METALLOVEDENIE t TERM. OBRABOTKA HB No.

5532
METALLOV, Dec.,1960, No. 12, pages 39-41

STUDY OF C E M E N T I T E IN I R O N - G R A P H I T E [POWDER] ALLOYS

Cand. tech. sc. N. Z. POZDNYAK and Eng. E. K. PONOMARENKO

It has been established that the excess carbon in hypereutectoid, sintered iron-graphite [powder] alloys is pre-
sent as c e m e n t i t e which is deposited in the ferrite. Such structures are softer than eutectoid mixtures. In all hard-
ness tests, the ferrite presents a soft matrix for the cementite thereby depressing the resistance to penetration. Since
such a structure corresponds to the Charpy rule, a study of its antifriction properties has been made. For this purpose,
cylindrical wear test specimens 40 m m OD, 16 m m ID and 10 m m high were prepared for use on an Amsler machine.
Iron powder of the Sulino Works was used since it gives high mechanical properties to parts produced therefrom. The
parent mixture consisted of 10 % fine electrolytic copper powder, 2.5% ash-free Taiga graphite and of the iron pow-
der. The powders were blended for five hours in a mechanical mixer at 60 r.p.m. Pressing was done on a 100-ton
hydraulic press in dismountable dies, sintering at 1130-1160~ hrs in hydrogen. The Brinell hardness of the sin-
tered specimens was 120-162 at a 10-12~ porosity and a strength of 25-31 kg/ sq. ram. An analysis of the sintered
material showed 1.57~ C (total), 1.09% C (combined) and 9.6% Cu. The structure contained 70-80% pearlite, a
thin network and sporadic inclusions of cementite, as well as ferrite, Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Structure of alloy after sintering; Fig. 2. Structure of guide bushing; 500 x.
500 x .

The coefficient of friction in testing with a lubricant on an Amsler machine at specific pressures of 25, 50,
100 and 150 k g / s q . c m varied from 0.002 to 0.006. Piston rings for the automobile "Pobeda" were prepared from
the same powder and tested in a 30,000 l~m run at speeds from 60 to 80 k i n / h r . The wear of the piston rings was
4.51-4.67~ per 1000 km and that of the cylinder wall was 0 . 7 4 - 0 . 7 5 / I . These figures equal the best results ob-
tained on cast-iron piston rings while the wear of cylinder wails is only o n e - h a l f to one-third. After the test, the
piston rings were suitable for further service.
Additionally, to study the role of c e m e n t i t e in iron-graphite alloys, a large experimental batch of guide
bushings 63 m m long, 16 m m OD and 6 m m ID, such as are used for intake and exhaust valves in automobile en-
gines was prepared. The bushings were made of Sulino iron powder with 2.5 % copper powder and 1.5 % of Taiga
ash-free graphite being added. The powders were pressed from both ends in dismountable metal dies, the residual
porosity being 15-~0 %. After sintering at t140-1150~ hrs in hydrogen, the bushings were infiltrated with fused
sulphur followed by a spheroidizing anneal.
A typical microstructure of a guide bushing is shown in Fig. 2; it consists m a i n l y of spheroidized pearlite and
inclusions of ferrite and c e m e n t i t e . About 20 % of c e m e n t i t e inclusions were allowed in the experimental batch.
The above batch was tested on six different automobiles of which one was examined after 25,000 kin. The
bushings were removed for wear measurements. The second car was examined after 40,000 km and so forth, the
last of the six having traveled 80,000 km. The test results are given in the table where the wear of bushing materials

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is in microns (for both OD and ID) per 1000 km. It is seen that c e m e n t i t e inclusions in the ferrite reduce the wear
considerably. A higher wear was found in structures containing large amounts of ferrite. Pearlitic structures showed
o p t i m u m but not i d e n t i c a l wear values. This is explained by the inherent properties of these structures.

Service Tests of Valve Guide Bushings on a "Moskvich" Automobile.

Km traveled Wear in m i -
Bushing l o c a t i o n Bhn before wear crons per 1000
and quantity Microstmcture kg/sq.mm measurement km run (on ID)

Exhaust Spheroidite with ferrite pre- 62.0-92.8 25-80 0.21-5.0

8 vailing

Intake Spheroidite with fine inclu- 77.9--101.6 25--80 0.04--1.64

14 sions of plate c e m e n t i t e in
ferrite regions; %10% cemen-
tim on section

Exhaust Lamellar pearlite with fine 76.3-97.2 25--80 0--2.42

and inclusions of plate c e m e n t i t e
Intake in ferrite areas; 6-10% c e -
6 m e n t i t e on section

Same Lamellar pearlite with fully 76.0-95.0 25-80 0.03-1.23

8 or partly broken c e m e n t i t e
network along pearlite grain
boundaries; 12- 25 %oe e m e n -
rite on section

As is seen in the Table, the e x p e r i m e n t a l batch contained not only bushings with peartite and a broken-up
c e m e n t i t e network but also pearIite with a heavy grid of c e m e n t i t e lines. These structures gave the best results.
Consequently, c e m e n t i t e inclusions in iron-graphite products subjected to sulphurizing to develop high a n t i - g a l l i n g
properties are not only not dangerous but a c t u a l l y desirable since they reduce the wear of the bearing surface and of
the m a t i n g elements in crankshaft journals or cylinder walls.

CONCLUSIONS
1. In assessing the properties of antifriction parts of iron -graphite porous c e r a m i c alloys, the form in which the
structurally free c e m e n t i t e is distributed throughout the structure is important. C e m e n t i t e within the ferrite improves
the antifriction properties and permits high specific pressures and angular velocity.
2. In the presence of 20-25% of structurally free c e m e n t i t e , the friction l o a d of iron-graphite bearings can be
increased to 200-300 k g m / s q . e m , sec.
3. The data presented show that the existing views on the d e t r i m e n t a l effect of cementite, no m a t t e r
what its form and distribution in the microstructure, are erroneous.

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