102

4 – 6 % SILICON DUCTILE IRONS

FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE SERVICE
by
Hans Roedter, Sorelmetal Technical Services

The demand for more environmentally friendly
vehicles with increased fuel efficiency has expanded
the need for specialised materials like SiMo (high
silicon and high silicon-molybdenum) Ductile Iron.
These vehicles usually have smaller engines running
at higher temperature and at higher compression rate.
This requires, for exhaust manifolds and turbo charger
housings, special materials designed to operate at
high temperature: SiMo Ductile Iron meets the
requirements. Moreover, these castings are able to
perform and maintain dimensions for many thousands
of cycles that can range from below freezing
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temperatures to those greater than 1400 F (750 C).
These properties also make SiMo materials suitable
for large turbine castings and many types of furnace
applications.
Ductile Iron containing higher silicon and molybdenum
has been developed to meet these desired
characteristics. Increasing silicon content promotes
the stability of the microstructure and properties at
high temperature by forming a highly ferritic matrix
structure and by raising the austenite transformation
temperature. SiMo Ductile Iron also has a high
resistance to growth and oxidation, which is much
improved, when compared to gray iron, because of
the nodular form of the graphite. It is also more
resistant to creep (plastic deformation under load),
which increases at higher stress levels and higher
temperatures.
Regular Ductile Iron has a silicon content of 2.0 –
3.0%. Increasing the silicon concentration above
these levels improves resistance to scaling and
increases yield strength, but lowers toughness and
elongation. Therefore, the material can be very brittle
at room temperature. It usually has a ferritic structure,
but may also contain pearlite and carbides.
Oftentimes a heat treatment is necessary to transform
pearlite and carbides, if present, in order to reduce
this brittleness. The addition of molybdenum and
other alloying elements may be necessary to improve
the serviceability and properties of the material at high
temperature.
There are several grades of this material which are
used; they are described in the table below.

Composition Hardness Elongation Applications

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4-5 % Si 240 BHN max. 5 – 18 % Heat resistance up to 1400 F (750 C).
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4 - 5 % Si, 200 – 260 BHN 5 – 15 % Heat resistance up to 1600 F (880 C).
0.5 – 2 % Mo High temperature resistance.
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4 - 6 % Si 240 – 320 BHN Up to 5 % Heat resistance up to 1740 F (950 C).
up to 2 % Mo Very high temperature resistance.
4 - 6 % Si > 300 BHN Very brittle Good heat resistance.
2 % Mo, V, Ni High temperature wear resistance.
Up to 2 % Cr

SiMo Production to get the right composition. In addition all returns

Chemistry should be kept separate to reduce alloying costs and,
Desired chemistry is generally obtained in the same especially when using Mo, to keep it out of regular
manner as regular Ductile Iron. Only the carbon, ferritic castings.
silicon and molybdenum contents need to be adjusted
The carbon content is lower than in regular Ductile
Iron, to 2.5% - 3.4%. Usually high carbon content
contributes to reduce the shrinkage tendency;
however, if the carbon equivalent is too high, the iron
becomes less fluid and defects looking like cold shuts
may be seen. The main cause of these defects is not
directly related to pouring temperature or pouring and
filling time, but rather to the high carbon content and
the tendency of high silicon materials to form oxides at
melting temperatures. It is thus necessary to fill the
mould quickly, but with minimum turbulence. The
benefit of a reduced carbon content is the increase in
mechanical properties.
High carbon along with higher silicon and cerium
contents may promote “chunk graphite” and/or
graphite flotation in these castings. Sometimes gas
defects are related also to a too high carbon content.
For all these reasons it is important to watch and set
the carbon content carefully. Many of the defects
found in SiMo castings are related to the carbon
content.
Manganese content must be kept below 0.40% and
preferably at about 0.20%. Using Sorelmetal to
control manganese and keep the other residual
elements in check is always advisable. This helps to
promote a ferritic structure and reduce the brittleness.
Phosphorus and sulphur should be maintained as low
as possible. Molybdenum should also be maintained
at the low end of the specification, since it is a strong
carbide-promoting element and has a high tendency
to segregate into intercellular regions. It therefore
also increases the possibility for shrinkage porosity
and reduces machinability.
Typical SiMo Castings.
Ferro-molybdenum is normally added to the melt in
the furnace, at the end of the melting operation, but
before taking a chemistry sample. Such a procedure
ensures a homogeneous distribution of the element in
the melt and a recovery of Mo of about 95%.
Pouring Temperature
Pouring temperature should be about 100°F (40°C)
higher than the normal pouring temperature used for
castings with similar section sizes.
Shake-out
Since SiMo is somewhat brittle as-cast, it is necessary
to take care at the shake-out and during fettling. A
very common defect of SiMo is cracked castings due
to rough handling.
Heat treatment
Most SiMo is made without any heat treatment.
However, sometimes it is advisable to heat treat it to
dissolve the carbides, improve machinability and
eliminate stresses induced during solidification. If the
amount of Mo carbides is high it is necessary to heat
treat at or above 1650°F (900°C) to dissolve them.
Note: The reader is also referred to Suggestion Sheet
71 for further information on this same topic.
REV – March 2006