Microstructure and Dry/Wet Tribological Behaviors of 1% Cu-Alloyed Austempered Ductile Iron

In this study, different austempering conditions were applied to 1 wt.% Cu-alloyed ductile iron to produce various austempered ductile irons (ADIs). The study aimed to explore the variations in microstructure, hardness, and dry/wet wear behaviors of the ADIs. The experimental results indicated that the microstructure of the 300 °C-ADI has denser needle-like ausferrite, lower retained austenite content, and higher carbon content in austenite compared with the 360 °C-ADI. As the austempering time increased, the retained austenite content decreased, while the carbon content of austenite increased. Regardless of dry or wet abrasive behavior, the wear resistance of the ADIs was significantly superior to that of the as-cast material. The ADI obtained at 300 °C for 10 h demonstrated the best wear resistance performance.