Ductile Cast Iron vs. AWS E320

Both ductile cast iron and AWS E320 are iron alloys. They have a modest 38% of their average alloy composition in common, which, by itself, doesn't mean much. There are 20 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (12, in this case) are not shown.

For each property being compared, the top bar is ductile cast iron and the bottom bar is AWS E320.

Ductile (Nodular, Spheroidal) Cast Iron AWS E320 (W88021) Weld Metal

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa		170 to 180
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa		200

Elongation at Break, %		2.1 to 20
Elongation at Break, %		34

Poisson's Ratio		0.28 to 0.31
Poisson's Ratio		0.28

Shear Modulus, GPa		64 to 70
Shear Modulus, GPa		77

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		460 to 920
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		620

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g		270
Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g		300

Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C		1160
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C		1410

Melting Onset (Solidus), °C		1120
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C		1360

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		490
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		460

Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		11
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		14

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative		1.9
Base Metal Price, % relative		38

Density, g/cm³		7.1 to 7.5
Density, g/cm³		8.2

Embodied Carbon, kg CO₂/kg material		1.5
Embodied Carbon, kg CO₂/kg material		6.5

Embodied Energy, MJ/kg		21
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg		91

Embodied Water, L/kg		43
Embodied Water, L/kg		220

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points		12 to 14
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points		13

Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points		24 to 26
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points		24

Strength to Weight: Axial, points		17 to 35
Strength to Weight: Axial, points		21

Strength to Weight: Bending, points		18 to 29
Strength to Weight: Bending, points		20

Thermal Shock Resistance, points		17 to 35
Thermal Shock Resistance, points		16

Alloy Composition

Carbon (C), %		3.0 to 3.5
Carbon (C), %		0 to 0.070

Chromium (Cr), %		0
Chromium (Cr), %		19 to 21

Copper (Cu), %		0
Copper (Cu), %		3.0 to 4.0

Iron (Fe), %		93.7 to 95.5
Iron (Fe), %		31.8 to 43.5

Manganese (Mn), %		0
Manganese (Mn), %		0.5 to 2.5

Molybdenum (Mo), %		0
Molybdenum (Mo), %		2.0 to 3.0

Nickel (Ni), %		0
Nickel (Ni), %		32 to 36

Niobium (Nb), %		0
Niobium (Nb), %		0 to 1.0

Phosphorus (P), %		0 to 0.080
Phosphorus (P), %		0 to 0.040

Silicon (Si), %		1.5 to 2.8
Silicon (Si), %		0 to 0.6

Sulfur (S), %		0
Sulfur (S), %		0 to 0.030