Sliding Wear Characteristics of Pack Cyanided Ductile Iron

Abstract

In this paper, ductile iron was produced using a rotary furnace. The microstructures of the ductile iron (with and without cyanided coatings) were then characterized using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The surfaces of the ductile iron were subjected to high temperature carbo-nitriding using a pack cementation process in which carbon and nitrogen were diffused into the ductile iron from powder mixtures consisting of ground cassava leaves and barium carbonate (BaCO3) energizers. The wear behavior of the coated and uncoated ductile iron was studied using the pin-on-disk method. The wear mechanisms are also elucidated using SEM and nano-wear experiments. The resulting wear rates are then compared with those from micron-scale wear tracks obtained from pin-on-disk experiments. The implications of the results are discussed for the design of wear-resistant ductile irons.