Alloy steels Cast iron

MECH2300 - Structures and Materials Materials Lecture 9 Dr Rowan Truss Division of Materials School of Engineering

Alloy steels
other elements added to Fe other than C non-carbon elements < 5% - low alloy steels non carbon elements > 5% - high alloy steels

steel designation systems

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

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 (hundreds of wt %)

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

Phase diagram
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. form new phase

a) austenite stabilizers
Eg. Mn, Ni, Cu

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

Factors affecting Hardenability

Carbon content CCR decreases as C % increases (Critical Cooling Rate - cooling rate that just misses pearlite nose of TTT curve 105 C/sec for pure iron 200 C/sec for eutectoid plain C steel) austenite grain size CCR for coarse grained < fine grained

Factors affecting Hardenability

alloying elements Mn, Mo, Cr, Ni reduces CCR

Carbon Equivalent
Effect of alloying elements can be described by Carbon equivalent CE = C + Mn/6 + (Cr +Mo +V)/5 + (Ni + Cu)/15

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, 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

Chromium
Corrosion protection (minimum 10.5% -26%)

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

Alloy additions to Stainless Steel

Alloy additions to Stainless Steel

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

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

Niobium & tantalum

Similar effect to Ti (Ti usually preferred)

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

Silicon
Improves casting Improves scaling resistance for austenitic steels

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

CAST IRON
Fe/C alloys with 2 % < C < 4.5% - CAST IRONS related to eutectic at 4.3 % C and 1148 C

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

DIN, proprietary designations

true equilibrium
Carbide phase, Fe3C, - metastable true equilibrium phase - Graphite (C) Fe/graphite phase diagram - very similar to Fe/Fe3C diagram Te (graphite) = 1154 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 grey cast iron - forms graphite

white cast irons (typically 3% C) microstructure development

1300 C - 1148 C primary dendrites form at 1148 C L (2.11% C) + Fe3C(6.7% C) between 1148 C and 727 C solubility of C in decreases from 2.1% to 0.77% C more carbides ppt on eutectic carbide, or on interface between primary and eutectic at 727 C pearlite { (0.025%C) + Fe3C}

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 flakes in a matrix of low carbon ferrite

Gray cast iron

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

Nodular Cast Irons (Ductile Iron)

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

Grey cast iron flake graphite

Ductile iron nodular graphite