Thermomechanical Fatigue Behavior of Gray Cast Iron in Brake Rotors

Gray cast iron is a cost-effective engineering material widely used for heavy duty engine blocks and brake rotor discs in vehicles. Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) frequently occurs during vehicle operation due to temperature fluctuations in brake rotors. To speed up the design of the component, design structurally sounding brake rotors, and prevent premature thermally induced cracking, it is critical to investigate TMF behavior of the gray cast iron. This study presents a series of fatigue tests, including isothermal low cycle fatigue (LCF) tests at temperatures up to 700°C, as well as in-phase (IP) and out-of-phase (OP) TMF tests across various temperature ranges. Because of the asymmetric behavior in tension and compression, creep behaviors in both tension and compression and oxidation are also studied. These behaviors are the key to enable simulation of thermally induced cracks in rotors.