Foundry is one of the most common technologies for producing objects - specifically castings - from metals, their alloys and other materials. Metal is the basic material used in the construction of structures, machines, devices and tools. After all, it is a durable substance that is resistant to damage and has good machinability. Although the metal itself is very hard, it can be machined with alloying additives to give it ductility. And so, when iron is combined with carbon altogether, we get cast steel and cast iron.
What are the differences between them? What are their properties, advantages and applications? We invite you to read the article from our Foundry Knowledge Base.
In order to be efficient and suitable for the applications designed for them, casting resins must meet very specific requirements in two areas:
Cast steel and cast iron are both materials suitable for a wide range of uses and, likewise, high quality of effects. Both of them are formed in the process of fusing iron with carbon, but they differ in the ratio of these elements, additives and properties.
Cast steel is a foundry alloy of iron with carbon and other elements, with a content of up to 1.5% of carbon and no more than 1% of other admixtures. In addition, in the as-cast state, it is characterized by a coarse-grained structure.
Two distinguished types of this alloy are:
| property | why is it important? |
| plasticity | cast steel is susceptible to any form of shaping - this means that it can be used to create castings tailored to the specific needs of the customer, |
| good weldability | cast steel is perfect for industries that use welding in the production process, |
| good machinability | cast steel reacts exceptionally well to thermo-chemical treatment, |
| high strength | cast steel is resistant, for example, to abrasion and corrosion, thanks to which it is willingly used in production, mechanics, machine manufacturing industry and in water centers and in work at elevated temperatures. |
Cast steel is used, among others, in:
Steel is, according to the applicable standards, a material in which the content of iron is higher than any other element. In addition, the carbon content in steel is less than 2% and there are other elements in it.
The steel is ductile, making it suitable for hot working, and with a lower carbon content, also for cold working. Cast steel has slightly lower mechanical properties than steel of similar composition, subjected to plastic processing. Cast steel, however, is characterized by lower production costs, in terms of properties and performance effects in demanding conditions, even such as operation above 600︒C.
Cast iron, on the other hand, is an alloy with a carbon concentration above 2%. The maximum carbon content in cast iron is not constant - it can range from 3.8% to 6.7%. Silicon, sulfur, phosphorus and manganese are also often added to cast iron.
Cast iron is made by combining scrap and pig iron, and its individual components are produced by casting into moulds. It is worth mentioning that cast iron castings can have various and very complex shapes, which is the result of excellent properties. What's more, cast iron is not subjected to the plastic working process and it is produced only in the casting process.
Cast iron stands out:
| property | why is it important? |
| high endurance | it works great in the production of elements that must work efficiently in changing conditions, |
| abrasion resistance | this parameter provides resistance to mechanical damage, |
| ease of casting some various forms | thanks to its castability, cast iron helps to create compound, complex castings in unusual shapes, |
| good machinability | cast iron responds well to machining, |
| vibration damping efficiency | cast iron alloys are suitable for vibration isolation, for example, of machines, devices and installations. |
Cast iron is used, among others, in:
What are the differences between them? What properties make it worth using one of these alloys? To make it easy to explain, we have prepared a simple table, taking into account the most frequently mentioned characteristics of these alloys.
| properties | cast steel | cast iron |
| cost | production cost lower than steel but higher than cast iron, | low production cost |
| carbon content | lower carbon content, up to 1.5% carbon, | at least 2% higher carbon content, from 3.8% to 6.7%, |
| parametry techniczne | greater strength and plasticity. | greater fluidity and effectiveness of vibration damping. |
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