What is the difference between cast iron and cast steel?

Posted:9/19/2011 4:53:13 AM

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 colour of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due to its carbide impurities which allow cracks to pass straight through. Grey cast iron is named after its grey fractured surface, which occurs because the graphitic flakes deflect a passing crack and initiate countless new cracks as the material breaks.

  Carbon (C) and silicon (Si) are the main alloying elements, with the amount ranging from 2.1 to 4 wt% and 1 to 3 wt%, respectively. Iron alloys with less carbon content are known as steel. Cast iron tends to be brittle, except for malleable cast irons. With its relatively low melting point, good fluidity, castability, excellent machinability, resistance to deformation and wear resistance, cast irons have become an engineering material with a wide range of applications and are used in pipes, machines and automotive industry parts, such as cylinder heads (declining usage), cylinder blocks and gearbox cases (declining usage). It is resistant to destruction and weakening by oxidisation (rust).   Steel casting is a specialized form of casting involving various types of steel. Steel castings are used when cast irons cannot deliver enough strength or shock resistance.   Examples of items that are steel castings include: hydroelectric turbine wheels, forging presses, gears, railroad truck frames, valve bodies, pump casings, mining machinery, marine equipment, and engine casings.   Steel castings are categorized into two general groups: carbon steels and alloy steels.   Cast steel has less carbon in it than cast iron, and and the carbon is distributed differently on the molecular level. Cast iron is basically high carbon iron casting with% carbon of 3.3 & and high silicon content of 3.7% or more, while cast steel is basically low carbon steel casting with 0.3 to 0.5 % carbon and silicon content of not more than 0.75 %   Most forms of cast iron are quite brittle, cast steel less so making it generally stronger. Cast steel is more viscous when molten and thus harder to cast, so it is less commonly used for cast items than cast iron.   Bebon international is specialized in manufacturing and selling steel plate, steel sheet, steel coil, steel bar,steel pipe etc. We are the professional steel supplier and exporter. We can provide every kinds of cast iorn and cast steel.If you need the cast iron price and cast steel price, please don’t hesitate to contact with us.