Building Material Science-IV

Course Code : AP-226

Ar. Namita Singh

Assistant Professor, USAP , GGSIPU, Dwarka
M.Arch I B.Arch
 SOME TERMS
1. BRITTLE MATERIAL – Which can easily break into pieces or which can be easily reduced
to powder form. Eg: GLASS

2. DUCTILE MATERIAL – Which can be drawn into fine wires. Eg: SILVER & COPPER

3. HARD MATERIAL – Which cannot be cut by a sharp tool. Eg: DIAMOND

4. MALLEABLE MATERIAL – Which can be beaten into thin sheets or leaves. Eg: GOLD

5. SOFT MATERIAL – Which can be easily cut by a sharp tool. Eg: LEAD

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON

IRON

WROUGHT
CAST IRON
IRON

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
CAST IRON

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
CAST IRON MANUFACTURE COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES

• Cast iron is obtained from the pig-iron which is re-melted

with coke and limestone.
• Pig iron is nothing but impure iron which is obtained from
the iron ore.
• The re-melting is done in a furnace called cupola furnace.
• Its shape is cylindrical with diameter of about 1 m and
height about 5 m.

Cupola Furnace

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
CAST IRON MANUFACTURE COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES

• The raw materials are fed from top. The

cupola furnace is worked intermittently.
• After the raw materials are placed, the
furnace is fired and blast of air is forced
through tuyeres.
• Hence, pure cast iron is obtained from
the bottom out let and it is poured into
molds of required shape.

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
CAST IRON MANUFACTURE COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES

• The cast-iron contains about 2 to 4 per cent of carbon.

• Impurities such as manganese, phosphorus, silicon and sulphur.

MANGANESE PHOSPHORUS SILICON SULPHUR

It makes cast-iron
It makes cast-iron It increases fluidity It decreases
brittle and hard.
brittle and hard. Its percentage is shrinkage and
Its presence causes
Its amount should sometimes kept as ensures softer and
rapid solidification.
therefore be kept about 1 to 1.5 to better castings.
Its content should
below 0.75 per get very thin Its amount is less
be kept below 0.10
cent or so. castings than 2.50 per cent
per cent.

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
CAST IRON MANUFACTURE COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES

1. GREY CAST IRON

• Its colour is grey with a coarse crystalline structure.
• It is soft and it melts readily.
• It contains 3 to 3.5 percentile carbon and rest iron.
• This cast iron has low tensile strength, high compressive strength and no ductility.
• It has excellence machining property.

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
CAST IRON MANUFACTURE COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES

TYPE GREY CAST IRON WHITE CAST IRON

COLOR Grey with a coarse crystalline structure Silvery white
PROPERTY Soft and it melts readily. No ductility Hard and it melts with difficulty.
CARBON CONTENT 3 to 3.5 percentile carbon and rest iron 2.3 percent carbon
STRENGTH Low tensile strength and high compressive High tensile strength and a low
strength. compressive strength.
USES Excellence machining property. It is not easily worked on machine
cannot be used for delicate
casting.
IMAGE

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
CAST IRON MANUFACTURE COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES

3. MOTTLED CAST IRON

• It is an intermediate variety between grey cast-iron and white cast-iron.
• The fracture of this variety is mottled.
• This variety is used for small castings.

4. MALLEABLE CAST IRON

• It is done by extracting a portion of carbon from cast- iron, which makes it less
brittle.
• It is used for railway equipment, automobiles, pipe fittings, agricultural
implements, door fastenings, hinges, etc.

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
CAST IRON MANUFACTURE COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES

Following are the properties of cast-iron:

1. If placed in salt water, it becomes soft.
2. It can be hardened by heating and sudden cooling
3. It cannot be magnetized.
4. It does not rust easily.
5. It is fusible.
6. It is hard, but it is brittle also.
7. It is not ductile and hence it cannot be adopted to absorb shocks and impacts.
8. Its melting temperature is about 1250°C.

