No abstract

RESUMOO ferro nodular austemperado (ADI) é indicado para aplicações que demandam alta resistência ao desgaste abrasivo. Uma de suas variações é o CADI (Carbidic Austempered Ductile Iron), que contém em sua microestrutura carbonetos eutéticos livres. A adição de nióbio em ferro nodular também resulta em formação de carbonetos, porém mais duros e estáveis do que os carbonetos presentes em CADI. Macroadições de nióbio em ADI mostram-se promissoras. O presente trabalho estudou a influência da adição de nióbio no tratamento de austêmpera. Cinco composições distintas, ferro nodular sem adições, ferro nodular com cromo e ferro nodular com três adições de nióbio, foram austemperadas a duas temperaturas e cinco tempos distintos. Os valores de teor de austenita retida foram estimados por metalografia. A adição de nióbio provocou a formação de carbonetos primários poligonais, ao passo que a adição de cromo provocou a formação de carbonetos de padrão dendrítico encontrados nas regiões intercelulares. Verificou-se que as adições de nióbio e, mais intensamente a de cromo, aumentam o teor de austenita retida resultante do tratamento de austêmpera, bem como alteram a morfologia da microestrutura ausferrítica.Palavras-chave: austêmpera, ferro fundido nodular, nióbio, cromo. ABSTRACTThe austempered ductile iron (ADI) finds applications in abrasive wear resistant parts. CADI (Carbidic Austempered Ductile Iron) is one type of ADI, which contains free eutectic carbides in its microstructure. The addition of niobium in ductile iron also results in the formation of carbides, but harder and more stable than the CADI carbides. Macro additions of niobium are promising. The present work studied the influence of the addition of niobium in the austempering treatment. Five different compositions, ductile iron, ductile iron with chromium and ductile iron with three niobium additions, were austempered at two temperatures for five different times. The retained austenite were estimated by metallography. The addition of niobium caused the formation of primary polygonal carbides while the addition of chromium caused the formation of carbides of dendritic morphology in intercellular regions. The results shows that the additions of niobium and, more intensively, of chromium result in the increasing of the retained austenite content. The additions also affect the morphology of the ausferritic microstructure.

The use of high niobium alloyed cast iron alloys is a relatively new approach in which the niobium addition intends to improve the properties of the material by the precipitation of hard niobium carbides during solidification. Steels can be replaced by ductile cast iron in some rolling applications, such as gears and cams, in order to reduce material costs. The aim of this work is to evaluate ductile iron alloyed with 1 weight percent (wt.%) niobium for the as cast specimens and with 1.8 wt.% and 2.4 wt.% niobium for the austempered specimens under lubricated slip-rolling tests using mixed/boundary conditions in an Amsler-type machine. Austempered ductile iron (ADI) alloyed with 1 wt.% chromium, or Carbidic ADI, was tested for comparison. For the as cast conditions, the niobium addition resulted in an increase of wear resistance owing to the low contact pressure of these tests. However, for the austempered specimens, the best performance was found for unalloyed ADI. The main factor acting in the initiation and propagation of cracks in ductile iron is the presence of the graphite nodules. The coarse carbides also contributed to the initiation of cracks and spalling of the material.

No abstract