Suppression of Elevated Temperature Brittleness in Spheroidal Graphite Cast Iron by Increasing Phosphorus Content

Abstract

Elevated temperature brittleness (ETB) of spheroidal graphite (s-g) cast iron has been referred to as reduced ductility within an elevated temperature range and has been related to grain boundary brittleness. The phenomenon of ETB has not been yet clearly understood. In this study, the factor affecting on ETB was studied in terms of strain rate and chemical composition. A study was carried out on the influence of phosphorus on ETB by using laboratory-made heats containing different phosphorus contents. ETB indicated the marked decrease in ductility at around 673K. S-g cast iron containing low phosphorus content manifested ETB at temperatures between 650K and 700K. There was a consistent correlation between the fractional increases in intergranular fracture appearance and the decrease in elongation. The increase of phosphorus suppressed ETB and s-g cast irons containing phosphorus exceeding 0.030 % were found to be immune to ETB. It was found that ETB could be suppressed by reducing the ratio of magnesium and phosphorus to less than 1.5.