Abstract
The electrical resistance of Fe-C-Si alloy containing flaky graphite was studied in relation to the graphite structure. When unidirectionally solidified at a rate less than 1cm/hr, a lamellar graphite structure was given rise to in the alloy, but the electrical resistance measured in directions either parallel or vertical to the solidification direction was always 50-80μΩ-cm regardless of the direction: there was unexpectedly no anisotropy. This was because the graphite was arranged at random in the plane vertical to the solidification direction.
On the other hand, when the unidirectionally solidified alloy was further rolled or forged, the graphite flakes of the alloy were evenly layered in the vertical plane. The electrical resistance in the direction vertical to the flow direction was then about 10-20 times as much as the one in the parallel direction: there was a large anisotropy of electrical resistance in this layer graphite Fe-C-Si alloy.
