Comparison among Different Constitutive Equations on Investigating Tensile Plastic Behavior and Microstructure in Austempered Ductile Iron

The capabilities of different constitutive equations of approximating the tensile flow curves and correlating plastic behavior with the microstructure were investigated in austempered ductile iron ADI 1050. In a previous paper, the microstructure evolution of ADI 1050 during austempering was investigated through quenching the ADI 1050 after 14 increasing austempering times to room temperature. The 14 samples were tensile tested and two classes of constitutive equations were examined in the present paper. The Hollomon-type constitutive equations approximated all of the tensile flow curves of ADI 1050 very well but failed in correlating the plastic behavior with microstructure evolution. Voce-type constitutive equations approximated the tensile flow curves only at high stresses very well but could correlate the plastic behavior with the microstructure evolution of ADI 1050 during austempering excellently. The reason of this success was rationalized in terms of the physical basis of Voce-type equations, while Hollomon-type equations are empirical

A Contribution to New Material Standards for Ductile Irons and Austempered Ductile Irons

Some results of materials characterization activities, dedicated to classical and notch mechanics fatigue and elastoplastic properties, have already been published for some Ferritic–Pearlitic Ductile Iron, including the patented heat treated Isothermed (IDI) and Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) grades. Others have not yet been published. The possible use of all of these results in new standards is discussed in this paper. It is proposed that new standards should provide a criterion that is able to measure the process quality that represents more accurately the actual market needs and manufacturing capabilities. Classification of grades, considered by existing standards, is based on minimum properties for strength and ductility parameters that are separately evaluated. A different approach that is based on a quality index, which considers strength and ductility all in one, is proposed. However, this new proposed approach may not be sufficient to provide a satisfactory classification for the ADIs. This is because their fracture mechanical behavior and machinability can be correlated with their austenite stability. It could also be insufficient for the classification of the recent High Silicon Solid Solution Strengthened Ductile Irons that exhibit a decreasing ultimate tensile strength/proof stress ratio with increasing Si. For construction steels, fracture mechanics properties are sometimes believed to be related to the Charpy impact energy. This paper introduces an innovative practical and inexpensive data analysis, performed on the tensile test curve, which appears to be a potential estimator of fracture mechanical properties, at least for ADIs, where said properties could be correlated with the austenite stability

Role of Austenitization Temperature on Structure Homogeneity and Transformation Kinetics in Austempered Ductile Iron

This paper considers the important factors of the production of high-strength ADI (Austempered Ductile Iron); namely, the austenitization stage during heat treatment. The two series of ADI with different initial microstructures were taken into consideration in this work. Experiments were carried out for castings with a 25-mm-walled thickness. Variable techniques (OM, SEM, dilatometry, DSC, Variable Magnetic Field, hardness, and impact strength measurements) were used for investigations of the influence of austenitization time on austempering transformation kinetics and structure in austempered ductile iron. The outcome of this work indicates that the austenitizing temperature has a very significant impact on structure homogeneity and the resultant mechanical properties. It has been shown that the homogeneity of the metallic matrix of the ADI microstructure strongly depends on the austenitizing temperature and the initial microstructure of the spheroidal cast irons (mainly through the number of graphite nodules). In addition, this work shows the role of the austenitization temperature on the formation of Mg–Cu precipitations in ADI

Evaluation of Microstructure Quality in Ductile Irons Based on Tensile Behaviour Analysis

Dislocation-density-related equations were proved to be promising tools to correlate tensile plastic behaviour and microstructure in ductile irons (DIs), revealing distinct relationships between equation parameters and microstructure features in austempered ductile irons (ADI) and isothermed ductile irons (IDI). These equations resulted to be successful also in the characterization of the austempering process through the plastic behaviour analysis of tensile tests of an ADI 1050 that was quenched at different times during austempering. The equation parameters could indeed be correlated to the time window for the best ausferrite, and could predict the precipitation of the deleterious ε' carbides for long austempering times. In the present work the results of the tensile plastic behaviour analysis of different DIs through dislocation-density-related equations are reported. The aim of the analysis was to test the capability of these equations to assess the microstructure quality of DIs and support their industrial production

The Role of Microstructure on Tensile Plastic Behavior of Ductile Iron GJS 400 Produced through Different Cooling Rates, Part I: Microstructure

