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Alloy Steels and Cast Iron

1) Alloy steels contain additional elements beyond iron and carbon, such as chromium, manganese, and nickel. These elements are added to strengthen the steel through solid solution strengthening or by forming carbides. 2) Stainless steels require a minimum of 10.5% chromium to provide corrosion resistance. Additional elements such as nickel, molybdenum, and manganese are added to control the phase structure and improve properties. 3) Cast irons contain between 2-4.5% carbon and form either white iron with iron carbide, grey iron with flake graphite, or ductile iron with nodular graphite depending on the cooling rate and alloying elements. These

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26 views

Alloy Steels and Cast Iron

1) Alloy steels contain additional elements beyond iron and carbon, such as chromium, manganese, and nickel. These elements are added to strengthen the steel through solid solution strengthening or by forming carbides. 2) Stainless steels require a minimum of 10.5% chromium to provide corrosion resistance. Additional elements such as nickel, molybdenum, and manganese are added to control the phase structure and improve properties. 3) Cast irons contain between 2-4.5% carbon and form either white iron with iron carbide, grey iron with flake graphite, or ductile iron with nodular graphite depending on the cooling rate and alloying elements. These

Uploaded by

Murugan Raja
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Alloy steels and Cast iron

MECH2300 - Structures and Materials Materials Lecture 5 Dr Rowan Truss Division of Materials School of Engineering

Alloy steels
Many steels contain other elements other than Fe and C non-carbon elements < 5% - low alloy steels non carbon elements > 5% - high alloy steels

Why add alloying elements?


form solid solution with iron solid solution strengthening e.g. C, Cr, Mn, Ni, Mo, Si, Co form carbides (other than Fe3C) hardness and high Temp. strength e.g. Ti, W, V

Why add alloying elements? (cont.) combine with oxygen in liquid steel improved properties e.g. Al, Si, Cu, Mn remain undissolved as separate phase improved machinability, damping e.g. Pb, S, P control the phases present control hardenability (discussed next week)

Controlling phases present


alloying elements affect stability of different phases extends regions of Fe/C equilibrium phase diagram where one phase or another is stable some elements form intermetallics - i.e. new phase

a) austenite stabilizers
eg. Mn, Ni, Cu

b) ferrite stabilizers
eg. Si, Cr, W, Mo, V, P, Ti, Al

Stainless Steels
Steel to which a minimum 10.5% Cr added (usually more added) Cr gives corrosion resistance (discussed in later lectures) Ferritic, austenitic, martensitic (discussed next week), duplex structures depending on alloy composition

Alloy additions to Stainless Steel


Carbon
Usually kept low ~ 0.05% - avoid chromium carbide formation Higher C (0.15% - 1.2%) heat treatable to give martensite

Alloy additions to Stainless Steel

(Cont.)
Nickel
Promotes austenitic structure (304 grade 18%Cr,8%Ni fully austenitic) Lower Ni - duplex structure (ferritic/austenitic)

Chromium
Corrosion protection (minimum 10.5% -26%)

Molybdenum
Improves resistance to pitting corrosion (316 grade 2% Mo)

Manganese/Nitrogen
Promotes Austenite structure Used with or to partially replace Ni

Alloy additions to Stainless Steel

(Cont.)
Titanium
Strong carbide former, forms carbides rather than chromium carbides

steel designation systems


a system of numbers (and symbols) designates alloying type and carbon content

Niobium & tantalum


Similar effect to Ti (Ti usually preferred)

Silicon
Improves casting Improves scaling resistance for austenitic steels

AISI system
first two numbers - alloy type e.g 10XX - plain carbon steel 23XX - Nickel steel (3.5) 43XX - Ni-Cr-Mo, etc last two or three numbers - carbon content (hundredths of wt %) eg. 1030 plain with 0.3 wt% C 4340- Ni Cr Mo steel with 0.4wt% C

Designation system: stainless steel


AISI three digit
Eg 304, 316 Extra letters to differentiate new alloys ie. 304L, 316N

UNS number
Letter + 5 digits S-wrought, J cast, N nickel based

DIN, proprietary designations

Steel processing
Steel cast into ingots Hot rolled into billets, slabs, blooms Hot or cold rolled into final products

Hot rolling
Plastically deforming steel above recrystallisation temperature Grain structure is continually undergoing recrystallisation Little strengthening or work hardening so large changes in shape possible

Cold rolling
Deformation below recrystallisation temperature Changes grain structure into elongated / deformed grains increases strength but introduces anisotropic properties

CAST IRON
Fe/C alloys with 2 % < C < 4.5% - CAST IRONS related to eutectic at 4.2 % C and 1153 C Note: eutectics give lower melting point ie material is easier to cast

Note: phase diagram is slightly different to Fe/ Fe3C Fe3C - metastable true equilibrium phase - Graphite (C) Fe/graphite phase diagram Te (graphite) = 1153 C Te (Fe3C) = 1148 C

eutectic reaction involving carbide L + Fe3C favoured by: rapid cooling presence of Cr true equilibrium eutectic reaction (graphite) L + graphite favoured by: slow cooling presence of Si, P, high C

cast iron microstructures


white cast iron - contains Fe3C
(use Fe/Fe3C diagram)

white cast irons (typically 3% C) microstructure development


1300 C - 1148 C primary dendrites form at 1148 C L (2.0% C) + Fe3C(6.7% C) between 1148 C and 727 C solubility of C in decreases from 2.0% to 0.8% C more carbides ppt on eutectic carbide, or on interface between primary and eutectic at 727 C pearlite { (0.025%C) + Fe3C}

grey cast iron - forms graphite


(use Fe/graphite diagram)

final microstructure
dendrites transformed to pearlite carbide around pearlite eutectic

Properties of white cast iron


lots of Fe3C in microstructure little ductility in white cast iron very hard and brittle good wear resistance

malleable cast iron


to improve ductility of white iron reheat at 940C for 3 - 20 hrs clusters of graphite in iron cooled slowly, + more graphite cooled quickly, pearlite

White iron

Malleable iron

Yield stress strain at MPa break % White cast iron 275 very low maleable 310 pearlite matrix maleable 225 ferrite matrix 6-8% 10%

Microstructure of Grey Cast Iron


at eutectic L + graphite at eutectoid + graphite carbon forms graphite rosettes in a matrix of low carbon ferrite

properties
graphite forms long flakes easy path for cracks to propagate act as stress concentrators grey cast iron - brittle, low toughness graphite - high damping (machine bases) provides lubrication on sliding surfaces
Grey cast iron

Nodular Cast Irons (Ductile Iron)


to improve ductility and toughness add Mg, Ce just before casting nucleates graphite during solidification graphite now in nodular form

steel

Grey cast iron flake graphite

Ductile iron nodular graphite

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