CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURAL IDENTIFICATION OF EUTECTIC CARBIDE IN 1 PCT MN DUCTILE IRON

Manganese, which may be used in ductile cast iron as a potent hardenability promoter, segregates in the intercellular region. This segregation becomes more severe as a consequence of poor inoculation, low cooling rate, or increasing of nominal Mn content in the alloy. In severely Mn-segregated regions, Mn eutectic carbide may be formed, which has a deteriorating effect on the mechanical properties of casting. In this study, a 1 pct Mn ductile iron was used to investigate the chemical composition and crystal structure of the Mn eutectic carbide by electron microscopy (scanning and transmission), X-ray, and an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray studies show that the crystal structure of carbide is orthorhombic with lattice parameters of a = 14.825, b = 11.415, and c = 8.880 (angstrom). The concentrations of Mn, Si, and Cr in carbide, analyzed by scanning electron microscope-energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDX) and transmission electron microscope-energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (TEM-EDX), were 5.0 to 7.0, 0.5 to 2.8 and 1.5 to 2.2 (wt pct), respectively. The ratio of Fe plus other metal atoms to C was calculated from EPMA experiments to be 2.5-2.9. It was shown that by diminishing Mn segregation, precipitated eutectic carbide can be reduced. It is expected that this can be achieved by reducing nominal content of Mn or by increasing nodule count.