Effect of Microstructure on Contact Angle and Corrosion of Ductile Iron: Iron–Graphite Composite

Ductile iron samples with similar compositions and varying microstructures were uniformly abraded, and the effects of phase fractions (ferrite, pearlite, and graphite) on the apparent contact angle (with water) and corrosion characteristics of ductile iron were investigated. We also investigated the effect of droplet volume on the apparent contact angle of ductile iron. Irrespective of the droplet size, the ductile iron system followed the Wenzel model of wetting, and the contact angle increased with increasing droplet volume. The Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter contact angles were calculated, and the calculated results agreed well with the experimental results. It was experimentally proven that pearlite is more susceptible to corrosion than ferrite and graphite, and a higher portion of pearlite in the microstructure can be detrimental to the corrosion resistance of the material. Understanding the relationship between the microstructure, contact angle, and corrosion can be used to develop materials with higher contact angle and corrosion-resistant microstructures. Using metal pipes that have high contact angles is desirable because artificial coatings on metal pipes can degrade over time leading to high cost of replacement and contamination to water systems.