Effects of transition from lamellar to compacted graphite on thermal conductivity of cast iron

Abstract

Different levels of magnesium were added to a standard grey iron alloy in order to obtain a range of graphite morphologies from lamellar to compacted graphite. The thermal conductivity/diffusivity of samples, solidified at different cooling rates, was investigated by means of the laser flash technique. There is a significant decrease in the thermal conductivity as the morphology transits from lamellar to compacted graphite. The thermal conductivity of grey iron decreases considerably at elevated temperatures, whereas the thermal conductivity of compacted graphite iron is less sensitive to changes in temperature. At increased nodularities, compacted graphite irons exhibit a maximum thermal conductivity at ～400°C. The influence from the cooling conditions on the thermal conductivity decreases as the morphology alters from lamellar graphite to compacted graphite. The effective thermal conductivity of cast iron is modelled by means of existing models for composites.