Ductile Iron

This is basically an improvement upon the very economical grey iron. It is manufactured in a similar way but just before casting quantities of magnesium or cerium are added and this causes the graphite to form spheres or nodules, rather than the flakes that would otherwise be the case. The result is a metal which is ductile "as cast", in other words it rewuires no further treatment with consequent cost savings. Shrinkage of the castings is minimal which means that the use of additional liquid metal from risers or feeders is minimised or even eliminated completely so that further economies are made.

Whilst mechanical properties are similar to malleable iron it is possible to manufacture much larger castings and it competes very favourably with steel but at a lower manufacturing cost with a higher strength, toughness and hot workability than grey iron whilst still retaining the advantages of good fluidity and, subsequently, castability, whilst remaining easy to cut and shape with high wear resistance. Ductile steel has grown in popularity over the last decades and is used for car crankshafts, gears, dies, and a wide variety of other machine parts, as well as items for consructional use where the need is for toughness, machineability and economy. The metal pipeline industry makes use of considerable quantities of it.

Disclaimer Contact Us Privacy Policy Home