THE INFLUENCE OF MICROSTRUCTURE ON THE EROSION BEHAVIOR OF CAST IRONS

The main objective of this work is to explore the influence of microstructure on the erosion resistance of cast irons. Towards this purpose, the erosion rates of grey, malleable and nodular cast irons in both the as-received and heat-treated conditions have been evaluated as a function of impact angle and at a constant impact velocity of 80 m s-1. Silicon carbide particles of size 160-mu-m were used as the erodent. Experimental results indicate that the influence of microstructure, though not dramatic, is certainly significant. It is shown that both graphite morphology and matrix structure influence the erosion rates of cast iron. A good correlation between the erosion rate of cast irons and their yield strength and tensile ductility is also demonstrated.