Permanent Mold Casting Practice and Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Thin-Sectioned ADI Casting
For thin-walled casting development of austempered ductile iron (ADI), permanent mold casting and accompanied heat treatment practice were systematically investigated to suppress and/or remove chill defects of ductile cast iron (DCI) with various thickness of 2 to 9 mm and to ensure mechanical properties of the final ADI casting. Si content was increased up to 3.8% to reduce the chill formation tendency under a high cooling rate. The residual Mg content remarkably affected the nodule count, while the nodule size and spherodization were proven to have weak relationships. Austenitizing process followed by austempering was very sensitive to chemical compositions (Si and Sn) and heat treatment temperature. As a practical application, the steel bar coupler for a structural frame was tried to produce without subsequent machining.