Abstract
The effect of austenitizing conditions on the microstructure and impact properties of an austempered ductile iron (ADI) containing 1.6% Cu and 1.6% Ni as the main alloying elements was investigated. Impact tests were carried out on samples of initially ferritic matrix structure and which had been first austenitized at 850,900, 950, and 1000°C for 15 to 360 min and austempered at 360°C for 180 min.
Results showed that the austenitizing temperature, Tγ, and time, tγ, have a significant effect on the impact properties of the alloy. This has been attributed to the influence of these variables on the carbon kinetics.
The impact energy is generally high after short tγ, and it falls with further soaking. In samples austenitized at 850 and 900°C, these trends correspond to the gradual disappearance of the pro-eutectoid ferrite and the attainment of fully developed ausferritic structures. In initially ferritic structures, the carbon diffusion distances involved during austenitization are large compared to those in pearlitic structures. This explains the relatively long soaking periods required to attain fully ausferritic structures, which in spite of the lower impact energy values, have a better combination of mechanical properties.
Microstructures of samples austenitized at 950 and 1000°C contain no pro-eutectoid ferrite. The impact properties of the former structures are independent of tγ, while those solution treated at 1000°C are generally low and show wide variation over the range of soaking time investigated.
For fully ausferritic structures, impact properties fall with an increase in Tγ. This is particularly evident at 1000°C. As the Tγ increases, the amount of carbon dissolved in the original austenite increases. This slows down the rate of austenite transformation and results in coarser structures with lower mechanical properties. Optimum impact properties are obtained following austenitizing between 900 and 950°C for 120 to 180 min.
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Delia, M., Alaalam, M. & Grech, M. Effect of austenitizing conditions on the impact properties of an alloyed austempered ductile iron of initially ferritic matrix structure. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 7, 265–272 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1361/105994998770348007
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1361/105994998770348007