Influence of the Mn content on the kinetics of austempering transformation in compacted graphite cast iron

Mossbauer spectroscopy has been used to monitor the kinetics of austempering transformation in two compacted graphite (CG) cast irons alloyed with 0.11 and 0.58 wt pet of Mn, respectively. The phase relations were analyzed in terms of the Johnson-Mehl's equation, determining the kinetics parameters n (time exponent) and k (constant rate of the transformation). The values obtained were n = 1.4 and k = 7.47 x 10(-3) s(-1) for the low-Mn alloy, and n = 2.2 and k = 3.9 x 10(-3) s(-1) for the high-Mn alloy. These results, which reveal a faster kinetics for the low-Mn alloy, are coherent with metallographic observations, and the driving force obtained through the determination of the austenite carbon concentration that was determined from the Mossbauer data using the Genins model for the Fe-C configurations in the fee lattice. The kinetics parameters are further compared to those obtained in austempered ductile iron (ADI), by analyzing the graphite morphology influence on the austempering transformation.