A Review of Dendritic Austenite in Cast Irons

Solidification of cast irons usually involves dendritic growth of austenite. This article presents a literature survey about the dendrites in cast irons, their consequences and how they may be manipulated. The literature review is supplemented with relevant micrographs from our research. While austenite usually transforms into ferrite or pearlite, the dendrites limit where liquid flows, where eutectic grows, and where segregated elements go. The amount and shape of dendrites show correlations with tensile strength in pearlitic gray and compacted graphite irons. There are also indications that a coarse dendrite grain structure may be beneficial to tensile strength. The dendrite grain structure depends on melting process parameters and shows sensitivity to melt treatment. The evolution of scale of dendrite arms and their spacing under isothermal condition is by now fairly well-understood; however, work remains to better understand its evolution during cooling and its interaction with the eutectic. The amount and shape of dendrites are less understood in irons of near-eutectic and hypereutectic composition, in particular mixtures of dendrites of distinct scales, associated with regions of distinct graphite morphology. While significant advances have been made in recent years, the role and control of dendrites remain a relatively unexplored area of research with potential to improve production and properties of cast irons.