A study on the effects of artifacts on fatigue limit of ductile Cast Iron with ferritic structure

Abstract

In this study, fatigue tests were performed to examine the effects of micro drill hole on fatigue limit of as cast and austempered ductile cast iron (ADI) using the rotary bending fatigue tester. As results, micro drill holes (diameter≤0.4mm) did not influence the fatigue limit of ADI, compared to annealed ductile cast iron; the critical defect size of crack initiation, in ADI was larger than as cast. If the\(\sqrt {area} s\) of micro drill hole and graphite nodule in ADI are comparable, crack initiates at the graphite nodule. When the ruggedness developes through austempering treatment process, microstructure on crack initiation at micro drill hole is tougher than that of as cast ductile cast iron.