A new high strength high ductile nodular iron

Abstract

The new solution strengthened ferritic ductile iron grades are well established meanwhile, especially the grade EN-GJS-500-14 is of interest: Compared to the conventional EN-500-7 with same tensile strength, from 320 MPA to 400 MPa raised 0.2%- proof strength and from 7% to 14 % doubled elongation after fracture are very interesting properties of course and the pure ferritic structure promises a better machinability furthermore. Therefore, a customer of us also substituted a part from steel to EN-GJS-500-14. All calculations showed a very good performance of the parts, but as soon as in serial production field damages occurred in a manner that the parts completely broke without advance warning. The investigation of the damages showed, that the parts are not only statically and cyclically loaded, but also by strikes. Deeper investigations about strike loads confirmed, that EN-GJS-500-14 is not really ductile under these conditions. The reflection to the philosophy we had with our SiboDur-700 concept, namely to combine a moderate solid solution strengthening with a moderate strengthening by pearlite with Copper, brought us to a new high strength high ductile material we call SiboDur-500. Same strength as EN-GJS-500-14, 10 % lower in 0.2%- proof stress, slightly lower in elongation after fracture, but double to more than four times energy consumption at strike loads depending on temperature!.