Metallography of bainitic transformation in austempered ductile iron

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Abstract
An unalloyed nodular cast iron has been used to investigate the development of microstructure on heat treating in the bainite temperature region. Specimens were austenitised at 900°C for 1·5 h, then austempered for 1, 2, or 3 h at 250,300, and 350°C, respectively, and examined by light, transmission electron, and scanning electron microscopy. Experimental results indicate a microstructure consisting of a stable, highly enriched, retained austenite with one of two lower bainitic ferrite morphologies. One of these morphologies is carbide free acicular ferrite for specimens austempered at 350°C for 1 h and the other is bainitic ferrite in which carbide is distributed within the ferrite produced by different heat treatment conditions. Austempering at 350°C for 2 h and at 300°C for 1 and 2 h resulted in the formation of transition carbides in bainitic ferrite platelets. The η carbide was formed at 350°C for 2 h by precipitation from a bainitic ferrite supersaturated with carbon. By contrast, ɛ carbide was associated with austempering at 300°C for 1 and 2 h and precipitates either on the austenite twin/bainitic ferrite boundaries or within the bainitic ferrite. The fracture mode of tensile and impact specimens in the austempered condition was fully ductile compared with as cast specimens, which had mixed fracture characteristics. MST/1646