Influence of Periwinkle Shell addition on Mechanical Properties of Gray Cast Iron
Pages : 1116-1118Download PDF
Gray iron is one of the oldest cast ferrous products and it is still used for those applications where its properties have proved to be the most suitable material available. The presence of high phosphorus contents should be avoided since Fe3P is brittle and lowers strength considerably. Its presence tends to promote increased shrinkage. In search of the ways to improve the mechanical properties, this research work tends to study the influence of periwinkle shell particulate on the mechanical properties of grey cast iron. Over the years, large quantities of periwinkle shells have been accumulated in many parts of the country (Nigeria). The shells have become a serious source of land pollution in areas where they are found. In an attempt to carry out the study, the periwinkle shell was crushed to fine particles and added to gray cast iron. The mass of powdered periwinkle shell was varied from 100 to 500 g while the mass of gray cast iron was constant. The results obtained showed that the Carbon, Silicon, Manganese, Phosphorus, Sulphur, Chromium and Nickel contents decrease with increasing amount of the periwinkle shell, while Molybdenum increases. The hardness was found to be decreasing while the tensile strength increases.
Keywords: Gray Cast Iron, Hardness, Periwinkle Shell, Tensile Strength and Flakes