Metals and Alloys

First Semester 2011/2012

Lecture 5
18.09.2011

Dr. Tarek Abu Leil

 Last Lecture:
Alloys: Composition, properties, and uses

Types of metals - alloys.

Nonferrous metals–alloys: light weight metals-alloys

Aluminum and its alloys:

Designations-composition, properties and uses

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 This Lecture

Ferrous alloys
Steel - cast iron

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 Ferrous alloys

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 Ferrous Alloys

Types of metals - alloys

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 Ferrous Alloys

Types of ferrous alloys

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 Ferrous Alloys

Types of Steels

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 Ferrous Alloys

Types of Steels

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 Ferrous Alloys

Types of Steels

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 Ferrous Alloys

Types of Cast Iron

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 Ferrous Alloys - Cast Iron

General Properties of Cast Iron

 Most Cast iron contains
more than 2.14 wt.% C and 1-3% Si.
 In practice, most cast iron contains
between 3 and 4.5 wt.% C

 The composition range become completely

liquid at temperatures between approx. 1153
and 13000C (this is lower than steel)
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 Ferrous Alloys - Cast Iron

General Properties of Cast Iron

 Easily melted
– Very fluid,
– low shrinkage
 Easily machinable.
 Low impact resistance and ductility.
 Some cast irons are very brittle.

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 Ferrous Alloys - Cast Iron

General Properties of Cast Iron

 Cementite (Fe3C) is a metastable compound
 It can be made to decompose to form alpha
ferrite and graphite

Fe3C  3 Fe (alpha) + C (graphite)

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 Ferrous Alloys

Types of Cast Iron

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 Ferrous Alloys – Gray Cast Iron

• Carbon exceeds the amount that can dissolve in austenite and

precipitate as graphite flakes.

• Fractured surface appears gray.

Graphite
Flakes

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 Ferrous Alloys – Gray Cast Iron

Properties of Gray Cast Iron

 Gray Cast iron contains:

2.5 and 4.0 wt% C
(Promotes formation of graphite).
1.0 and 3.0 wt% Si

 The graphite exists in the form of flakes (similar to

corn flakes), which are normally surrounded by alpha -
ferrite or pearlite matrix

 Because of these graphite flakes, a fractured surface

takes on a gray appearance, hence its name.

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 Ferrous Alloys – Gray Cast Iron

Properties of Gray Cast Iron

 Gray iron is comparatively weak and brittle in tension as a

consequence of its microstructure

 Strength and ductility are much higher under compressive

loads than tension.

 Excellent machinability, hardness and wear resistance.

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 Ferrous Alloys – Gray Cast Iron

Properties of Gray Cast Iron

 They are very effective in damping vibrational energy

 Base structures for machines and heavy equipment that are

exposed to vibrations

damping vibration capacities of

(a)Steel
(b)Gray cast iron

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 Ferrous Alloys – Gray Cast Iron

Properties of Gray Cast Iron

 In the molten state they have a high fluidity at casting

temperature, which permits casting pieces having
 complicated shapes
 casting shrinkage is low.

 They are among the least expensive of all metallic materials.

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 Ferrous Alloys – Gray Cast Iron

• Some gray irons may be produced by

– adjustment of composition and/or
– by using an suitable treatment.

For example
prevent the complete
– lowering the silicon content or
dissociation of cementite
– increasing the cooling rate may to form graphite

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 Ferrous Alloys – Gray Cast Iron

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 Ferrous Alloys - White Cast iron

Properties of White Cast Iron

 Much of Carbon forms Iron Carbide on solidification.

 Fractured surface appears white and crystalline.
 Low carbon (2.5 – 3%) and silicon (0.5 – 1.5%) content.
 Excellent wear resistance. Iron Carbide

Pearlite

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 Ferrous Alloys - Ductile Cast iron

Properties of Ductile Cast Iron

• Has processing advantages of cast iron and engineering

advantages of steel.
• Good fluidity, castability, machinability, and wear resistance.
• High strength, toughness, ductility and hardenability (due to
spherical nodules of graphite).
• 3-4% C and 1.8 – 2.8 % Si and low impurities.
• Bull’s eye type microstructure.

spherical nodules

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 Ferrous Alloys - Malleable Cast Iron

• White cast iron is heated in malleablizing furnace to dislocate

carbide into graphite.

• Irregular nodules of graphite are formed.

• Good
– castability
– Machinability
– moderate strength
– toughness and uniformity.

• 2-2.6 % C and 1.1 – 1.6% Si.

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 Ferrous Alloys - Cast Iron

Fe-C phase diagram with graphite instead of cementite as a stable phase

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 Ferrous Alloys - Cast Iron

Cast Iron

manhole covers guttering and drainpipes Gates and Railings

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 Ferrous Alloys - Cast Iron

Cast Iron cylinder blocks in car engines

Engine blocks are usually made from cast iron or

in modern engines, aluminum and magnesium.

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 Ferrous Alloys - Cast Iron
The structure of cast iron is affected by these factors
a) The rate of solidification.
Slow rates of solidification allow for graphite formation and
castings made in sand moulds tend to solidify gray.
More rapid solidification will tend to give white irons structures.

b) The rate of cooling (Heat treatment).

A high rate of cooling during solidification tends to prevent the
decomposition of cementite in an iron. It would become graphitic.

c) Carbon content.
The higher the carbon content of the iron, the greater will be the
tendency for it to solidify grey.

d) The presence of other elements.

Some elements promote the formation of graphite in an iron structure.
Silicon has strong graphitizing tendencies.
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 Next Lecture

Ferrous alloys - Cast Iron - Steel

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