Spheroidal graphite cast iron (SG iron) is the most preferable member of cast iron family due to its strength and toughness along with good tribological properties. SG iron specimens with annealed and martensitic matrix were subjected to dry sliding wear condition and the system response was correlated to matrix microstructure. Respective microstructure was obtained by annealing and quench and tempering heat treatment process for an austenitizing temperature of 1000°C. Specimens were subjected to Ball on plate wear tester under 40N, 50N, 60N load for a sliding distance of 7.54m. Except for quench and tempered specimen at 50N, weight loss was observed in every condition. The wear surface under optical microscope reveals adhesive mechanism for as-cast and annealed specimen whereas delaminated wear track feature was observed for quench and tempered specimen. I. Introduction Spheroidal graphite cast iron (SG iron) or ductile iron (DI) unlike every other cast iron has graphite in the form of spheroids which act as crack arrester, due to which it possesses higher strength and toughness along with better wear resistance. Furthermore it has been proved that the properties of SG iron can be improved by application of suitable heat treatment process leading to transformation of as-cast ferritic or ferritic/pearlitic matrix into pearlitic, martensitic and bainitic. Austempered ductile iron is one of the most favorable materials among all other type because of its excellent strength, toughness, wear resistance, fatigue strength and fracture toughness [1-8]. Tribological investigation carried out on austempered SG iron with varying austempering time and temperature, reported increased wear resistance with increasing austempering temperature and time along with increased hardness during wear due to the bainitic ferrite which is less prone to thermal instability than martensite, might undergo strain hardening [9, 10]. Tempering treatment on ductile iron with boron increased the wear resistance but with increasing boriding time wear rate of boro-tempered ductile iron decreased [11]. Apart from alloying element and heat treatment graphite nodule size and distribution affects the wear resistance of SG iron. According to a study by Sugishita and Fujiyoshi [12] and Zimba et.al [13] presence of large size graphite nodules reduces the wear rate by acting as lubricating agent.

The purpose of this study was to experimentally determine the abrasion wear properties of ausferritic ductile iron austempered at 250 °C in order to obtain cast iron of class EN-GJS-1400-1. It has been found that such a cast iron grade makes it possible to create structures for material conveyors used for short-distance transport purposes, required to perform in terms of abrasion resistance under extreme conditions. The wear tests addressed in the paper were conducted at a ring-on-ring type of test rig. The test samples were examined under the conditions of slide mating, where the main destructive process was surface microcutting via loose corundum grains. The mass loss of the examined samples was measured as a parameter characteristic of the wear. The volume loss values thus obtained were plotted as a function of initial hardness. Based on these results, it has been found that prolonged heat treatment (of more than 6 h) causes only an insignificant increase in the resistance to abr...

Austempered cast irons have a unique microstructure (ausferrite) that provides for excellent wear properties. This paper will examine the available data in the literature on wear in several modes: abrasive wear, adhesive wear (frictional or sliding and rolling), and erosive wear. Additional wear data, including that from competitive materials as well as from private communications, will be presented along with examples of applications of austempered ductile cast irons where wear properties are of concern

Some Remarks on the Rivers of Central asia in Antiquity, in: Gaudeamus igitur. Sbornik statey k 60-letiyu A.V. Podosinova, edd. T.N. Jackson, I.G. Konovalova, G.R. Tsetskhladze, Moskva 2010, 302-309. Gaudeamus igitur: Сборник статей к 60-летию А.В.Подосинова Author(s): Джаксон Т.Н., Коновалова И.Г., Цецхладзе Г.Р. Publisher: Русский фонд содействия образованию и науке, Year ISBN: 9785912440205 ABSTRACT Rivers and seas were crucial reference points for ancient peoples of Eurasia and the identification of watercourses is essential to any historical analysis. In attempts to identify rivers of ancient Central Asia, a philological or historical approach will not suffice, what with the complex water system in the area between the Caspian Sea and the Pamir Mountains changing over the millen­nia. For this reason, it is difficult to make a link between ancient sources and old hydrographic system. At the core of that arrangement in Central Asia was the river called Oxos by the ancients, now known as the À m ü D a ryä (Greek Oxos, Latin Oxusy Old Iranian WaxSu). But unlike today, when the river flows into the Aral Sea, in antiquity it fed into Lake Sarykamysh and was con­nected with the Caspian Sea, as is made clear by many classical accounts. And yet, publication after scholarly publication, the assumption was that the hydrographic network of ancient Central Asia was the same as or very similar to the present state. Careful analysis of Strabos data and other ancient accounts proves that the name Ochos used in them refers to the Usboi in the northern periphery of Hyrcania and the Àb-e Qaysar/Andkhùy river in western Bactria (Afghan Turkestan)