Impact of Quenching and Aluminium on Si-Segregation and B2 Superstructure Formation in Solid Solution Strengthened Ferritic Ductile Cast Iron

Solid solution strengthened ferritic ductile iron proves to have a better ratio of tensile strength to elongation than conventional ductile iron grades. This applies up to a maximum silicon content of 4.3 wt%, beyond which it leads to an abrupt decrease in ultimate tensile strength and elongation at fracture. During solidification of high silicon ductile iron, negative segregation of silicon occurs, and the highest silicon concentration is observed near the graphite nodules. This high silicon concentration leads to long-range ordering of iron and silicon, and this ordering results in formation of superstructures like BCC_B2 and D03. The presence of super structures restricts the mobility of dislocations and leads to abrupt fracture of the material. This research focuses on the investigation of silicon homogenization by the addition of aluminium and heat treatments to avoid the formation of brittle iron–silicon superstructure. Thermodynamic–kinetic simulations as well as experimental investigations, including variation in alloy composition and quenching, are performed. The results provide a promising understanding to control the micro-segregation of silicon in ductile cast iron based on heat treatments and alloy composition.