The structure and properties of cast iron alloyed with copper

Abstract

Cast iron with 3 wt. % Cu was prepared by induction melting and casting in sand molds. The structure of the samples was studied using light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The addition of Cu promoted formation of pearlite and slightiy decreased the volume fraction of graphite. No Cu inclusions were found by LM and SEM. The nanoprecipitations of ϵ-Cu in lamellar pearlite were observed by TEM. The properties of the Cu-alloyed cast iron were compared with the properties of cast iron not alloyed with Cu. The hardness of cast iron after alloying with Cu increased and the friction coefficient decreased in comparison with the reference sample.