Quantitative 3D Characterization of Graphite Morphologies in Cast Iron using FIB Microstructure Tomography (Saarbrücker Reihe Materialwissenschaft und Werkstofftechnik)

Cast iron with different graphite morphologies were thoroughly analyzed and their influence on the thermal and electrical properties was studied with the goal of determining clear correlations between manufacturing parameters, microstructure and properties for advanced material development and non-destructive quality control.

It was shown, that there is no simple relationship to describe these properties based only on the microstructural parameters volume fraction and specific surface area. Cast iron properties depend mainly on the graphite type. To provide objective graphite classification an automatic algorithm was developed. Particle parameters: roundness, compactness and MaxFeret provide a straight forward classification.