Microstructure and Out-of-Phase Thermomechanical Fatigue of Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) 500 with High Si or Minor Addition of Cu-Sn
摘要
This study focuses on the development and evaluation of high-strength cast irons under thermomechanical conditions, specifically out-of-phase thermomechanical fatigue (OP TMF). The research investigates the effects of incorporating high silicon (Si) and copper-tin (Cu-Sn) into CGI 500 cast iron (ISO 16112 GJV-500), comparing the results with CGI 450 (ISO 16112 GJV-450). The analysis includes microstructural evaluation through optical microscopy and image analysis techniques, assessing parameters such as graphite volume fraction, nodularity, particle size and distance. The findings reveal that while high Si addition to CGI 500 does not significantly alter its lifetime compared to CGI 450, the Cu-Sn alloyed CGI 500 has significantly better fatigue life due to a change of the vermicular graphite morphology. Although the ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of the high Si alloy are higher than those of CGI 450, this gain in static properties was not accompanied by a gain in dynamic properties. Microstructural analysis indicates that the alloy CGI 500 with Cu-Sn exhibits fewer, more widely spaced graphite particles with more rounded ends, contributing to superior thermomechanical performance. The study concludes that the mean free distance between graphite particles, influenced by eutectic cell formation, is the critical factor in determining OP TMF life, rather than particle size or nodularity alone.