Thermal conductivity in high silicon cast iron

Abstract

ABSTRACT: In this report the thermal conductivity of five cast irons with different composition is studied. The castings chosen for the project were a standard spheroidal graphite iron (SGI), and two SGI with high silicon contents, and two compacted graphite irons (CGI) with also high silicon contents. Some experiments were done for each studied cast iron as dilatometer, differential scanner calorimeter (DSC) and Laser flash. After the thermal study, a microscope analysis was done in order to obtain the nodularity, the graphite amount and the ferrite and pearlite amount of each cast iron. The goal of the project is investigate the thermal behaviour of casting with high silicon contents and find any kind of relation between the silicon content, the thermal conductivity and the nodularity. The results doesn´t report an important influence of the silicon content in the thermal conductivity. Studying the results it is concluded that in applications were high thermal conductivity is required, it is recommended cooling rates corresponding to thickness higher than 50 mm.