What did Ductile Cast Iron look like?

Appearance is identical to ordinary cast iron, but under the microscope, graphite appears as spheroids rather than flakes. Spheroidal graphite structures appear in Han Dynasty iron spades and plowshares.

How did Ductile Cast Iron work?

Han Dynasty craftsmen altered graphite crystallization morphology by adding certain elements to the molten iron, transforming graphite from flake to spheroidal form.

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球墨铸铁

Ductile Cast Iron

Metallographic analysis of excavated Han Dynasty iron artifacts reveals spheroidal graphite structures with performance far superior to ordinary gray cast iron. Modern ductile iron was not reinvented in the West until 1947.

球墨铸铁

Scientific Principle

Ductile cast iron: spheroidized graphite does not fracture the metal matrix → greatly improved strength and toughness.

球墨铸铁

Ductile Cast Iron

Scientific Principle

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