British Foundrymen (ICME),

1997.
2. Cast Irons, ASM Speciality Handbook, pub ASM, 1996, pp94-106.
3. Key to Metals, http://www.keytometals.com
4. BS EN 1562:2012 Founding. Malleable cast irons. Pub BSI, March 2012.
5. ISO 5922:2005 Malleable cast iron, Published ISO, 2005.

Clamp used in railway overhead electric power lines

Pipe connector for compressed air application

Part of Plus 8 scaffolding system; these end lugs can

be squeezed onto the main assembly without cracking
and will remain securely fixed

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