Effect of Copper on the Crystallization Process, Microstructure and Selected Properties of CGI

The paper presents the results of the research on the effect of copper on the crystallization process, microstructure and selected properties of the compacted graphite iron. Compacted graphite in cast iron was obtained using Inmold process. The study involved the cast iron containing copper at a concentration up to approximately 4%. The effect of copper on the temperature of the eutectic crystallization as well as the temperature of start and finish of the austenite transformation was given. It has been shown that copper increases the maximum temperature of the eutectic transformation approximately by 5 ^oC per 1% Cu, and the temperature of the this transformation finish approximately by 8 ^o C per 1% Cu. This element decreases the temperature of the austenite transformation start approximately by 5 ^oC per 1% Cu, and the finish of this transformation approximately by 6^oC per 1% Cu. It was found that in the microstructure of the compacted graphite iron containing about 3.8% Cu, there are still ferrite precipitations near the compacted graphite. The effect of copper on the hardness of cast iron and the pearlite microhardness was given. This stems from the high propensity to direct ferritization of this type of cast iron. It has been shown copper increases the hardness of compacted graphite iron both due to its pearlite forming action as well as because of the increase in the pearlite microhardness (up to approx. 3% Cu). The conducted studies have shown copper increases the hardness of the compacted graphite iron approximately by 35 HB per 1% Cu.