OPTIMUM INFLUENCE OF CHROMIUM AND COMBINE AUSTEMPERING-CRYOGENIC TREATMENTS ON PERFORMANCE OF DUCTILE IRON
- Authors
-
-
IDOWU Abimbola Samson
Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
-
ADEWUYI B.O
Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria
-
FOLORUNSO D.O
Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria
-
AKINWEKOMI A. D.
Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo state, Nigeria
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- Keywords:
- Ductile iron, chromium alloying, cryogenic treatment, austempering, wear resistance, power hacksaw, mechanical properties
- Abstract
-
The study investigates the enhancement of mechanical and tribological properties of ductile iron through differential thermal treatments and chromium alloying. Motivated by the failure of a grey cast iron screw block in a power hacksaw machine, three ductile iron compositions were produced with varying chromium additions (0%, 0.2%, and 0.3%). These were subjected to austempering and extended cryogenic treatment to assess improvements in wear resistance, tensile strength, hardness, and coefficient of friction. Results showed that ductile iron, particularly the sample with 0.2% Cr and eight-hour cryogenic treatment (hardness=334.70MPa, UTS=341.89MPa, Wear rate=8.47 mm³/N·m), outperformed other variants in all measured parameters. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the presence of enhanced microstructures, including graphite nodules, pearlite, and chromium carbides, contributing to improved performance. The study revealed that such modified ductile iron is a viable replacement for grey cast iron in high-wear machine components, offering enhanced durability and reduced maintenance of machines that may breakdown as a result of worn-out spare parts.
- Author Biographies
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