Unique microstructure and excellent mechanical properties of ADI

摘要

Amongst the cast iron family, ADI has a unique microstructure and an excellent, optimised combination of mechanical properties. The main microstructure of ADI is ausferrite, which is a mixture of extremely fine acicular ferrite and stable, high carbon austenite. There are two types of austenite in ADI:(1) the coarser and more equiaxed blocks of austenite between non-parallel acicular structures, which exist mainly in the last solidified area, and (2) the thin films of austenite between the individual ferrite platelets in the acicular structure. It is this unique microstructure, which gives ADI its excellent static and dynamic properties, and good low temperature impact toughness. The effect of microstructure on the mechanical properties is explained in more detail by examining the microstructure at the atomic scale.Considering the nanometer grain sizes the unique microstructure, the excellent mechanical properties,good castability, (which enables near net shape components to be produced economically and in large volumes), and the fact that it can be 100% recycled, it is not overemphasized to call ADI a high-tech,nanometer and "green" material. ADI still has the potential to be further improved and its production and the number of applications for ADI will continue to grow, driven by the resultant cost savings over altemative materials.