On the Formation of Micro-Shrinkage Porosities in Ductile Iron Cast Components

Abstract

A combination of direct austempering after solidification (DAAS) treatment and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) method was used to study the formation of micro-shrinkage porosities in ductile iron. Analyzing the aus-ferritic microstructure revealed that most of micro-shrinkage porosities are formed at the retained austenite grain boundaries. There was no obvious correlation between the ferrite grains or graphite nodules and micro-shrinkage porosities. Due to the absolute pressure change at the (purely) shrinkage porosities, the dendrite fragmentation rate during the DAAS process would be altered locally, which caused a relatively finer parent-austenite grain structure near such porosities.

Keywords

• DAAS
• EBSD
• shrinkage porosity
• austenite
• graphite
• nodule