Designation: A 874/A 874M 98

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS

100 Barr Harbor Dr., West Conshohocken, PA 19428
Reprinted from the Annual Book of ASTM Standards. Copyright ASTM

Standard Specification for

Ferritic Ductile Iron Castings Suitable for Low-Temperature

Service1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation A 874/A 874M; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year
of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.
A superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope
1.1 This specification covers ductile iron castings suitable
for service at temperatures of 40F [40C] and above.
1.2 The values stated in either inch-pound or SI units are to
be regarded separately as standard. Within the text, the SI units
are shown in brackets. The values stated in each system are not
exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems
may result in nonconformance with the specification.
1.3 The following precautionary statement pertains only to
the test methods portion, Section 11, of this specification: This
standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns,
if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user
of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health
practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

3. Ordering Information
3.1 Orders for material under this specification shall include
the following applicable information:
3.1.1 Drawing, catalog number, or part identification,
3.1.2 Quantity (weight or number of pieces),
3.1.3 ASTM designation and year of issue,
3.1.4 Marking instructions (see Section 15),
3.1.5 Place of inspection (see 13.1),
3.1.6 Limits on residual elements (see 5.2),
3.1.7 Visual and dimensional acceptance standard (see 7.1),
3.1.8 Sampling plan (see Section 9), and
3.1.9 Supplementary requirements.
4. Materials and Manufacture
4.1 Castings may be supplied either as cast or heat treated
and shall have essentially a ferritic structure that contains no
massive carbides.

2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
A 247 Test Method for Evaluating the Microstructure of
Graphite in Iron Castings2
E 8 Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials3
E 30 Test Methods for Chemical Analysis of Steel, Cast
Iron, Open-Hearth Iron, and Wrought Iron4
E 59 Practice for Sampling Steel and Iron for Determination
of Chemical Composition4
E 94 Guide for Radiographic Testing5
E 165 Test Method for Liquid Penetrant Examination5
E 351 Test Methods for Chemical Analysis of Cast Iron
All Types4
E 562 Practice for Determining Volume Fraction by Systematic Manual Point Count3
E 689 Reference Radiographs for Ductile Iron Castings5
E 709 Guide for Magnetic Particle Examination5

5. Chemical Composition
5.1 The iron shall conform to the requirements for chemical
composition shown in Table 1.
5.2 By agreement between the manufacturer and purchaser,
analysis may be required and limits established for elements
not specified in Table 1.
6. Mechanical and Microstructural Properties
6.1 Tensile PropertiesThe iron shall conform to the requirements for tensile properties shown in Table 2.
6.2 MicrostructureGraphite contained in the microstructure shall be evaluated in accordance with Test Method A 247.
The percent of each graphite type shall be estimated, and the
total of all estimates shall equal 100 %. The total percent of
Types 1 and 2 graphite shall be a minimum of 90 %.
7. Workmanship, Finish, and Appearance
7.1 The surface of the casting shall be examined visually
and shall be free from adhering sand, scale, cracks, and hot
tears. Other surface discontinuities shall meet visual and
dimensional acceptance standards specified in the order.
7.2 Conditioning of castings is permitted to the extent that
the removal of metal does not extend into the envelope of the
finished container and does not alter the properties of the metal

1
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee A-4 on Iron
Castings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee A04.02 on Malleable and
Ductile Iron Castings.
Current edition approved Oct. 10, 1998. Published February 1999.
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 01.02.
3
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.01.
4
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.05.
5
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.03.

A 874/A 874M
TABLE 1 Chemical Composition
Element

Minimum, %

Maximum, %

Total carbon
Carbon equivalent (carbon + 13 silicon)
Silicon
Phosphorous
Magnesium
Manganese
Copper
Nickel
Chromium

3.0
...
1.2
...
...
...
...
...
...

3.7
4.5
2.3
0.03
0.07
0.25
0.1
1.0
0.07

11.2 Determine the yield strength using one of the following

methods:
11.2.1 The 0.2 % offset method, or
11.2.2 Extension under load method where the yield
strength may be determined as the stress producing an elongation under load of 0.330 %, that is, 0.0066 in. [0.165 mm] in a
gage length of 2 in. [50 mm].
11.3 Determine the percent of each graphite nodule type by
manual coating, semi-automatic, or automatic image analysis
methods. The manual count method shall prevail when the
results of other methods differ. Magnification shall be at 100 3.
11.4 Spectrometric methods may be used for chemical
analysis. Should a dispute arise concerning chemical composition, use Test Methods E 351 and E 30 for referee methods.

remaining in the finished container.

