THE ROLE OF MODIFIERS IN MECHANICAL PROPERTIES IN CAST IRON – A REVIEW.

For many metallic materials such as cast iron and steel, the mechanical properties—when not influenced by phase transformations or precipitation—are primarily governed by their chemical composition. Since these materials often contain numerous elements, including trace additions, accurately predicting their mechanical behavior based on full compositional analysis remains a complex challenge. A literature review is presented on the effects of microalloying elements (e.g., copper, molybdenum, nitrogen) and modifiers (e.g., calcium, strontium) on improving the mechanical properties of gray cast iron. Studies show that these elements change the microstructure and graphite morphology of cast iron, increasing its strength, hardness, and fatigue resistance.