Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1981. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-79).

The microsegregation of Mn, Cu, Cr, Mo, Ni and Si has been measured in cast ductile iron and in ductile iron which has been quenched when partially solidified. Effective segregation coefficients have been determined for each of the elements, and used to calculate the segregation on the basis of the Scheil equation. The calculated values agree reasonably well with the values of the solute concentration as a function of the solid fraction measured in quenched samples. The microstructure of the solid phases during the solidification of ductile iron has been observed. Solidification of eutectic ductile iron begins with the independent nucleation of austenite and graphite in the melt. Later the graphite nodules are enveloped by austenite, and further solidification takes place by the thickening of the austenite layers enveloping the graphite. Isolated pockets of interdendritic melt are the last material to solidify. On the basis of the measured segregation of the different alloying elements, the mechanisms by which the segregation affects the microstructure are considered, and an explanation for the effect of segregation on the hardenability of ductile iron is proposed. A mathematical model of the solidification of eutectic ductile iron is formulated which includes heat flow, nucleation and growth of graphite nodules, and the segregation of Si. The model uses equilibrium temperatures given by the ternary Fe-C-Si equilibrium diagram. Using the mathematical model, cooling curves, nodule count and nodular size distribution are determined as a function of position in the casting sample. The results are compared to measured temperatures, nodule count and nodule size in rod castings of 12.5, 20 and 43mm radius. There is good agreement between the calculated and measured values for the 43mm radius rod, and not quite good agreement for the rods of smaller radii. The changes in solidification predicted by the model when some solidification parameters are varied are consistent with experimental observations with the same variation in the parameters. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Materials Engineering, Department of / Graduate

Thesis--Wisconsin. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 193-199).

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Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1984. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Bibliography: pages 85-89. / A study has been made of the unlubricated sliding wear behaviour of austempered ductile irons under conditions of sliding velocity and load. The load was varied between 0.9 and 2.8 MPa, whilst the sliding velocity range was between 0.5 and 2.0 ms⁻¹. Two commercial grades of spheroidal graphite irons, SG42 and SG60 were austempered between 250⁰C and 400⁰C. A distinction in the wear behaviour was found with metallic type wear dominating at the lower sliding velocities and an oxidative type wear being evident at the higher sliding velocities. It was however found that an increase in the load resulted in an earlier onset of the oxidative type wear regime, for a specific sliding velocity. On austempering these spheroidal graphite irons the mechanical properties as well as the sliding wear resistance increased dramatically. Furthermore, the austempered irons' outperformed a series of steels of much higher hardness by factors between 2 and 28 times under the same conditions. At the lower velocity of testing the outstanding wear resistance is attributed to the austempered iron's unique microstructure of acicular ferrite and retained austenite and a partial transformation of austenite to martensite. However, at the higher sliding velocity the exceptional wear resistance is derived from a development of an tribologically protective oxide film together with the formation of a hardened white layer. The development of the work hardened layer is linked to the high carbon in the matrix of these irons. The work hardened layer leads to a similar wear rate prevailing for all irons austempered from a specific parent iron. The synergism of variation in load, sliding velocity and wear counterface together with the effect of initial microstructure has been explain in terms of simple wear models.