Cast Iron
Cast iron is composed of iron and a certain percentage of carbon content. The table below shows some common properties of cast iron.
Table 1:
| PROPERTIES | DESCRIPTION |
| Composition | Exists as a metal matrix containing a proportion of free (uncombined) carbon. The carbon content of Cast Iron ranges from about 2% to 4%
Further amounts of carbon can either form Iron Carbide, [Fe3C], which is hard and brittle, or Graphite, which is almost pure carbon and is soft and has little strength |
| Elasticity | Cast iron has an elasticity comparable to that of spring steel
The elasticity is stable over time and is retained up to relatively high temperatures. Cast iron has no permanent deformation |
| Excellent resistance to corrosion | Cast iron has an excellent resistance to corrosion over a wide range of operating environments. Initially the surface will slightly rust but then the rusting is practically arrested at the carbon lamellae. The corrosion resistance of cast iron is much better than that of steel. |
| Density | 7870 kg/m3 |
| Modulus of Elasticity | 193.053 GPa |
| Thermal Expansion Coefficient | 1.180 × 10-5 /K |
| Melting Temperature | 1811.15 K |
| Boiling Temperature | 3134.15 K |
| Heat Capacity | 449 J/kg-K |
| Thermal Conductivity | 80.2 W/m-K |
References
[1] Nayar, L. Mohinder; Piping Handbook- 7th edition; McGraw Hill; New York; 2000
[2] Dickenson, T. Christopher; Valves, Piping & Pipelines Handbook- 3rd edition; Elsevier Advance Technology; Cambridge; 1999.
[3] http://www.cispi.org/internet/cispi/handbookcontents.htm