Assessment of the Quality of Ductile Cast Iron EN-GJS-500-7 Through the Influence of its Chemical Composition on the Grain Composition of Spheroidal Graphite

Abstract

Quantitative evaluation of the microstructure obtained in a product is nowadays commonly required both in R&D activities and during routine quality control of materials and components. This paper presents an assessment of the quality of ductile cast iron, based on investigations of the effect of chemical composition on the distribution of ductile graphite precipitates in low-alloy cast iron EN-GJS-500-7. The size of graphite precipitates was expressed in terms of equivalent cross-sectional diameter, which made it possible to describe the distribution of graphite precipitates with a function simulating the log-normal distribution of graphite. The resulting U, W and Z parameters were statistically analysed, including the effect of chemical composition on graphite distribution. In the studied cast iron, the components that increase the U parameter are silicon, manganese and phosphorus, thus favourably affecting the total graphite number. In contrast, the constituents that decrease the U parameter are carbon, chromium and aluminium.

Keywords

• ductile cast iron
• chemical composition
• graphite precipitates
• stereological parameters