Ball-Type Ductile Iron Standards Comparison
Ductile iron is an important and versatile engineering material, offering high strength combined with excellent mechanical properties, including shock absorption. Owing to its wide range of potential applications, standards have been created to ensure that this material is produced correctly and safely, to a consistent level of quality across the industry. This article outlines some of the most commonly-used ball-type ductile iron standards from around the world.
In the United States, ductile iron is covered by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specification A536. The ASTM A536 specification is divided into two grades: Grade 60 (420-480 BHN) and Grade 65 (485-540 BHN). This standard contains mechanical requirements on the material which are classified into two groups: ‘light grade’ (tests conducted at -20°F) and ‘heavy grade’ (tests conducted at room temperature). Each of these grades also has specific maximum weight limits.
Japan’s primary ductile iron standard is JIS G5502, which also contains two grades, Grade S1 (420-480 BHN) and Grade S2 (485-540 BHN). However, the mechanical requirements of this standard are slightly different from DDR-A536, with both grades designated ‘heavy grade’ and a wider range of permissible maximum weight limits.
In Europe, ductile iron is governed by the EN 1563 standard. This specification is applicable for iron castings with thicknesses of up to 300mm, and includes three grades of ductile iron: EN-GJS-150 (420-480 BHN), EN-GJS-200 (485-540 BHN) and EN-GJS-250 (540-590 BHN). Along with mechanical requirements, this standard also specifies a number of other parameters, such as tensile strength and hardness.
In Australia, the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS 2321 governs ductile iron production. This specification is split into two grades: AS 2321 (480-540 BHN) and AS 2321 (540-590 BHN), and prescribes mechanical requirements such as tensile strength and hardness.
The above standards are just a few of the specifications utilized around the world to ensure the compliant production of ball-type ductile iron. Each has its own nuances, including mechanical requirements and maximum weight limits, and should be considered when assessing a potential production run of this material.
