2015 Volume 56 Issue 12 Pages 2010-2016
The purpose of this study is to investigate that effects of graphite spheroidization ratio and microstructure on the characteristics of fatigue limit in spheroidal graphite cast iron. Ferritic spheroidal graphite cast iron (FDI), pearlitic spheroidal graphite cast iron (PDI) and austempered spheroidal graphite cast iron (ADI) were used as specimens. The graphite spheroidization ratio was varied between 63∼94% by the addition of a spheroidizing agent. Tensile test was carried out in air at room temperature. The experiment conformed to JIS (Japan Industrial Standards). Rotating bending fatigue test was also carried out using these materials. The experiment conformed also to JIS. Stress ratio R was −1, and the specimen used was type 1(JIS) with a diameter of 8 mm. The test was carried out in air at room temperature. The relationship between fatigue limit and graphite spheroidization ratio was investigated, as well as the correlation between fatigue limit and defect size.
When the graphite spheroidization ratio was over 80%, the fatigue limit was not influenced. Fracture origins were micro-shrinkage, aggregate graphite, and unspheroidized graphite. When graphite spheroidization decreased, the ratio of unspheroidized graphite at the fracture origin increased. The defect size that transitioned from region I to II differed according to the microstructure: the defect size of PDI was the smallest, and that of FDI was larger than ADI. When there are no large defects in FDI, the fatigue limit can be estimated by tensile strength. However, in PDI and ADI, it must be estimated taking into account the size of existing defects in specimens.
