Cast Iron vs Cast Steel

What's the difference between cast iron and cast steel?

Updated: May 25, 2016
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Vibration damping makes cast iron ideal for engine blocks

As a production method, casting offers an exceptional capacity for designoften eliminating the need for additional assemblies and fabrication. Here, we'll compare cas
get a sense of how to get the best performance out of each material.

Many materials can be castincluding several types of metals and synthetics. Iron and steel in particular, however, feature excellent mechanical properties suited to a nu
applications.

While they may appear similar on the surface, bearing a similar glinted appearance, it's important to know the advantages and disadvantages of each in terms of producti

Knowing and not knowing can mean the difference between well-functioning, unforgiving strength and durability and fractured or deformed parts that will quickly lose t

Cast iron vs cast steel

Iron and steel, as they're used in manufacturing, refer to many different alloys and grades. Both are ferrous metals comprised of primarily iron atoms. At this point, it's im

distinguish between the "iron" used in everyday products, and the scientific element known as "iron" (Fe). The elemental iron is the stuff that's found in naturetypically
that requires intensive processing, called smelting, to extract. Elemental iron, in its pure form, is actually quite soft and isn't much use to us.

What makes iron useful is to make it an alloy with the addition of carbon. In fact, carbon composition is what distinguishes cast iron from steel. Cast iron typically conta
percent carbon, while steel contains between 0.122 percent.

Before we get into more details, the table below provides a general overview of the advantages and disadvantages of working with each material. While there are many d
and steel to consider, this table focuses on gray iron and carbon steeltwo of the most common forms for each metal.
Quality
Castability
Ease of machining

Cast iron

Cast steel

Vibration damping

Compressive strength

Impact resistance
Corrosion resistance
Wear resistance
Cost

(stainless alloys)

(depending on application)

(depending on application)

Castability

Most people haven't encountered iron or steel in their molten state. (This is understandable. Cast iron melts at about 2300F and steel melts at about 2600F.) What you q
working with these metals in their liquid form is that they differ in their pourability and shrinkage rates.

Cast iron is relatively easy to cast, as it pours easily and doesn't shrink as much as steel. This means it will readily fill the complex voids in a given mold and requires les

Pouring steel can be more difficult. It is less fluid than molten iron and more reactive to mold materials. It also shrinks more when it cools, meaning more molten materia
pouredtypically into an excess reservoir, called a riser, from which a casting will draw from as it cools.

Also, castings don't typically cool uniformly throughout their internal structures. Outer areas and thinner portions will cool and shrink at different rates than inner areas a
often creating internal tension, or stress, that can only be alleviated through heat treating. Steel is much more susceptible to shrink stresses, and in some situations, these
fracture.
Overall, steel requires more attention and inspection throughout the casting process, making it more resource intensive to manage production.

Machinability

Strength without ductility means a material will be very brittle and susceptible to fracture
Depending on the final application, cast parts may need to be machined to achieve specific tolerances or to create a desired finish. At the very least, things like gates and
cut away and ground down.

Some materials are more difficult to machine than others. Machinability is measured in terms of how easy it is to cut or grind a material. As a rule of thumb, the presence
improved mechanical performance properties are inversely related to machinability.