Gray iron
Overview
Gray iron, or grey iron, is a type of cast iron
that has a graphitic
microstructure. It is named after the gray color of the fracture
it forms, which is due to the presence of graphite. It is the most common cast iron and the most widely used cast material based on weight.
It is used for housings where tensile strength is non-critical, such as internal combustion engine
cylinder block
s, pump
housings, valve bodies, electrical boxes, and decorative castings.
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
that has a graphitic
Graphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
microstructure. It is named after the gray color of the fracture
Fracture
A fracture is the separation of an object or material into two, or more, pieces under the action of stress.The word fracture is often applied to bones of living creatures , or to crystals or crystalline materials, such as gemstones or metal...
it forms, which is due to the presence of graphite. It is the most common cast iron and the most widely used cast material based on weight.
It is used for housings where tensile strength is non-critical, such as internal combustion engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
cylinder block
Cylinder block
A cylinder block is an integrated structure comprising the cylinder of a reciprocating engine and often some or all of their associated surrounding structures...
s, pump
Pump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
housings, valve bodies, electrical boxes, and decorative castings.
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