8. Repair
8.1 Castings shall not be repaired by plugging, welding,
brazing, impregnation, or any other means.

12. Records
12.1 Records of the chemical composition, mechanical
properties, and the metallographic examination shall be systematically made and maintained.

9. Sampling
9.1 Test coupons will be obtained from the casting. The
location in the casting from which the test coupons are
obtained and the number obtained from each location shall be
agreed upon between the manufacturer and purchaser.
9.2 Metallographic samples shall be obtained from the same
location as the mechanical test coupons.
9.3 Nondestructive examination methods for estimating microstructure may be used to supplement the destructive examination sampling plan.
9.4 Sampling for chemical analysis shall be in accordance
with Practice E 59.
9.4.1 The chemical analysis for total carbon shall be made
on either chilled cast pencil-type specimens or thin wafers
approximately 132 in. [0.8 mm] thick cut from test coupons.

13. Inspection
13.1 Unless otherwise specified in the contract or purchase
order, the manufacturer shall perform all of the tests and
inspections required by the specification.
13.2 All tests and inspections shall be made at the place of
manufacture or a mutually agreed upon location.
13.3 The inspector representing the purchaser shall have
entry at all times, while work on the contract of the purchaser
is being performed, to all parts of the manufacturers works
that concern the manufacture of the material ordered. The
manufacturer shall afford the inspector all reasonable facilities
to satisfy that the material is being furnished in accordance
with these specifications. The inspector representing the purchaser shall not interfere unnecessarily with the operation of
the works.

10. Number of Tests and Retests

10.1 The number of tension tests and the number of microstructural examinations shall be agreed upon between the
manufacturer and purchaser.
10.2 If any tension test specimen shows obvious defects, it
may be discarded and another from the same coupon may be
tested.

14. Certification
14.1 The manufacturers certification shall be furnished to
the purchaser stating the material was manufactured, sampled,
tested, and inspected in accordance with this specification
(including the year of issue) and was found to meet the
requirement(s). In addition, a test report shall be included with
the certification giving the results of all tests performed
including chemical analysis.

11. Test Methods

11.1 Conduct the tension test in accordance with Test
Methods E 8.
TABLE 2 Tensile Properties
Tensile Strength,
min, psi [MPa]
45 000 [300]

Yield Strength,
min, psi [MPa]
30 000 [200]

15. Product Marking

15.1 The casting shall be identified and shall be marked in
accordance with instructions issued by the purchaser.

Elongation in 2 in. [50 mm],

min, %
12 [12]

A 874/A 874M
SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS
Supplementary requirements shall be applied only when specified by the purchaser. Details of the
supplementary requirements shall be agreed upon by the manufacturer and purchaser. The specified
tests shall be performed by the manufacturer prior to shipment of the castings.
accordance with Guide E 94, and types and degrees of discontinuities considered shall be judged by Reference Radiographs
E 689. The extent of examination and basis for acceptance
shall be agreed upon between the manufacturer and purchaser.

S1. Magnetic Particle Examination

S1.1 Castings shall be examined for surface discontinuities
by magnetic particle examination. The examination shall be in
accordance with Guide E 709. The extent of examination and
the basis for acceptance shall be agreed upon between the
manufacturer and purchaser.
S2. Ultrasonic Examination
S2.1 Castings shall be examined for internal defects by
ultrasonic examination. The examination procedures and acceptance criteria shall be agreed upon between the manufacturer and purchaser.

S5. Fracture Toughness

S5.1 Fracture toughness testing shall be performed on
samples removed from the casting. The method of fracture
toughness testing, the location from which the samples are
removed, the number of tests performed, and the acceptance
requirements shall be agreed upon between the manufacturer
and purchaser.

S3. Liquid Penetrant Examination

S3.1 Castings shall be examined for surface discontinuities
by means of liquid penetrant examination. The examination
shall be in accordance with Test Method E 165. Areas to be
inspected, methods and types of liquid penetrants to be used,
developing procedure, and basis for acceptance shall be agreed
upon between the manufacturer and purchaser.

S6. Nodule Count

S6.1 The nodule count per unit area shall be determined by
examining 100 3 micrographs.6 The samples for the micrographs shall be removed from the casting at locations agreed
upon. The inspection method and the acceptance requirements
shall be agreed upon between the manufacturer and purchaser.
Practice E 562 may be used for guidance.

S4. Radiographic Examination

S4.1 Castings shall be examined for internal defects by
means of X-rays or gamma rays. The procedure shall be in

6
Electric Power Research Institute Project 2813-1, Relationships Between
Ductile Iron Fracture Toughness and Microstructure, December 1986, provides
background information.

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