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
CAST IRON MANUFACTURE COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES

Following are the properties of cast-iron:

9. It shrinks on cooling. It is considered while making patterns or moulds.
10. Its structure is granular and crystalline with whitish or greyish tinge.
11. Its specific gravity is 7.5.
12. It lacks plasticity and hence it is unsuitable for the forging work.
13. The tensile and compressive strengths of cast-iron of average quality are
respectively 150 N/mm2 and 600 N/mm2.
14. The two pieces of cast-iron cannot be connected by the process of riveting or
welding. They are to be connected by nuts and bolts.

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
CAST IRON MANUFACTURE COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES

1. For making cisterns, water pipes, gas pipes and sewers, manhole covers and
sanitary fittings.
2. For making ornamental castings such as brackets, gates, lamp posts, spiral
staircases, etc.
3. For making parts of machinery which are not subject to heavy shocks.
4. For manufacturing compression members like columns in buildings, bases of
columns, etc.
5. For preparing agricultural implements.
6. For preparing rail chairs, carriage wheels, etc.
USES
BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV
 LECTURE 1 – IRON
CAST IRON MANUFACTURE COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES

Characteristics of a Good Casting:

A good casting should possess the following qualities or characteristics:
1. Its edges and corners should be sharp, perfect and clean.
2. It should exhibit fine grained texture with bluish grey colour.
3. It should be free from air bubbles, cracks, etc.
4. It should be soft enough for drilling or chiselling.
5. It should be uniform in shape and it should be consistent with the requirements
of the design.
6. Its outer surface should be smooth.
BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV
 LECTURE 1 – IRON
WROUGHT IRON

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
WROUGHT
COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES
IRON

• Wrought iron is almost pure iron and it hardly contains carbon

more than 0.15 per cent and 1 or 2 per cent slag.

• But the process of its manufacture is laborious and tedious.

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
WROUGHT
COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES
IRON

Following are the properties of wrought-iron

1. It become soft at heat and it can be easily forged and welded.
2. It can be used to form temporary magnets, but cannot be magnetized
permanently.
3. It fuses difficulty. It cannot therefore be adopted for making castings.
4. It is ductile, malleable and tough.
5. It is moderately elastic.
6. It is unaffected by saline water.

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
WROUGHT
COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES
IRON

Following are the properties of cast-iron

7. It resists corrosion in a better way.
8. Its melting point is about 1500 C
9. Its specific gravity is about 7.8
10. Its ultimate compressive strength and tensile strength are about 200 N/mm2
and 400 N/mm2 respectively.

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
WROUGHT
COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES
IRON
Following are the uses of cast-iron
1. It is used for pipe making due to its superior corrosion and fatigue resistance and
better welding and threading qualities.
2. It is used for making bars for stay bolts, engine bolts and rivets etc. because
properties demanded in these applications are corrosion and fatigue resistance.
3. It can be obtained in the form of plates, sheets, forged billets, structural shapes,
bars, piping and tubing.
4. It is also used extensively for general forging applications such as ornamentations.
5. Raw material for manufacture handrails and roofing sheets.
BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV
 LECTURE 1 – IRON
WROUGHT
COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES
IRON

Exterior of Carson Pirie Scott

building
Architect- Louis Sullivan

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
WROUGHT
COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES
IRON

Iron Pillar at Mehrauli

Containing 98% wrought iron

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON
WROUGHT
COMPOSITION TYPES PROPERTIES USES
IRON

Wrought Iron Door Wrought Iron Railing

Wrought Iron
Chandelier
BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV
 LECTURE 1 – IRON
ASSESSMENT
1. The purest form of iron is _____________ iron.
2. How much carbon is present in cast irons?
3. Cast iron is manufacture in _____________ furnace.
4. Composition up to 0.008% carbon is considered as _________
5. Presence of phosphorus impurity in cast iron increases___________
6. The outer surface should be sharp in case of good casting. (True/False).
7. ____________ is intermediate variety between grey cast-iron and white cast-iron
8. Define Pig-iron
9. Grey Cast iron has __________ tensile strength, _________ compressive
strength.
10. Cast iron can be magnetized. (True/False).

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV

 LECTURE 1 – IRON

BUILDING MATERIAL AND SCIENCE-IV