White cast iron with a nano-eutectic microstructure and high tensile strength and considerable ductility prepared by an aluminothermic reaction casting

A white cast iron with nano-eutectic microstructure was prepared by an aluminothermic reaction casting. Microstructures of the cast iron were investigated by optical microscope (OM), electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Mechanical properties of the cast iron were tested. The results showed that the cast iron consisted of pearlite and cementite phases. Lamellar spacing of the pearlite phase was in a range of 110–275 nm and much smaller than that of the Ni-Hard 2 cast iron. Hardness of the cast iron was 552 Hv, tensile strength was 383 MPa, total elongation was 3% and compressive strength was 2224 MPa. Tensile strength and hardness of the cast iron was same to Ni-Hard 2 cast iron, besides the ductility was much better than that of the Ni-Hard 2 cast iron which is much expensive than the cast iron.