Ductile Iron
Ductile Iron is not a single material, but a family of materials offering a wide range of properties obtained through microstructure control. The common feature that all Ductile Irons share is the roughly spherical shape of the graphite nodules. These nodules act as "crack-arresters" and make Ductile Iron "ductile." This feature is essential to the quality and consistency of Ductile Iron, and is measured and controlled with a high degree of assurance by competent Ductile Iron foundries.
The ASTM has five standards covering Ductile Iron castings. ASTM A 536 is the most frequently used, covering the general engineering grades of Ductile Iron. The other standards cover austenitic and special Ductile Iron applications.
Specialty Castings produces ductile iron according to ASTM A 536 with the following characteristics:
| Grade | 60-40-18 | 65-45-12 | 80-55-06 | 100-70-03 |
| Tensile Strength, psi | 60,000 | 65,000 | 80,000 | 100,000 |
| Yield Strength, psi | 40,000 | 40,000 | 55,000 | 70,000 |
| Elongation, % | 18 | 12 | 6 | 3 |
To receive a quote for ductile iron castings, please use our online job quote form (link to job quote page) or call toll free 1-888-812-9543.
Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI)
ADI, the most recent addition to the Ductile Iron family, is a sub-group of Ductile Irons produced by giving conventional Ductile Iron a special austempering heat treatment. Nearly twice as strong as pearlitic Ductile Iron, ADI still retains high elongation and toughness. This combination provides a material with superior wear resistance and fatigue strength. ADI offers this superior combination of properties because it can be cast like any other member of the Ductile Iron family, thus offering all the production advantages of a conventional Ductile Iron casting.
It is subjected to the austempering process to produce mechanical properties that are superior to conventional ductile iron, cast and forged aluminum and many cast and forged steels. .The yield strength of ADI is over three times that of the best cast or forged aluminum. In addition ADI weighs only 2.4 times more than aluminum and is 2.3 times stiffer. ADI is also 10% less dense than steel. For a typical component, ADI costs 20% less per unit weight than steel and half of that aluminum.
A comparison of forged steel, pearlitic ductile iron and ADI is shown below. Specialty Castings produces ADI according to the widely accepted ASTM specification 897 Grades 1 through 5.
| Mechanical Property | MATERIAL | ||
| Forged Steel | Pearlitic Ductile Iron | Grade 150/100/7 ADI | |
| Tensile strength, psi | 115,000 | 100,000 | 160,000 |
| Yield strength, psi | 75,000 | 70,000 | 120,000 |
| Elongation, % | 10 | 3 | 10 |
| Brinnel Hardness | 262 | 262 | 286 |
| Impact strength, ft-lb (joules) | 130 | 40 | 120 |
High Silicon Ductile Iron
Alloy Ductile Irons containing 4-6% silicon were developed to meet the increasing demands for high strength Ductile Irons capable of operating at high temperatures in applications such as exhaust manifolds or turbocharger casings. The primary properties required for such applications are oxidation resistance, structural stability, strength, and resistance to thermal cycling.
These unalloyed grades retain their strength to moderate temperatures, perform well under low to moderate severity thermal cycling and exhibit resistance to growth and oxidation that is superior to that of unalloyed Gray Iron. Alloying with silicon and molybdenum significantly improves the high temperature performance of ferritic Ductile Irons while maintaining many of the production and cost advantages of conventional Ductile Irons.
Effect of silicon and molybdenum on the high temperature tensile and creep rupture strengths of ferritic Ductile Iron are shown in the table below.
| Material | Tensile Strength psi |
Stress Rupture psi |
||
| 800F | 1000F | 1200F | 1000h @ 1000F | |
| Gray Iron | 37,000 | 25,000 | 12,000 | 5,900 |
| 60-40-18 D.I. | 40,000 | 25,000 | 13,000 | 8,300 |
| 4% Si D.I. | 56,000 | 36,000 | 13,000 | 10,000 |
| 4% Si - 1% Mo D.I. | 61,000 | 44,000 | 19,000 | 14,000 |
| 4% Si - 2% Mo D.I. | 65,000 | 46,000 | 20,000 | 17,000 |
Gray Iron: Unalloyed, stress-relieved
Ductile Irons: Sub-critically annealed at 1450 F
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