• Steel and its types

• Cast steel
• Alloy steel
• Stainless steel

CAST IRON and its Types

Chapter 01 Introduction to Heat Treatment & Engineering Alloys

Iron – Iron carbide phase diagram.

• The ductility of cast iron is very low and brittle, it cannot be rolled,
drawn, or worked at room temperature. However they melt readily
and can be cast into complicated shapes which are usually machined
to final dimensions.
• Since casting is the only suitable process applied to these alloys,
they are known as cast irons.
• Cast irons are a class of ferrous alloys with carbon contents above
2 wt%; in practice, however, most cast irons contain between 3.0
and 4.5 wt% C and, in addition, other alloying elements .
• Most common alloying element of Cast Irons is Silicon for various
reasons, which include the manipulation of temperatures required
to achieve desired microstructures.
• Si-Silicon Increases the stability of solidification of Graphite phases.
Decreases the stability of the solidification of Fe3C.
 CAST IRON
Basic classification of cast iron was based on its fracture.
White cast iron: Exhibits a white fractured surface. It is the
result of metastable solidification (Fe3C eutectic).
Gray iron: Exhibits a gray fracture surface because fracture
occurs along the graphite plates (flakes).

Cast iron are also classified according to metallurgical point

of view • Hypo Eutectiod cast iron (2.11-4.3% carbon) •
Hyper Eutectiod cast iron(4.3-6.67% carbon) .
WHITE CAST IRONS (hypo eutectiod iron-carbon alloys )
These are generally hypo eutectiod iron-carbon alloys and all the
carbon is present in the combined cementite form. Typical white
cast iron contains 2.5 – 3.5% C, 0.4 – 1.5% Si, 0.4 – 0.6 % Mn,
0.1 – 0.4% P, 0.15% S, and balance Fe. At room temperature
white cast iron is mixture of pearlite and proeutectoid cementite.
Because of extreme brittleness and lack of machinability, white irons find limited
engineering applications.
Application
The parts where resistance to wear is the most important requirement such as liners
of cement mixers, ball mills, pumps,
• Brake shoes • Shot blasting nozzles • Mill liners • Crushers • Pump impellers and
other abrasion resistant parts.
GRAY CAST IRON
Iron-carbon alloys containing flakes of graphite embedded in ferrite
matrix, which show a gray-blackish coloured fracture due to graphite—
the free form of carbon, are called gray cast irons. The strength of gray
iron depends on the strength of ferrite matrix and the size and
character of graphite flakes in it.
Generally gray cast irons are also hypoeutectiod cast irons, the
total carbon content lies between 2.4% to 3.8%. The amount of carbon
does not exceed 3.8%. Higher the carbon%, which yields more graphite
as flakes, resulting in poor mechanical properties. Carbon is kept at
least 2.4%. So that cast iron has good fluidity and castability. Silicon is
kept between1.4 % to 3.5%. It being a graphitiser controls carbon
precipitation and the rate of cooling.
The generalised range of composition of gray irons is: Total
carbon
: 2.4—3.8%, Silicon : 1.2—3.5% , Manganese : 0.5—
1.0%, Sulphur : 0.06—0.12%, Phosphorus : 0.1—
0.9%.
Effect of alloying elements on Grey C.I. : (a) Carbon: Higher is the
carbon, more is graphite formed and lower the mechanical
properties. It also lowers the melting point.
(b) Silicon: Silicon is a strong graphitiser and increases the fluidity. It
controls the relative proportions of combined carbon and free
graphite. If silicon is present during the solidification carbon
precipitates as graphite flakes. Silicon content may vary between
1.0% to 3.5%.
(c) Sulphur and Manganese: Sulphur retards graphitisation and
increases the size of the flakes, Sulphur is kept low in amount of 0.06
to 0.12%. It is present either as FeS or MnS.
(d) Phosphorus- Most cast iron contain phosphorus between 0.1 to
0.3%. Its amount may be more than 0.9%, then it forms iron
phosphide (Fe3P), which form a ternary eutectic with cementite and
austenite.
General Properties of Cast iron (GREY):
1. Low melting point: (1150- 1250°C ) It is several hundred degrees less than steel, requires
simple furnaces like pit furnace, crucible furnace, cupola, etc. The control of impurities is
not critical here as in steel melting.
2. Good Castability: Excellent fluidity and takes good mould-impressions easily. Cast irons; as
compared to steels solidity mainly at the constant eutectic temperature. Graphite having
low density is voluminous. Its large volume compensates for the shrinkage. Gray iron, thus,
does not need shrinkage allowance at all to take almost exact casting impressions.
3. Good machinability: Easy discontinuous chips formation due to brittle graphite flakes.
Graphite serves as a solid lubricant decreasing coefficient of friction. It smears the cutting
tool allowing free sliding of chips increasing thus, tool life too. (White cast irons, due to
high hardness, are unmachinable).
4. Good wear resistance : Being graphite acting as solid lubricant layer, avoiding metal to
metal direct contact. On other hand, white cast irons are wear resistant due to their high
hardness.
5. High compressive strength: Almost 3 to 5 times of its tensile strength (110-350 N/mm2),
and almost equal to that of steels makes it suitable for applications, where components
are subjected to compression such as machine beds, etc.
6. High thermal conductivity and ability to withstand thermal shocks.
 Malleable iron

