Cast Iron Fundamentals: Types Properties and Applications

In Cast Iron Fundamentals: Types Properties and Applications, you'll learn ...

• Typical properties and applications for each type of cast iron
• How the shape of graphite in cast iron affects the ductility of the casting
• How to increase the hardness of cast iron by manipulating the silicon content and cooling rate
• The unique microstructure that allows Vermicular graphite iron to achieve some of the beneficial properties of both grey iron and ductile iron

Overview

Credit: 2 PDH

Length: 29 pages

Cast iron was first invented in China in the 4th century BC and poured into molds to make ploughshares and pots, as well as weapons and pagodas. In the West, cast iron did not become available until the late 14th century, where its earliest uses included cannon and shot. Today, cast iron is the material of choice for a wide range of engineering applications. It has a relatively low melting point, good fluidity, excellent castability and machinability, and is resistant to abrasion and deformation.

The term cast iron is a rather broad description of many types of irons which are castings. In general, a cast iron is an alloy of iron, carbon, and silicon. Steels are primarily iron, but what differentiates steel from cast iron is the amount of carbon (C). Steels contain less than 2% C (and usually less than 1% C), while cast irons contain more than 2% C. The four basic types of cast iron are gray iron, white iron, malleable iron and ductile iron.

This 2-hour online course provides a thorough introduction to cast iron, including microstructure, properties, applications, and the relative merits of each type of cast iron. The course concludes with a discussion of welding cast iron, including an overview of several welding processes that are commonly used with cast iron.