Ultrasonic cavitation erosion of nodular cast iron with ferrite–pearlite microstructure

•Cavitation erosion of ferrite–pearlite ductile cast iron.•Up to 1.32 times higher cavitation than C 45 steel.•Initiation at the nodular graphite–ferrite interface.•Controlled by micro-galvanic activities and mechanical factors. The cavitation erosion of ductile cast iron with ferrite–pearlite microstructure was analyzed based on ultrasonic experiments performed according to ASTM G32-2010 and the resistance was compared to the C45 steel with similar hardness. The microstructural observation of the surface for different exposure times to the ultrasonic cavitation reveals the fact that the process initiates at the nodular graphite–ferrite interface and is controlled by micro-galvanic activities and mechanical factors. The cavitation erosion resistance was evaluated based on the evolution of the mean depth erosion and the mean depth erosion rate as a function of the cavitation time. The cavitation erosion rate of the cast iron is up to 1.32 times higher than the one of the C 45 steel with similar hardness. This is explained by the occurrence of stress concentrators due to the expulsion of the graphite from the metallic matrix.