1

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 Fe
3
C)
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
2
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
Chromium
Corrosion protection (minimum 10.5% -26%)
Molybdenum
Improves resistance to pitting corrosion
(316 grade 2% Mo)
Alloy additions to Stainless Steel
(Cont.)
Nickel
Promotes austenitic structure (304 grade
18%Cr,8%Ni fully austenitic)
Lower Ni - duplex structure (ferritic/austenitic)
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
Niobium & tantalum
Similar effect to Ti (Ti usually preferred)
Silicon
Improves casting
Improves scaling resistance for austenitic steels
steel designation systems
a system of numbers (and symbols)
designates alloying type and carbon
content
3
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
4
Note: phase diagram is
slightly different to Fe/
Fe
3
C
Fe
3
C - metastable
true equilibrium phase
- Graphite (C)
Fe/graphite phase diagram
T
e
(graphite) = 1153 C
T
e
(Fe
3
C) = 1148 C
eutectic reaction involving carbide
L + Fe
3
C
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 Fe
3
C
(use Fe/Fe
3
C diagram)
grey cast iron - forms graphite
(use Fe/graphite diagram)
white cast irons (typically 3% C)
microstructure development
1300 C - 1148 C
primary dendrites form
at 1148 C
L (2.0% C) + Fe
3
C(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) + Fe
3
C}
final
microstructure
dendrites transformed to
pearlite
carbide around pearlite
eutectic
Properties of white cast iron
lots of Fe
3
C in microstructure
little ductility in white cast iron
very hard and brittle
good wear resistance
5
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
MPa
strain at
break %
White cast iron 275 very low
maleable
pearlite matrix
310 6-8%
maleable
ferrite matrix
225 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
steel
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
6
Grey cast iron Ductile iron
flake graphite nodular graphite