The austempering study of alloyed ductile iron

Austempered ductile iron (ADI) proved to be an excellent material as it possesses attractive properties: high strength, ductility and toughness are combined with good wear resistance and machinability. These properties can be achieved upon adequate heat treatment which yields optimum microstructure for a given chemical composition. In this paper an investigation has been conducted on ADI alloyed with 0.45%Cu and austempered in a range of times and temperatures. The microstructure and fracture mode developed throughout these treatments have been identified by means of light and scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. It was shown that strength, elongation and impact energy strongly depend on amounts of bainitic ferrite and retained austenite. Based on these results an optimal processing window has been established.