Roman M Nowicki DeceasedRochester Hills, MI

4666533, May 19, 1987

Sep 5, 1985

6/772818

Bela V. Kovacs - Bloomfield Hills MI
Roman M. Nowicki - Bloomfield Hills MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

C21D 100

148 2

A method is disclosed for forming a surface hardenable cast iron article by development of metastable retained austenite in the cell boundary of a ductile or semiductile cast iron. The method comprises (a) controlling the solidification of a cast iron melt to extend the eutectic arrest time to 4-12 minutes, the melt having by weight percent a carbon equivalent (carbon plus one-third silicon) equal to 4. 3-5. 0, manganese 0. 55-1. 2, nickel 0. 5-3. 0, and the remainder essentially iron, the melt having been treated to form cell boundaries in the solidified iron with a high proportion of the manganese being segregated in the cell boundaries; (b) subjecting the solidified cast iron to an austempering heat treatment to permit the segregated manganese in the cell boundaries to form metastable retained austenite; and (c) terminating the heat treatment prior to the conversion of the metastable austenite to a stable microstructure. To obtain the benefits of wear resistance, the method further comprises using the heat treated cast iron by stressing a surface region thereof and transforming the microstructure of such surface region to martensite.

4475956, Oct 9, 1984

Jan 24, 1983

6/475679

Bela V. Kovacs - Bloomfield Hills MI
Roman M. Nowicki - Bloomfield Hills MI
Charles A. Stickels - Ann Arbor MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

C21D 514
C22C 3704
C22C 3710

148 3

A method of strengthening ferritic ductile iron castings while maintaining ductility at a high level is disclosed. An iron alloy melt is cast consisting essentially of by weight 3. 9-6. 0% Si, 3. 0-3. 5% C, 0. 1-0. 3% Mn, 0-0. 35% Mo, at least 1. 25% Ni, no greater than 0. 015% S and 0. 6% P, the remainder Fe, the melt having been subjected to a nodularizing agent to form graphite nodules upon solidification. The cast alloy is heat treated to provide a fully ferritic microstructure with 9-14% by volume graphite, a yield strength of at least 75,000 psi, a tensile strength of at least 95,000 psi, and an elongation of at least 17%.

4596606, Jun 24, 1986

Sep 4, 1984

6/647333

Bela V. Kovacs - Bloomfield Hills MI
Roman M. Nowicki - Bloomfield Hills MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

C21D 500

148 3

A method is disclosed for making compacted graphite cast iron of improved strength and hardness while retaining excellent thermal conductivity, low shrinkage, and excellent damping characteristics. A ferrous alloy is melted consisting essentially of, by weight, 3-4% C, 2-3% Si, 0. 2-0. 7% Mn, 0. 25-0. 4 Mo, 0. 5-3. 0% Ni, up to 0. 002% sulfur, up to 0. 02% phosphorus, and impurities or contaminants up to 1. 0%, with the remainder being essentially iron. The melt is subjected to a graphite modifying agent to form compacted graphite upon solidification. The solidified casting is heat treated by austempering and quenching to produce an iron having a matrix of bainite and austenite.

4598754, Jul 8, 1986

Jul 30, 1984

6/635951

Chia-Ming Yen - West Bloomfield MI
Gerald S. Cole - Franklin MI
Roman M. Nowicki - Bloomfield Hills MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

B22D 2700
B22D 4600

164 41

A method is disclosed for controlling the metallurgical structure of cast metals containing nonmetallic second phase structures. The method comprises (1) prior to making casting of the metal, determining a mathematical value associated with the rate of temperature change at liquidus recalescence and a value associated with the rate of temperature change at the eutectic arrest of a measured cooling curve for a sample of the metal melt; (2) comparing the determined values obtained with previously gathered values of the same type that have been correlated to known metallurgical structures; and (3) if the determined values are different than previously gathered values for a desired structure, add modifying and/or refining agents to promote a metallurgical structure change in the melt.

4484953, Nov 27, 1984

Jan 24, 1983

6/474655

Bela V. Kovacs - Bloomfield Hills MI
Roman M. Nowicki - Bloomfield Hills MI
Charles A. Stickels - Ann Arbor MI

Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI

C21D 500
C22C 3710

148 3

A method of making ductile cast iron with a matrix of acicular ferrite and bainite is disclosed. A melt by weight of 3. 0-3. 6% carbon, 3. 5-5. 0% silicon, 0. 7-5. 0% nickel, 0-0. 3% Mo, >0. 015% S, >0. 06% P (remainder Fe) is subjected to a nodularizing agent and solidified. The iron is then heat treated by heating to 1575. degree. -1650. degree. F. for 1-3 hours, quenched to 400. degree. -775. degree. F. at a rate of at least 275. degree. F. /min. , held for 0. 5-4 hours, and cooled to room temperature. The resulting ductile iron exhibits a yield strength of at least 80 ksi, a tensile strength of at least 140 ksi, elongation of at least 6%, and a hardness of at least 270 BHN.