In malleable iron combined carbon of white cast iron

converts into irregular nodules of temper carbon (graphite)
and ferrite.
Application of malleable iron:
Application of malleable iron: Axle & differential housings,
Automobile cam &crank shafts, sprockets, chain links,
linkages, small tools (wrenches, hammers, clamps).

Composition:2.5 – 3.5% C, 0.4 – 1.5% Si, 0.4 – 0.6 % Mn, 0.1

– 0.4% P, 0.15% S, and balance Fe.
Non Ferrous alloy:-

Copper:-
Classification of Copper alloy

• Brass (Alloy of Copper and Zinc) – 2 types

➢ Alpha Brass (Upto 36 Wt.% Zn) – 2 types
• Yellow brass (20-36Wt.% Zn)
• Red brass (5-20Wt.% Zn)
➢ Alpha plus beta brass (36 to 46% Zn)

• Bronze:- (Copper and Tin)

• . 13
 COPPER ALLOYS - BRASS
• Brass is the most common alloy of Cu with Zn
• Brass has higher ductility than copper or zinc.
• Easy to cast - Relatively low melting point and high fluidity
• Properties can be tailored by varying Zn content.

• Brass is frequently used to make musical instruments

(good ductility and acoustic properties).
 Bronze
• Copper alloys containing tin, lead, aluminum, silicon and
nickel are classified as bronzes.
• Cu-Sn Bronze is one of the earliest alloy to be discovered.
• Cu ores invariably contain Sn. Stronger than brasses with
good corrosion and tensile properties; can be cast, hot
worked and cold worked.
• Wide range of applications: Ball bearings,
surgical and dental instruments.

Bronze bearing
 Aluminium alloy system

Intermetallics formed in Age hardening alloys:

MgZn2, Mg2Si, CuAl2, Mg3Zn3Al2, Al2CuMg, Mg2Al3, NiAl3, AlSiMnFe, Al6Cu3Ni,
Al12Mn2Cu etc.
16
 Major aluminium alloy system

R. Gitter et. al.,

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 17
 Heat treatable Aluminium alloys
Aluminium alloys of this class belong to
• Limited solubility in solid state.
• Alloy system should be temperature-dependent equilibrium solid solubility,
which increases with rise in temperature.
• Possibility of retaining single phase super saturated solid solution by quenching
and precipitation of coherent/ partially coherent phase by decomposition of the
super saturated solid solution.

Example:-
• 2XXX series of Al-Cu alloys and Al-Cu-Mg alloys.
• 6XXX series include Al-Mg-Si alloys.
• 7XXX series include Al-Zn, Al-Zn-Mg, and Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys.

Cont’d…
18
 Non-Heat treatable Aluminium alloys
Cont’d…
➢ Doesn’t show decrease of solid solubility with the decrease of temperature.

➢ Consist of a homogeneous solid solution with non-coherent precipitates and

show low strength and high ductility.

➢ Further increase in strength :- cold work, such as cold rolling, cold swaging,
tube drawing etc.

➢ Example:-
• Pure aluminium (1XXX),
• Al-Mn (3XXX), Al-Mn-Mg and Al-Si alloys

19
 Al-Cu alloy
Duralumin: Al –Cu alloy with less than 5 wt% Cu and
trace additions of Mg, Zn, Ni, Si etc.

Age hardenable alloy. It is possible to improve hardness

and strength of the alloy by heat treatment. Generally
used in air craft and automobile industries.
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