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Inhomogeneous Pearlite and Ferrite in Ductile Iron Sand Castings

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Abstract

A program of work was conducted as a means to understand the basis of tensile property variation in a production run of ductile iron parts for a transport (rail) application. Tensile test bars cast with the parts were evaluated from 55 production heats. The ductile iron was manufactured exclusively from high-quality pig iron with up to 25% revert, and the chemical composition was close between each heat. The desired outcome of casting was a predominantly ferritic structure corresponding to the 400-12 grade alloy in accordance with Standard AS1831-1985. Non-compliant tensile results were observed wherever elongation was reduced below 12%. This condition also represented a concomitant increase in yield and tensile strength, corresponding to increases in pearlite. Some examples displayed outstanding combinations of mechanical properties in their own right. Although variability in the proportions of ferrite and pearlite existed naturally within the alloys, it was found that the area fraction of ferrite or pearlite present on the fracture surface appears to have an influence on the overall outcomes of testing and relative quality. The distribution of these phases on the fracture surface was remarkably inhomogeneous and did not necessarily correlate to the 2-dimensional micrograph. A quality model was evaluated based on the determination of true-stress true-strain flow curves that demonstrate how the inhomogeneous distribution of ferrite and pearlite on the fracture surface appears to play a role in the microstructural factors affecting tensile failure of ductile iron, and therein the apparent quality of the material.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the AWBell foundry team for their efforts in making these castings and AWBell Pty. Ltd. for supporting the publication of this work. I would also like to thank Paul Hosking from Bureau Veritas for certified tensile testing, and Gary Savage from CSIRO for assistance with scanning electron microscopy.

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No funds, grants, or other support was received. The author certifies that beyond regular employment, he has no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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  1. AWBell Pty. Ltd., 145 Abbotts Rd., Dandenong South, VIC, 3175, Australia

    R. N. Lumley

  2. Department of Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia

    R. N. Lumley

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Lumley, R.N. Inhomogeneous Pearlite and Ferrite in Ductile Iron Sand Castings. Inter Metalcast 17, 1467–1492 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40962-022-00864-z

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