Analysis of the influence of chemical composition on the mechanical and metallurgical properties of engine cylinder blocks in grey cast iron

Within automotive components, grey cast iron continues to occupy a notable place in the area of materials. Cast iron is in direct competition with cast aluminium, although the mechanical properties of the former find their place in the market in making certain components such as cylinder blocks, and to a lesser extent, cylinder heads. One of the main difficulties of obtaining cast iron lies in the variability within the material of the same chemical composition. This reflects that the cast iron manufacturing process, although it has evolved enormously, and the processes are easily controlled and reproducible, is always subject to small changes, which can provoke variations in the mechanical properties of the cast material. This study analyses how the chemical composition influences the mechanical properties of grey cast iron. The rest of the influential factors, characteristic of grey cast iron, remain constant, which means that the cooling speed does not vary in the process and is an inherent value of the moulding installation in which the workpieces will be cast. Also, the inoculation is carried out in the same way in all the samples cast, in such a way that it is not considered a variable.