Effects of sphere size on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ductile iron–steel hollow sphere syntactic foams

The effects of sphere size on the microstructural and mechanical properties of ductile iron–steel hollow sphere (DI–SHS) syntactic foams were investigated in this study. The SHSs were manufactured by fluidized-bed coating via the Fe-based commercial powder–binder suspension onto expanded polystyrene spheres (EPSs). Afterwards, the DI–SHS syntactic foams were produced via a sand-mold casting process. The microstructures of specimens were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy- dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The microscopic evaluations of specimens reveal distinct regions composed of the DI matrix, SHS shells, and compatible interface. As a result, the microstructures and graphite morphologies of the DI matrix depend on sphere size. When the sphere size decreases, the area fractions of cementite and graphite phases are observed to increase and decrease, respectively. Compression tests were subsequently conducted at ambient temperature on the DI–SHS syntactic foams. The results reveal that the compression behavior of the syntactic foams is enhanced with increasing sphere size. Furthermore, the compressed specimens demonstrate that microcracks start and grow from the interface region.     

Microstructural and mechanical characteristics of Al-alloyed ductile iron upon casting and annealing

Ductile iron containing 6.16wt% Al was developed to investigate the effects of aluminum on both its microstructure and hardness. It was found that aluminum not only increases the nodule count and pearlite content but also improves the hardness in both sand mold and metal mold castings. Annealing treatments were conducted to attain a homogenous microstructure and improve high-temperature serviceability. A ferrite/carbide or ferritic matrix was gained depending on the annealing temperature. It is also discovered that annealing has inverse influences on the hardness of the bulk alloy and the ferrite phase. Although it causes a small decrease in the bulk hardness of the specimens, it leads to an increase in the microhardness of the ferrite. Micro-segregation of the alloying elements was also investigated by means of electron probe micro-analysis for the specimens with different annealing durations and the as-cast specimen as well. An optimum annealing time was proposed to result in the least amount of micro-segregation of aluminum and silicon between graphite nodules.     

Effects of copper content on the shell characteristics of hollow steel spheres manufactured using an advanced powder metallurgy technique

Metallic hollow spheres are used as base materials in the manufacture of hollow sphere structures and metallic foams. In this study, steel hollow spheres were successfully manufactured using an advanced powder metallurgy technique. The spheres’ shells were characterized by optical microscopy in conjunction with microstructural image analysis software, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The microscopic evaluations revealed that the shells consist of sintered iron powder, sintered copper powder, sodium silicate, and porosity regions. In addition, the effects of copper content on various parameters such as shell defects, microcracks, thickness, and porosities were investigated. The results indicated that increasing the copper content results in decreases in the surface fraction of shell porosities and the number of microcracks and an increase in shell thickness.