ABSTRACT
The cast-iron monstrosities are well remembered for the Victorian era which produced the typical cast-iron products: street lamps, domestic fireplaces and the railings. The special high-duty and the alloy compositions have made the cast iron as an extremely important engineering material, which is suitable for the manufacture of crankshafts, connecting rods and axles components which were formerly made from forged steel. The ordinary cast iron is similar in composition to the crude pig iron produced by the blast-furnace. Alloying elements used are: Nickel; Chromium; Molybdenum; Vanadium; and the Copper. The effects which alloying elements have on the properties of cast iron are similar to the effects which the same elements have on steel. The sulphur causes excessive brittleness in cast the iron and therefore it is always kept at the minimum amount which is economically possible. The choice between the grey irons, spheroidal-graphite iron and malleable iron with the material problems are governed by both economic and technical considerations.
