Over the years, industrial partners experienced issues related to inconsistent free ferrite in gray cast iron. In the course of a hot summer and a cold winter, machinability balance varies up to 350%. During warm months it is better and cold months worse. The inconsistent machinability increases the scrap rates by up to 400% and reduces tool life by up to 70%. The ultimate objective of this research is to collaborate with an automotive industrial partner to investigate the periodic machinability variability of gray cast iron engine sleeves, with a goal to reduce the cost and scrap rate of tool inserts. In this study, a significant amount of work was conducted concerning sample preparation for a metallography check. Samples from different months with varying amount of “free ferrite” were collected to study the seasonal effect on their machinability and high-speed machining under similar industrial conditions. Furthermore, a room temperature age strengthening of gray cast iron was conducted to demonstrate how the hardness increase from aging could improve the machinability of gray cast iron. A CBN insert is the second hardest cutting tool after the diamond insert, and is widely used in industry for machining cast iron. It has a high cutting speed is commonly used due to its high hardness and impressive wear resistance. It is known that gray cast iron can naturally age at room temperature or artificially age under a controlled temperature. Under different aging temperatures and times, gray cast iron exhibits a greater hardness after age strengthening, which affects the CBN tool life. The latter is usually limited by flank wear length, however the content of free ferrite in gray cast iron can generate ferrous built-up on the CBN cutting edge and significantly shorten the tool life of the CBN cutting tool. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-08T17:19:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CAPA.pdf: 147633 bytes, checksum: 3c34cc1f4871957c46fad623f4fb2aae (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-11-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In the present work the influence of austenitizing temperature on mechanical properties Austempered Ductile Iron from intercritical austenitizing temperature ranges was investigated. A heat treatment for development of material with improved mechanical properties for application in suspension parts is shown. Samples of alloyed ductile iron with a fully ferritic matrix was austenitized within intercritical range between 775°C and 820°C for 5h and then austempered at 360°C for 2h to produce ductile iron with dual matrix; with different percentages of free ferrite. After the heat treatment, the samples were sends for mechanical testing (tensile, impact and hardness tests) and for metallographic analysis. The percentages of free ferrite ranged from 9,5 to 21%, new ferrite of 7 to 10%; the observation of new ferrite was made through special reagents. The austenite (ausferrite at room temperature) nucleates firstly in the eutectic cell. The intercritical austenitizing can be interpreted in two stages: 1) short times the austenite is found only in the eutectic cell or grain boundaries and 2) long times the austenitizing also occur inside of grain. Due long times of austenitizing, it is probably that this work has arrived to the equilibrium of phases in austenitizing, which explain fewer ferrite, when compared with other literature. Samples exhibited good combination mechanical properties, with high strength and excellent amount of elongation. The study presents fracture s microstructure from scan electron microscopy of tension s specimen, has noticed large dimples near graphite; quantities of cleavage s area increase with decrease ferrite in the microstructure. The materials show few secondary cracks, characteristic in tension tests of high strength irons. Quality index (IQ) were calculated for samples this work, specimen austenitized to 805°C has shown better result to tensile test. However, it is important to add that specimen austenitized to 790°C has shown better result to components that require impact strength. The result of mechanical properties achieved in this study follow an extrapolation of the values of international standard (ex. ASTM), which facilitates the normalizing this group of materials, including it in present standard of austempered ductile iron. / Estuda-se no presente trabalho a influência das temperaturas de austenitização nas propriedades mecânicas do ferro fundido nodular austemperado a partir da zona crítica. Apresenta-se um tratamento térmico para o desenvolvimento de materiais com propriedades mecânicas otimizadas para aplicação em componentes de suspensão. Amostras de ferro fundido nodular ligado com matriz inicialmente ferrítica foram austenitizadas dentro da zona crítica entre 775 e 820°C por 5h e então transferidos para austêmpera a 360°C por 2h para produzir ferros fundidos nodulares com matriz dual; com diferentes percentagens de ferrita proeutetóide. Após o tratamento térmico, as amostras foram encaminhadas para ensaios mecânicos de tração, impacto e dureza, seguindo então para análise metalográfica. As percentagens de ferrita proeutetóide variaram de 9,5 a 21%, e as quantidades de ferrita nova foram de 7 a 10%; a observação da ferrita nova foi através do uso de reagentes especiais. Os locais preferenciais para o início da transformação de ferrita para austenita (ausferrita a temperatura ambiente) foram os contornos de células eutéticas. A austenitização intercrítica pode ser interpretada em dois estágios: 1) curtos tempos - a austenita encontra-se apenas em contornos de célula eutética e de grão e 2) longos tempos a austenitização ocorre também dentro do grão. Devido aos longos tempos de austenitização empregados, é provável que neste trabalho se esteja próximo ao equilíbrio de fases na austenitização, o que explica as menores quantidades de ferrita obtidas, quando comparado com vários trabalhos da literatura. As amostras apresentaram boas combinações de propriedades mecânicas, com elevadas resistências e ótimos valores de alongamento. Apresentaram-se fractografias obtidas via microscopia eletrônica de varredura dos corpos de prova de tração, onde se observaram grandes quantidades de alvéolos próximos dos nódulos; a quantidade de áreas com clivagem cresce com a diminuição de ferrita na microestrutura. Além disso, os materiais apresentaram poucas trincas secundárias, característica típica em ensaios de tração de ferros fundidos de alta resistência. Foram calculados os índices de qualidade (IQ) para as amostras do trabalho, sendo que a amostra austenitizada a 805°C foi a que apresentou melhor resultado em ensaios de tração. Porém, vale ressaltar que a amostra austenitizada a 790°C apresentou melhores resultados para componentes que exigem resistência ao impacto. Os valores de propriedades mecânicas obtidos seguem uma extrapolação dos valores das normas internacionais (por ex, da ASTM), o que facilita a normalização deste grupo de materiais, incluindo-o nas normas atuais de nodulares austemperados.