Three-dimensional microstructural characterization of cast iron alloys for numerical analyses

In this paper, we aim at characterizing three different cast iron alloys and their microstructural features, namely lamellar, compacted and nodular graphite iron. The characterization of microscopic features is essential for the development of methods to optimize the behavior of cast iron alloys; e.g. maximize thermal dissipation and/or maximize ductility while maintaining strength. The variation of these properties is commonly analyzed by metallography on two-dimensional representations of the alloy. However, more precise estimates of the morphologies and material characteristics are obtained by three-dimensional reconstruction of microstructures. The use of X-ray microtomography provides an excellent tool to generate high resolution threedimensional microstructure images. The characteristics of the graphite constituent in the microstructure, including the size, shape and connectivity, were analyzed for the different cast iron alloys. It was observed that the lamellar and compacted graphite iron alloys have relatively large connected graphite morphologies, as opposed to ductile iron where the graphite is present as nodules. The results of the characterization for the different alloys were ultimately used to generate finite element models.CC BY 4.0