The Mechanical Properties of Ductile Iron at Intermediate Temperatures: The Effect of Silicon Content and Pearlite Fraction

The use of ductile irons in thermo-mechanically loaded components is increasing, necessitating more knowledge of material properties at intermediate temperatures. A study of the mechanical properties of ductile irons at intermediate temperatures was conducted, investigating the effect of different pearlite fractions along with silicon content tests in fully ferritic microstructures. The effect of the pearlite fraction and silicon content on tensile and yield strength was measured at different temperatures, from room temperature to 450 degrees C. Models of tensile and yield strengths were developed based on those measurements. These resulting regression models were tested with data from the literature. Such models can be applied in various design tools, such as FEM calculations and in the optimisation of thermally and cyclic loaded ductile iron components.