This article presents the results of a set of innovative research to analyse a new structural material – steel like austempered ductile cast iron with mechanical properties similar to heat-treated steel, and with technological and exploitation characteristic close to high-strength cast iron with nodular graphite. Specific examples of its high efficiency for the manufacture of critical, mass and heavy-loaded components of modern machinery and equipment are presented. New structural material MoNiCa was tested on tension and was compared to commercial grades of austempered ductile cast irons and heat treated steels. Unconventional behaviour of examined material was observed: with tensile strength increase to almost 1600 MPa the metal became less brittle. Hardness test revealed another distinctive feature of new material that there is no linear relation between strength and hardness increase, different hardness values ~ 40 HRC or ~ 55 HRC can be achieved with the same tensile strength 1000 – 1200 MPa. Microscopic analysis demonstrated of sophisticated structure formed owing to different regimes of austempering treatment. Specific properties emerged from successful ratio of three elements Mo, Ni, and Cu (carbon equivalent), and properly chosen heat treatment modes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.25.3.23079

The influence of the austempering temperatures on the microstructure and mechanical properties of austempered ductile cast iron (ADI) was investigated. ADI is nodular graphite cast iron, which owing to higher strength and elongation, exceeds mechanical properties of conventional spheroidal graphite cast iron. Such a combination of properties is achieved by the heat treatment through austenitization, followed by austempering at different temperatures. The austenitization conditions were the same for all the samples: temperature 890 °C, duration 30 min, and quenching in a salt bath. The main focus of this research was on the influence of the austempering temperatures (270 °C, 300 °C, and 330 °C) on the microstructure evolution, elongation, toughness, and fatigue resistance of ADI modified by certain amounts of Ni, Cu, and Mo. The Vickers and Rockwell hardness decreased from 535.7 to 405.3 HV/1 (55.7 to 44.5 HRC) as the austempering temperature increased. Optical images showed the formation of graphite nodules and a matrix composed of ausferrite; the presence of these phases was confirmed by an XRD diffraction pattern. A fracture surface analysis revealed several types of the mechanisms: cleavage ductile, transgranular, and ductile dimple fracture. The stress-controlled mechanical fatigue experiments revealed that a 330 °C austempering temperature ensures the highest fatigue life of ADI.

This research presents the results of tribo-fatigue behavior of austempered ductile cast iron MoNiCa and gives a comparison with standard grades of steel and cast iron. Due to the possibility to combine the castability of cast iron and toughness of steel in one material, new structural material MoNiCa attracted attention of industry and science because of economic benefits and high performance at the different application areas. After successful former experiments the main directions of further development of research for solving relevant practical wear and fatigue problems in rail-wheel system were framed. The complex experimental studies have demonstrated that MoNiCa is consistent with heat treated steels including the rail steels: required tensile strength of rail steel ranges from 1180 MPa to 1280 MPa when rolling surface hardness have to be from 38 HRC to 44 HRC whereas new structural material showed higher tensile strength up to 1400 MPa and slightly higher hardness up to 50 HRC. Herewith the workability of frictional couple cast iron MoNiCa/steel 20MnCr5G exceeds work performance of steel/steel system by 14 %.

The influence of the austempering temperatures on the microstructure and mechanical properties of austempered ductile cast iron (ADI) was investigated. ADI is nodular graphite cast iron, which owing to higher strength and elongation exceeds mechanical properties of conventional spheroidal graphite cast iron. Such a combination of properties is achieved by the heat treatment through austenitization, followed by austempering at different temperatures. The austenitization conditions were the same for all the samples: temperature 890°C, duration 30min, and quenching in a salt bath. The main focus of this research was on the influence of the austempering temperatures (270°C, 300°C, and 330 C) on the microstructure evolution, elongation, toughness and fatigue resistance of ADI modified by certain amount of Ni, Cu, and Mo. The Vickers and Rockwell hardness decreased from 535.7 to 405.3HV/1 (55.7 to 44.5HRC) as the austempering temperature increased. Optical images showed the formation of graphite nodules and matrix composed of ausferrite; the presence of these phases was confirmed by an XRD diffraction pattern. A fracture surface analysis revealed several types of the mechanisms: cleavage ductile, transgranular and ductile dimple fracture. The stress-controlled mechanical fatigue experiments revealed that a 330°C austempering temperature ensures the highest fatigue life of ADI.

Nomenclature angle between chain axis and conveyor frame or angle of chain distortion, degrees; F H and F Ichain tensile forces caused by chain own weight on horizontal and inclined parts, respectively, N; F HM and F IMchain tensile forces caused by chain own weight and weight of conveyed material on horizontal and inclined parts, respectively, N; k iexperimental coefficient depending on inertia of moving chain [3]; f rcoefficient of rolling resistance; cexperimental coefficient depending on material and surface roughness of the areas of contact; f sd and f swcoefficient of sliding friction between chain and conveyor material according to dry and wet operational conditions, respectively; f sMcoefficient of sliding friction between material to be conveyed and steel; Nnumber of chain strands; p(y)investigated chain distance, mm; αangle of inclination of conveyor, degrees; qone meter chain mass, kg/m; m h and m bmasses of scrapper holder and bolt join, respectively, kg; m p and m amasses of scrapper plate and angle, respectively, kg; n H ir n Inumber of scrappers on horizontal and inclined chain, respectively; gacceleration of gravity, m/s; B, P, Sone section width, length and depth, respectively, mm; ρbulk weight of material to be conveyed kg/m 3 ; k fratio evaluating filling of conveyor by biofuel; ψfilling ratio of material to be conveyed; ratio evaluating contact degree of sliding friction, if chain contacts with conveyor frame; L cchain length, that contacts with conveyor frame, m; L H , L Ihorizontal and inclined conveying lengths, respectivelly, m; schamfer width of sprocket tooth, mm; F s ()-transversal force, N; M(F s)bending moment, Nm; r ex and r inexternal and internal radii of axle, respectively, mm; coefficient of contamination by wood chips between inner surface of roller and external surface of axle;  avgaverraging normal stress of bearing, Pa;  bbending normal stress, MPa;  eqequivalent normal stress, MPa;  -von-Misses normal stress, MPa.