Mechanical Properties and Thermal Expansion Characteristics of Low Thermal Expansion Ductile Cast Iron with same Nickel Equivalent (NiE)

Abstract

Low thermal expansion ductile cast iron is expected to become a new structural material with high dimensional stability against temperature change. We tried to develop a new low thermal expansion ductile cast iron by means of adding C and Si to Superinver alloy. In this study we prepared four kinds of ductile cast irons whose Co contents vary from 0% to 12 %, and investigated about the effects of Co content and solution-treatments on several main characteristics such as coefficient of thermal expansion and mechanical properties. The results obtained are as follows: With increase of Co content the amount of martensite increases but this martensite can be inverse-transformed to austenite totally or greatly by solution-treatment followed with water-quenching. In the case of Co content less than some 9 % the ability of relatively larger plastic deformation can be expected in inverse-transformed austenite.