cast iron : its types and applications
In Victorian times almost anything was likely to be made of cast
iron—street lamps, domestic fireplaces, railings, mock-gothic church
window frames and the ornamental water fountain in the local park. Sadly
many of these relics of the nineteenth century foundryman s art are no
more since most fell victim to the urgent need for steel during the Second
World War. Even as late as the author s childhood toy six-shooters were
of white cast iron, whereas to-day s children play with space-age guns
made of plastics materials. One important reason for the widespread use
of cast iron in Victorian times was the fact that in those days not all
pig iron produced was suitable for conversion into merchantable steel. In
particular those pig irons high in phosphorus and sulphur were suitable
only for ornamental castings which required little strength. Today cast ironis used exclusively for engineering purposes and its technology, like thatof other alloys, continues to be developed at highly sophisticated levels.
Spheroidal graphite cast iron and, more recently, compacted graphite
irons are of this type.