A series of samples made of ductile iron GJS 400 was cast with different cooling rates, and their microstructural features were investigated. Quantitative metallography analyses compliant with ASTM E2567-16a and ASTM E112-13 standards were performed in order to describe graphite nodules and ferritic grains. The occurrence of pearlite was associated to segregations described through Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) analyses. Results were related to cooling rates, which were simulated through MAGMASOFT software. This microstructural characterization, which provides the basis for the description and modeling of the tensile properties of GJS 400 alloy, subject of a second part of this investigation, highlights that higher cooling rates refines microstructural features, such as graphite nodule count and average ferritic grain size

Strain path, flow stress and microstructure evolution of an austenitic stainless steel at high temperature

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Validation of a New Quality Assessment Procedure for Ductile Irons Production Based on Strain Hardening Analysis

A mathematical procedure based on the analysis of tensile flow curves has been proposed to assess the microstructure quality of several ductile irons (DIs). The procedure consists of a first diagram for the assessment of the ideal microstructure of DIs, that is, the matrix where mobile dislocations move, and a second diagram for the assessment of the casting integrity because of potential metallurgical discontinuities and defects in DIs. Both diagrams are based on the dislocation-density-related constitutive Voce equation that is used for modeling the tensile plastic behavior of DIs. The procedure stands on the fundamental assumption that the strain hardening behavior of DIs is not affected by the nature and the density of the potential metallurgical discontinuities and defects, which are expected to affect only the elongations to fracture. However, this fundamental assumption is not obvious, and so its validity was evaluated through tensile testing Isothermed Ductile Irons (IDIs) 800, showing a wide scatter of elongations to rupture. The analysis of the strain hardening behaviors supported by strain energy density calculations of IDIs tensile tests proved that the fundamental assumption was valid and the quality assessment procedure could be applied to IDIs. A modified Voce equation was also introduced to improve the fitting of the experimental tensile flow curves and the strain energy density calculations

Electron Beam Welding of IN792 DS: Effects of Pass Speed and PWHT on Microstructure and Hardness

Electron Beam (EB) welding has been used to realize seams on 2 mm-thick plates of directionally solidified (DS) IN792 superalloy. The first part of this work evidenced the importance of pre-heating the workpiece to avoid the formation of long cracks in the seam. The comparison of different pre-heating temperatures (PHT) and pass speeds (v) allowed the identification of optimal process parameters, namely PHT = 300 °C and v = 2.5 m/min. The microstructural features of the melted zone (MZ); the heat affected zone (HAZ), and base material (BM) were investigated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and micro-hardness tests. In the as-welded condition; the structure of directionally oriented grains was completely lost in MZ. The γ’ phase in MZ consisted of small (20–40 nm) round shaped particles and its total amount depended on both PHT and welding pass speed, whereas in HAZ, it was the same BM. Even if the amount of γ’ phase in MZ was lower than that of the as-received material, the nanometric size of the particles induced an increase in hardness. EDS examinations did not show relevant composition changes in the γ’ and γ phases. Post-welding heat treatments (PWHT) at 700 and 750 °C for two hours were performed on the best samples. After PWHTs, the amount of the ordered phase increased, and the effect was more pronounced at 750 °C, while the size of γ’ particles in MZ remained almost the same. The hardness profiles measured across the joints showed an upward shift, but peak-valley height was a little lower, indicating more homogeneous features in the different zones

A comparison between equal channel angular pressing and asymmetric rolling of silver in the severe plastic deformation regime

The structure evolution and mechanical properties of silver generated by equal channel angular pressing and by rolling and asymmetric rolling in the severe plastic deformation regime is investigated. Experimental investigations are combined with finite element analyses to improve the understanding on strain distribution developed during asymmetric rolling and to evaluate the equivalent strain accumulated after a large number of passes. The silver samples could be successfully deformed by both processing techniques up to strain values exceeding 8. The ECAP processed materials featured a submicrometer-size equiaxed grain structure with sharp grain boundaries, while symmetric and asymmetric rolling led to subgrain structures with a higher dislocation density at grain interiors and less defined grain boundaries. Accordingly, the tensile properties achieved after the different processing routes differed. In ECAP samples the strength improved at first passes and then showed a plateau for the whole range of imposed strain. In rolled silver, the achieved strength almost continuously improved even at larger strains. The finite element model showed that surface strain effects related to local friction between working rolls and sample surface regions promote an additional deformation, especially in asymmetric rolling, leading to a significant contribution at large plastic strains and generate discrepancies with equivalent strains assessed by continuum theories