Zirconium in High Chrome cast iron

[Tmoose]

A customer has requested a quote for some parts that we normally have cast from high chrome Abrasion resistant cast iron ASTM A532 Class III type A.

In their RFQ they have some specifications. One is the hardness they want ( 500 HB minimum ). There also is some chemistry (Cr, Mo, Ni ). That chemistry falls in the range of ASTM A532 Class III type A.

The last element in the customer's chemistry is " 0.72 Zr ". As best I can tell that // should be // Zirconium.

1 - The ASTM A532 spec includes several more elements, but does NOT even mention Zirconium.
None of the cast iron references I have mention zirconium.
2 - A little Googling suggests .05 to .15% zirconium ( about 1/5 of our customer's Zr requirement) in regular ferrous alloys may reduce porosity, or improve toughness by spheroidizing sulfate inclusions in HSLA with a result of improved toughness.
3 - Volume 1 of the ninth Edition of the ASM Metals Handbook repeats the HSLA toughness effect a few times.

Before I ask our customer to confirm the .72 Zr I figured I'd ask the folks on Eng-tips what to make of it.

thanks,


Dan T

 

[arunmrao]

Interesting requirement,I am not aware of such high levels of Zr. FeSiZr,is added sometimes as grain refiner.Please let us know,if the customer clarifies.

"Even,if you are a minority of one, truth is the truth."

Mahatma Gandhi.

 

[EdStainless]

I have seen V additions, but not Zr.
That amount does sound high.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[Tmoose]

I wonder, if the surface was cleaned with a Zirconia based abrasive, would their PMI gun jump to a Zr conclusion.

http://www.karbosan.com.tr/en/comfort-line-zr-hd-flap-discs/111u

This is the same customer who has prompted PMI posts from me in the past, including an evaluation that this component was essentially two pieces of different materials , not carved from a single chunk of 1045 as we know it to be.

thanks,

Dan T

 

[arunmrao]

It is possible that the PMI detected Zr. Today a weapon part was analysed using PMI, and I was shown a report of 0.95% P in the 1215 steel!!!.

I inspected the sample and found it to have a coating layer ( possibly phosphide coating).

Thus PMI results are always to be accepted with caution.

"Even,if you are a minority of one, truth is the truth."

Mahatma Gandhi.