RESEARCH ARTICLE VARIATION OF MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF AUSTEMPERED DUCTILE IRON WITH PROCESSING PARAMETERS

Austempererd ductile iron is the most recent development in the area of ductile iron. This is formed by an isothermal heat treatment of the ductile iron. The newly developed austempered ductile iron is now replacing steel in many fields so it has becoming very important to various aspects of this material. In the present work the effect of copper along with the process variables (austempering temperature and austempering time) on the properties (Tensile strength and Elongation) and microstructure of ductile iron was studied. With increasing austempering time tensile strength and elongation were increasing but with increasing austempering temperature tensile strength was decreasing and elongation was increasing. Austempered ductile iron with copper was showing some higher strength and lower elongation than the austempered ductile iron without copper. In microstructure ferrite was increasing with increasing austempering time and austenite was increasing with increasing austempering temperature in both the grades