Electrochemical study and gravimetric behaviour of gray cast iron in varying concentrations of blends as alternative material for gears in ethanol environment

The phenomenon of chemical degradation of mild steel materials under ethanol environment is becoming alarming. In order to study the electrochemical, thermal and mechanical behaviour of gray cast iron in this environment, this paper deals with the investigation of gray cast iron sample in varying concentrations of different ethanol blend solution. The electrochemical behaviour of gray cast iron sample was studied in ethanol concentrations of A – 42%, B – 40%, C – 28%, D – 43% and E – 45% using distilled water as control medium. Observations of the microstructures after the test showed that mainly oxides and corrosion products dominate the surfaces. However, some areas showed some cracks which are less severe. Also, the thermal gravimetric analyses of samples after the electrochemical test showed that, there was reduced thermal decomposition which suggests its good performance for gear application. Further to this, the micro-hardness results showed that the material maintained its mechanical properties despite the interactions with the solvents.