Effects of Heat Treatment and Alloying of Spheroidal Graphite Cast Iron on Corrosion Resistance in Aqueous Environment

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of heat treatment and the addition of Cu-Ni alloy on the corrosion resistance of the matrix of spheroidal graphite cast iron in aqueous environments. Test materials of white cast iron and carbon steel were used for comparison with spheroidal graphite cast iron. The alloy spheroidal graphite cast iron that added Cu and Ni was prepared. The spheroidal graphite cast iron was subjected to three kinds of heat treatment to adjust the matrix: annealing, oil quenching, and austemper heat treatment. In electrochemical tests, measurements of corrosion electrode potential and cathode and anode polarization were used. The following was clarified from the relationship between the electrode potential and current density of each of the materials in each of the solution. The alloy spheroidal graphite cast iron had a high corrosion electrode potential owing to the addition of Cu-Ni, and tended to have a low corrosion current density. This demonstrates that in any of the materials having a matrix adjusted by heat treatment, the addition of Cu-Ni increased the corrosion resistance. The corrosion current density was highest in a sulfuric acid environment.