The mechanism of pearlite stabilization of additional elements such as Mn, N, Sn, Sb, As, S, P and Cu has been investigated by elucidating of the characteristics and behaviour of such elements during solidification or annealing process in cast irons.
Both manganese and nitrogen are more enriched in eutectoid cementite than in eutectic cementite. Therefore, eutectoid cementite is more stabilized than eutectic cementite and the development of pearlite structure is promoted when Ar
1 transformation occurs.
The addition of tin, antimony, arsenic, or sulfur promotes the pearlite formation because each element forms covalent intermediate phases around cementite or at ferrite-grain boundary. Each element prevents the diffusion of C-atoms onto graphite and suppresses the growth of graphite.
Phosphorus in ductile iron is enriched at spherical graphite/
γ-iron interface or at the ditch of
γ-iron shell during solidification and exists as a phosphide. In such a case, phosphorus prevents the growth of graphite and promotes the formation of pearlite structure in similar way as in the case of Sn, Sb, As, or S addition. On the other hand, phosphorus is easily dissolved into
γ or
α iron during slow cooling or annealing. Therefore, if phosphide is decomposed and dissolved into
γ or
α iron by annealing, the formation of pearlite structure is not promoted.
Copper is usually used as a pearlite-stabilizer although copper itself is a graphitizer. As for the reason, when copper and manganese coexist, the concentration of manganese is higher in eutectoid cementite than in eutectoid cementite when manganese alone exists, which results in the stabilization of eutectoid cementite.
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